“One of the most important guitars in rock and roll history”: George Harrison’s Futurama smashes auction estimate and sets a new record with staggering $1.27 million sale
The oddball electric – which was used during the Beatles’ early years, and saw action in over 300 historic shows – becomes the most expensive electric guitar formerly owned by a Beatle to sell at auction
(Image credit: Astrid Kirchherr photographic print of The Beatles / Matt Parker/Future)
George Harrison’s Futurama has just become the most expensive Beatles electric guitar to ever sell at auction, selling for $1.27 million as part of Julien’s hotly anticipated Played, Worn and Torn auction event.
The record-breaking sale sees the Futurama absolutely shatter its pre-auction upper estimate of $800,000, with the oddball electric trumping the likes of Eric Clapton’s ‘Blackie’, Bob Dylan’s Newport Fender Strat, and David Gilmour’s Martin D-35 to also become one of the most expensive guitars ever sold at auction.
In fact, it comes in as the joint-11th most expensive auction guitar, sitting alongside Eric Clapton’s 1964 ‘The Fool’ Gibson SG, which sold for $1.27 million last year. It also comes ahead of Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Strat, and Duane Allman’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop.
The Futurama was eventually snapped up after 16 bids, and while it becomes the most expensive electric formerly owned by a Beatle to sell at auction, it isn’t actually the priciest Beatles guitar sale we’ve ever seen.
Nevertheless, it’s still a hugely significant sale, and one that Julien’s had largely pre-empted in the lead-up to the event.
(Image credit: Julien's)
“George Harrison’s Futurama guitar was The Beatles’ north star and one of his most loved instruments in his collection of legendary and prized guitars,” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director/Co-Founder of Julien’s Auctions, at the time of the guitar’s unveiling.
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“This mythic guitar aptly named Futurama was played during the early Beatles’ countless ground breaking performances from their halcyon nights at the Cavern Club in Liverpool to their famous Hamburg Days where they honed their sound and style and the future of Beatlemania literally took off.”
As alluded to by Nolan above, the Futurama played a pivotal role in Harrison’s early years, and featured heavily during some of the Beatles’ first and most formative gigs.
Harrison bought the quasi-Strat replica in the late 1950s from Hessy’s Music Centre in Liverpool, UK, owing to an absence of Fender Strats in the UK market at the time.
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(Image credit: Julien's)
(Image credit: Julien's)
(Image credit: Julien's)
(Image credit: Julien's)
Before the arrival of Harrison’s Gretsch Duo Jet in 1962, it became the Beatle’s main guitar, and was used for over 300 shows at the legendary Cavern Club and during the Fab Four’s historic Hamburg tours in the early 1960s.
“George Harrison’s iconic Futurama guitar, one of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles’ sound, has made history at today’s auction,” Nolan said after the auction.
“We’re beyond thrilled to add this Harrison guitar to the Julien’s Auctions’ million-dollar club, which already includes guitars from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Kurt Cobain.”
It’s a huge reversal of fortunes for the Futurama, which notably failed to sell after it didn’t meet its reserve price when it was put up for auction by Bonhams in 2019.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
