George Harrison Guitar Fetches $490,000 at Auction

The guitar was the highest bid among all the unique items up for the auction

George Harrison’s Mastersound electric guitar sold for $490,000 at the auction held in New York’s Hard Rock Café on Friday. Harrison, the lead guitarist of “Beatles”, played the instrument during the band’s live performances in the summer of 1963.

Harrison borrowed the guitar, called Maton Mastersound, from a music store in England at the time when his own legendary Gretsch Country Gentleman was out of order and under repair. According to Daily Mail, Maton Mastersound, which was initially lent for a couple of hours, had been used by Harrison in so many concerts during 1963 summer. 

“It was played by Harrison in the Cavern Club in early 60s. This is a really iconic piece, really sought after. “Executive director of Julien’s Auction Martin Nolan said.

Harrison eventually returned it to the store possibility after Beatle’s performances in August where it was sold to guitarist of the band The Cruisers Roy Barber. According to a story, Roy Barber decided to buy it from the store when they told that it was the same guitar used by the George Harrison and he swapped it with own Fender Stratocaster. The guitar sat in the case for 20 years and after his death in 2000, Barber’s widow auctioned it off in 2002. Thirteen years later, the guitar was put up for an auction again and went for $490,000 to an undisclosed buyer.

The guitar was offered at a two-day rock memorabilia auction where so many unique items which belonged to many other music legends were also displayed including a black sequined glove of Michael Jackson, a vest worn by Jimi Hendrix, a tank top of Madonna and a tour bus of Elvis Presley. But it was the George Harrison’s guitar which sold for the highest bid at the auction.