John Lennon John Lennon’s 1971 secret letter to Eric Clapton asking him to start a “ballsy” new rock band is headed for auction Lennon's letter, now headed to auction, was in part an attempt to help Clapton out of his heroin addiction Why did the Beatles play Epiphone Casinos? It all comes back to one man John Mayall brought some famous guitarists to the fore. He also turned the Beatles on to one of their defining guitar models An unusual guitar is at the center of a mystery about the Beatles' White Album The rare fretless guitar appears to have been used on "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and "Helter Skelter" Latest John Lennon “People always say I’m the Beatle who changed the most.” How playing sitar helped George Harrison become a guitar legend By Christopher Scapelliti published 8 November 24 While all the elements of Harrison’s guitar style were falling into place, the Beatles were falling apart. Here’s what happened D’Addario unveils commemorative John Lennon’s collection – including a replica of his 1972 Madison Square Garden solo show strap By Phil Weller published 30 October 24 Replica straps from key moments in his career and picks celebrate the Beatles guitarist’s legacy “I’ll just do a little bit of it and show you what got me in the Beatles.” Paul McCartney reveals the song he played for John Lennon that earned him a spot in the band By Christopher Scapelliti published 29 October 24 McCartney says Lennon was impressed by his guitar playing and the fact that Paul knew all the words Former Beatle John Lennon's weirdest guitar is one of the last he played By Christopher Scapelliti published 9 October 24 Check out the bizarre guitar John Lennon used on his last solo album. “Why don’t you just play it the same way each time?” Paul McCartney asked Brian Ray why he performed a Beatles song like this. Here's what he said By Joe Bosso last updated 4 October 24 The Paul McCartney guitarist shares his hard-won advice on how to perform any Beatles song perfectly “He could only remember one time where they got stuck”: Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray on the Beatles' creative process By Jackson Maxwell published 8 August 24 “You have to remember,” Macca's longtime six-string sideman emphasized to GP in 2005, “the Beatles did a record every six months” John Lennon’s first Vox amp has apparently been rediscovered after 60 years By Phil Weller published 11 July 24 Discovered on an auction site covered in black paint, the amp used on Please Please Me and Love Me Do seems to have resurfaced after falling out of sight for six decades John Lennon’s Help! Framus 12-string becomes one of the most expensive guitars to ever sell at auction By Phil Weller published 30 May 24 The acoustic is now the most expensive Beatles guitar to ever sell at auction, having been lost for 50 years The Incredible Story of How a Guitar Magazine Helped Find John Lennon’s Long-Lost Gibson J-160E By Christopher Scapelliti published 14 June 23 Missing since 1963, this iconic Beatles guitar was found over half a century later and sold at auction for $2.4 million The Iconic Rickenbacker 325 Has a Story Like No Other Electric Guitar By Rod Brakes published 7 April 23 Favored by John Lennon, this short-scale model was the first in Rickenbacker’s defining Capri range 1 2 3 4 5 6 Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors LATEST ARTICLES1John Lennon’s 1971 secret letter to Eric Clapton asking him to start a “ballsy” new rock band is headed for auction2Gary Rossington's 1961 Gibson SG returns to the stage for the first time in years3“Buying it was a leap of faith. But It looks stunning, plays beautifully and sounds unique.” A rare 1964 solidbody guitar turned out to be completely different from what it seemed4Get shred-ready this Black Friday with massive savings of up to $400 off Charvel's Superstrats5David Gilmour says he can't shred so he chose to be tuneful. It made all the difference in creating his signature style
“People always say I’m the Beatle who changed the most.” How playing sitar helped George Harrison become a guitar legend By Christopher Scapelliti published 8 November 24 While all the elements of Harrison’s guitar style were falling into place, the Beatles were falling apart. Here’s what happened
D’Addario unveils commemorative John Lennon’s collection – including a replica of his 1972 Madison Square Garden solo show strap By Phil Weller published 30 October 24 Replica straps from key moments in his career and picks celebrate the Beatles guitarist’s legacy
“I’ll just do a little bit of it and show you what got me in the Beatles.” Paul McCartney reveals the song he played for John Lennon that earned him a spot in the band By Christopher Scapelliti published 29 October 24 McCartney says Lennon was impressed by his guitar playing and the fact that Paul knew all the words
Former Beatle John Lennon's weirdest guitar is one of the last he played By Christopher Scapelliti published 9 October 24 Check out the bizarre guitar John Lennon used on his last solo album.
“Why don’t you just play it the same way each time?” Paul McCartney asked Brian Ray why he performed a Beatles song like this. Here's what he said By Joe Bosso last updated 4 October 24 The Paul McCartney guitarist shares his hard-won advice on how to perform any Beatles song perfectly
“He could only remember one time where they got stuck”: Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray on the Beatles' creative process By Jackson Maxwell published 8 August 24 “You have to remember,” Macca's longtime six-string sideman emphasized to GP in 2005, “the Beatles did a record every six months”
John Lennon’s first Vox amp has apparently been rediscovered after 60 years By Phil Weller published 11 July 24 Discovered on an auction site covered in black paint, the amp used on Please Please Me and Love Me Do seems to have resurfaced after falling out of sight for six decades
John Lennon’s Help! Framus 12-string becomes one of the most expensive guitars to ever sell at auction By Phil Weller published 30 May 24 The acoustic is now the most expensive Beatles guitar to ever sell at auction, having been lost for 50 years
The Incredible Story of How a Guitar Magazine Helped Find John Lennon’s Long-Lost Gibson J-160E By Christopher Scapelliti published 14 June 23 Missing since 1963, this iconic Beatles guitar was found over half a century later and sold at auction for $2.4 million
The Iconic Rickenbacker 325 Has a Story Like No Other Electric Guitar By Rod Brakes published 7 April 23 Favored by John Lennon, this short-scale model was the first in Rickenbacker’s defining Capri range
