A black-and-white 1962 Rickenbacker 425 electric guitar that George Harrison played on British television before the Beatles' U.S. "invasion" fetched $657,000 at auction Saturday in New York City, topping pre-sale estimates, Julien's Auctions said.
Harrison, who died in 2001 at 58, played the guitar on 1963 appearances on the British TV shows Ready Steady Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars with the Beatles. You can watch a clip from a 1963 Ready Steady Go! appearance below.
Harrison also played the guitar during the sessions when the Beatles recorded "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" in October 1963, months before they brought "Beatlemania" to the U.S.
The guitar was estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000, Julien's said ahead of the auction.
Harrison bought the guitar in 1963 in Mount Vernon, Illinois, while visiting his sister.
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