RICKENBACKER 425 GUITAR OWNED BY GEORGE SELLS FOR $657,000 AT AUCTION

An electric guitar played by George Harrison on British television before the Beatles' U.S. "invasion" fetched $657,000 at auction on Saturday in New York, topping pre-sale estimates, Julien's Auctions said. 

George played the black-and-white 1962 Rickenbacker 425 electric guitar on 1963 appearances on the British TV shows "Ready Stead Go!" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars" with the Beatles. Also played the guitar during the sessions when the Beatles recorded "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" in October 1963, months before they brought "Beatlemania" to the United States, launching the British Invasion of rock bands. 

The guitar was estimated to sell between $400,000 and $600,000, Julien's said ahead of the auction. 

 

 

 

 

This undated photo provided by Julien's Auctions shows the 1962 Rickenbacker 425 guitar that George Harrison played as The Beatles recorded "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

George bought the guitar in 1963 in Mount Vernon, Illinois, while visiting his sister in the United States, the auction house said.

Also sold at the auction was a handwritten placard with doodles signed by John and Yoko Ono from their 1969 anti-war "bed-in" in Montreal, which fetched $187,000. A Hofner bass rented by Paul in the mid-1960s sold for $125,000.