John Lennon’s Rickenbacker(s)

John Lennon’s Rickenbacker(s):

Everything changed for Lennon when he touched down in Hamburg in 1960. He stumbled upon a shop selling a California-made Rickenbacker guitar.

Lennon didn’t waste any time in buying his now-iconic Rickenbacker 325 guitar, which was very unique in an unusual way.

After The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, the Rickenbacker became a big hit for budding guitarists around the world.

And the company knew it. Rickenbacker quickly built a strong relationship with The Beatles by providing them with as many guitars and bass guitars as they might need.

Lennon’s first Rickenbacker was, crucially, robust enough to be played for multiple hours every night in Hamburg.

The band would play anywhere up to eight hours a day while in their residency slot, and the guitar lasted even longer than that.

The Fab Four were eventually signed by Brian Epstein in 1962. Lennon used the Rickenbacker 325 until 1964, when he retired the instrument.

But his love affair with the brand didn’t stop there, as his next three guitars were different versions of the 325, so he had certainly found a love for his first real touring axe.