George Harrison’s Early Beatles Guitar Sold For $1.27m
via MusicFluxer / Youtube
A guitar once owned by George Harrison just sold for an incredible $1.27 million at auction, setting a new record for instruments connected to the legendary Beatle. This sale cements Harrison’s place not only in music history but also in the world of valuable memorabilia.
The Futurama: A Piece of Beatles History
The guitar in question? An early Beatles-era Futurama, a key instrument in George Harrison’s journey to superstardom. The guitar was the centerpiece of Julien’s Auctions’ “Played, Worn & Torn II” sale. Experts estimated it could fetch around $600,000, but the final price more than doubled that prediction.
This Futurama wasn’t just any guitar—it was one of two Harrison played heavily during the Beatles’ early days. It featured in more than 324 performances, including those at the iconic Cavern Club, and was used in early Polydor recordings.
“George Harrison’s iconic Futurama guitar, one of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles’ sound, has made history at today’s auction,” said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions. “We’re beyond thrilled to add this Harrison guitar to the Julien’s Auctions’ million-dollar club, which already includes guitars from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Kurt Cobain.”
A Teenage Purchase with Mixed Feelings
Harrison bought the guitar as a teenager for £58, paying for it in 44 installments—a far cry from the seven-figure price it commands today. Despite its pivotal role in his early career, Harrison wasn’t entirely happy with the Futurama.
“If I’d had my way, the Strat would have been my first guitar,” Harrison once said, according to Guitar Player. “I’d seen Buddy Holly’s Strat … on The Chirping Crickets album cover, and tried to find one. But in Liverpool in those days, the only thing I could find resembling a Strat was a Futurama that had strings about a half an inch off the fingerboard.”
Other Auction Highlights: Clapton, Parton, and More
Harrison’s guitar wasn’t the only piece of rock history to make waves at the Nashville auction. A Fender Stratocaster signed and stage-played by Eric Clapton went for $65,000, while Ike Everly’s 1950 Gibson ES5 Electric Archtop fetched $25,400.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s 1939 Gibson L5 Archtop guitar brought in over $76,000, and even fragments of a smashed Dolly Parton guitar sold for $5,200.
Several items also supported good causes. Kirk Hammett of Metallica auctioned his Epiphone ‘79 Flying V for $26,000 to benefit Gibson Gives, and a Fender Malibu acoustic signed by Dolly Parton raised nearly $20,000—19 times its estimate—for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Other notable guitars owned by legends like Mark Knopfler, Steve Vai, and Keith Richards were sold to support musicians facing health challenges.
