Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

His first Rick was purchased in 1960. Does anyone know WHEN in 1960?

October/November maybe?

Just trying to find out. If it was that late, it was in the store for about two years, maybe even more.

http://www.rickresource.com/rrp/babysinblack.html

The Purchase in Hamburg, Germany:

One of the most famous guitars in rock music history has been John Lennon's 1958 Model 325 Rickenbacker Capri (Serial Number "V81") in natural finish. Purchased at Steinway's in Hamburg, Germany in 1960, this guitar quickly became an Icon for the British Invasion. American guitars were highly sought after by British musicians during the late 1950s and early 1960s as young aspiring guitarists from the UK emulated American Rock and Roll with a passion that would create British Rock. John Lennon was not exempt from this fervour and acquiring an guitar made in America would be a dream come true. Lennon stumbled upon the 1958 Model 325 by chance, but it would be this opportunistic moment during a Hamburg trip in the autumn of 1960 that would forever link Rickenbacker instruments with the British Invasion.

So it was late-ish 1960.

Not really in the store. I'm writing from memory, but it seems that the guitar was used by Rickenbacker as a trade show demo right up until the time it was sent to Germany.

In the famous picture of Toots Thieleman playing for Rickenbacker at a trade show--1959, I think--lennon's guitar can actually be seen behind him in the showroom display, right below Toots' left elbow.

Paul is correct (it is his right elbow though). It's on page 109 of the Smith book.

Darn. Forgot to reverse the picture in my brain. Right elbow it is.

RIght. Thanks. I haven't found anyone who's claimed to have nailed the purchase date (or even month) so far, whereas so many other Beatles-related events have been researched to the day they took place. I realize the earlier ones are probably harder to nail down.

Glenn: We have not given up hope of finding out more though, have we?

I have recently discussed the date of Lennon's Rickenbacker purchase with Rick Hardy who was with Lennon in Hamburg when he picked out the guitar in September 1960 and will be updating this information when I am able.

The precise date in September 1960 is not yet nailed down, however, Mr. Hardy is able, based on important events in his life, to point to September as the month.

Radio-Tel sent the guitar to Framus-Werke in Germany along with some other guitars and amplifiers in October 1958.

In "Beatles Gear", it says he bought it on terms in Nov.

Bill

The Beatles gear book says it was "in Hamburg in November" but does not say what the source is for that (though it seems to hint that it might have been the credit payments arrangement paperwork.)

If so, there was an awful lot going on in those few days as George was deported shortly thereafter and the others save Stu straggled out all by early Dec.

There are pictures of John playing at the Indra Club where he has his new Rick.

If he did indeed have it at the Indra Club their run of shows in 1960 at the club were from Aug. 17th to Oct. 3rd. I have a picture from Lewisohn's book, The Complete Chronicles, showing them at the Indra, but in this particular photo John isn't using the 325.

John S:

If Radio-Tel sent it to Germany in '58, then the Thieleman shot must be from a trade show in early '58...I can't find the NAMM dates, but it would have to be very early in the year; one supposes January...So the guitar would have to have been built in the first or second week of '58 to be considered a '58, as everyone does consider it.

I wonder about this--is it possible? If true, there is also the possibility that it was built specifically FOR NAMM as a show model...

Or the Thieleman shot was from another trade show later in the year, but before it was shipped off to Europe.