The maker of the guitar George Harrison is holding on the cover of his 1987 "Cloud 9" album has reissued the instrument as a very limited edition model, the company announced on Thursday.
- You can see pictures of the guitar and a video of George Harrison talking about it at left. There are additional videos, including an interview with the man who sold the guitar to George Harrison, on the Gretsch website.
The new guitar, Gretsch Custom Shop G6128T-GH George Harrison “Tribute” Duo Jet, limited to 60 pieces worldwide, is a replica of the all-black 6128 Duo Jet Harrison played with the Beatles from summer 1961 through spring 1963. Harrison loved the Duo Jet, and referred to it as his first truly good guitar. It is heard on many early Beatles recordings as well as being the album featured on the cover of "Cloud 9."
The new Gretsch replica, built by Stephen Stern and the Gretsch Custom Shop, "mirrors every scratch, ding and rust spot of Harrison’s guitar," according to a press release announcing the new issue. "True to form, the tremolo arm of its Bigsby® B6C tailpiece has a black Phillips head pivot bolt, and the strap button on the lower bout is offset to accommodate the Bigsby®," the announcement says.
According to a history of the guitar issued by Gretsch, Harrison bought it in the summer of 1961 from Liverpool cab driver and former merchant seaman Ivan Hayward. Hayward, who bought the guitar brand new in 1957 in New York, had the Bigsby® installed soon after buying the guitar. Hayward wanted £90 for the guitar. Harrison paid Hayward £70, and wrote an IOU for the remaining £20 on the back of the instrument’s customs slip (since settled, Harrison fans will be interested to know).
“It was my first real American guitar,” Harrison told Guitar Player magazine in 1987. “And I’ll tell you, it was secondhand, but I polished that thing. I was so proud to own that.”
The company says the Gretsch was an upgrade from the Futurama model Harrison had been playing up to that time. The Duo Jet then became his main guitar. He played it during the Beatles' 1962 stints at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, in April, May, November and December. He also used it at the Beatles’ first recording session at Abbey Road Studios in London on June 6, 1962 and at subsequent sessions later that year and in early 1963.
Harrison acquired other Gretsch guitars after mid-1963, most notably the Country Gentleman® and Tennessean® models, and largely retired the Duo Jet. In the mid-1960s, he gave the Duo Jet as a gift to bassist and artist Klaus Voormann, who designed the cover of the Beatles' "Revolver" album.
Voormann kept the Gretsch for the next 20 years, at some point changing the neck pickup. In the mid-1980s, Harrison recalled, “I’d asked him what happened to the guitar and whether I could have it back, because of its nostalgic value. So he returned it to me, and I had it fixed back in its original form with the original pickup and switches that had been missing from it since he owned it.”
In 1987, Harrison released his "Cloud Nine" album, which included “Got My Mind Set on You.” When the time came to shoot pictures for the cover, Harrison said, “I was asked if I could take a guitar down for the photo session for the new album, and so I picked that one, and that’s it — the old black Gretsch.”
Even without George Harrison's connection to it, it's a beautiful instrument. One can see why just looking at the pictures in the slideshow why he was so proud of it.
Comments
Wish I could afford one of these 60 pieces. Turned out nice again!
Whoa, $20,000 for this according to the Gretsch website!
Steve you forgot to mention (this from Gretsch website):
INCLUDES: Two (2) unpublished photos of George with his ORIGINAL Duo Jet guitar, Rare 1987 British 7" vinyl record release of Harrison's hit song, "Got My Mind Set on You", DVD - "The Making of George Harrison's TRIBUTE Gretsch Guitar", and one of George's personal guitar picks.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!