Guitar company Höfner has loaned four one-off replicas of instruments used by Paul and John to the Beatles Story.
The 1964 Vintage 500/1 Bass, Paul McCartney 500/1 Backup Bass, Jubilee 500/1 Bass and the Club 40 John Lennon re-issue guitar have gone on display at the Albert Dock attraction as part of its 25th birthday celebrations.
The 1964 example of the bass is very similar to Paul McCartney’s.
Meanwhile
in 2009 Höfner was commissioned by the Liverpool-born legend to produce
a 500/1 Backup Bass for him, built to the same specifications as his
1963 model that he uses for all concerts and for recording.
Only two of the Backup Basses were made. One is with Sir Paul, and the other was retained by Höfner for occasional exhibiting.
Thirdly, part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations
included a special concert at which Macca played. Höfner decided it
would produce a Violin Bass with the Union flag sprayed on the top and
offer this to him for the concert. The one spare that was created is
also among the instruments on show at the Beatles Story.
Meanwhile
the first electric guitar owned by John Lennon was a Höfner Club 40,
bought on hire purchase from Hessy’s in Liverpool in 1959.
The
fourth guitar on loan is a limited edition (120 examples) re-issue of
the 1959 Club 40. All have a reproduction of Lennon’s signature on the
scratchplate.
The Beatles Story’s Martin King said: “The
loan by Höfner is an extremely welcome addition to the Beatles Story and
the stories behind each guitar will I’m sure be familiar to Beatles
fans and keen musicians world-wide.
“Our visitors will
just love these. It’s particularly fitting that we have them in a few
days before Paul McCartney’s 73rd birthday too.
“The fact that
they’re so rare and that they will never be made again will really
appeal to Beatles superfans. We’d like to thank Höfner for the loan, we
are always looking to add to what we have on offer here and this is an
incredible addition.”
The Höfner guitars will be on display until September 12.
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