The Smiley Smile Message Board

This auction just closed less than 24 hours ago, George's first Rickenbacker, a 425 model, which he bought during a visit to the US in Sept. 1963 to see his sister just sold for 605,000 US at a music auction held by Julien's in NYC.

This is pretty significant because not many true Beatles guitars - meaning ones that they actually played or were seen playing - have come up as the important ones are either owned by the families/estates, have been stolen and never recovered (Paul's original Hofner bass), or have been destroyed (George's 'Ed Sullivan' model Gretsch Country Gent)...

Here is the link to the actual auction with photos and history, click here:

http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/124/lot/54425/?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F124%2F%3Fpage%3D1%26sort%3D5%26dir%3D1 (http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/124/lot/54425/?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F124%2F%3Fpage%3D1%26sort%3D5%26dir%3D1)

Here is the actual guitar:
(http://www.julienslive.com/images/lot/1713/171323_0.jpg)

And here is probably the most famous appearance of the guitar, George and the group on Ready Steady Go:

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01858/fordyce-beatles_1858732b.jpg)


Other items: A Hofner bass McCartney rented from a shop to play on stage went for 125,000 US, and a first state Yesterday And Today "Butcher Cover" that had been given to a mailroom worker at Capitol by the driver who brought a load of the rejects from the pressing plant sold for $31,250

Surprised to see how much first state Y&T covers have appreciated as the years have gone by.  I used to have a physician that acquired a first state "Butcher Cover" back in the early eighties and I'm sure he didn't pay $31,000 for it! 

I think the price went up, because everybody peeled them, which left less of the ones with the sticker still on...

Would imagine that must a a Stereo copy, they sell for a lot more and are rare. That, and the history behind it.

Ebay is overrun with butchers, and they dont sell for a lot in 2nd and 3rd states.

I had the 'states' all wrong, I would assume 1st state would be the rarest, and the 2nd state (slick still on?) would be second most rare since everybody tried to make them 3rd state (sticker peeled?)