A little update. During the Imagine sessions, George tried using a resonator for slide but he and John agreed it was too tinny sounding for the recording. This suggests to me that he hadn't brought a slide guitar of his own to the sessions, which means the blue Strat could indeed have been John's, and possibly the one from the Beatles renecked. Not conclusive, not enough to make the claim on for me, but suggestive.
Fabulous detective work! I always loved the look of the Sonic Blue strat George played on the "Imagine" sessions. Had no idea it became the Bangladesh strat. Well done!
My favorite Strats: David's '69 "The Black Strat" George's "Rocky" Jimi's Olympic White '68 & his favorite black Stratocaster Jerry's '57 Natural "Alligator" from Grame Nash Sting's '78 Stratocaster The Edge's Stratocaster Several of Ritchie Blackmore's CBS Stratocasters..... Frank Zappa's "Hendrix" Stratocaster that Dweezil now owns... Rory Gallagher's "beat to shit" Stratocaster
[Great detective work, TWM/lapelcelery42! This comment replicates many of the things Thomas Williams said (here and on Word Press), but does try to point out places that might lead to alternative conclusions (e.g. a possibly missing screw hole in the body of the guitar)] Where did the Sonic Blue strat that George played at the Ascot Sound Studios during the Imagine sessions come from? Fender introduced Sonic Blue in 1960. Maple fretboards were used from 1954 until 1959/1960. The Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Strat could be a 1960 or possibly 1961 model (Fender frequently has carried over use of old materials into production for a year after.). However, if you think that the dark circle near the middle pickup indicates a missing pickguard screw--missing, that is, because there is no screw hole in the guitar body at that location--then there's an argument for believing that the Ascot Strat is something other than a 1959-1963 model (equipped with a non-original 1959-1963 pickguard); perhaps a 1963-70 model. Since maple necks were discontinued around 1959, one might think the original neck was actually rosewood, which leads to more conjecture: It's possible that the Ascot Strat is a 1966 (or later) Strat body and that a dislike for the aesthetics of an original post-1965 headstock was a motive to change the neck to an earlier, maple neck. What about the pickguard? Is it white? Is it mint green? It looks white to me based on a comparison with George's khaki-colored outfit in the Ascot studio, but it could be a very pale greenish color. After 1959 (until 1966), strat pickguards were mint green, 3-ply, and made of celluloid. After 1965, the strat pickguards were made of vinyl and were white again, but 3-ply. Apart from the material ad color of the pickguard, there is also the number of screws in the pickguard to consider. The number of screw holes in Fender pickguards changed from 8 to 11 in 1959 and, also, around 1963, a screw hole for one of the eleven screw holes was moved back to very close to the middle pickup, which was a position for one of the screws in the 8-hole pickguards. The pickguard of the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Sonic Blue strat has 11 screw holes, which puts its manufacturing between 1959 and 1963 based on vintage positioning of the guard screw next to the middle pickup. It is an open question whether the guitar body is configured for an 8-screw pickguard (1954-1959), a 1959-1963 11-hole pickguard, or a 1963-present 11-hole pickguard. If the dark circle (screw hole) near the middle pickup indicates a missing screw, and if that screw is missing because there is no screw hole in the guitar body at that location, this implies that the body is a 1959-1963 body that was not configured for either a pre-1960 pickguard or for a 1963-present pickguard (but is configured for a 1959-1963 11-hole pickguard). How much does the pickguard matter? Is it possible that someone replaced the original pickguard? The celluloid pickguards were notorious for breaking at the screw holes near the middle pickup and horn, but how about the white vinyl 3-ply pickguards? If it were replaced, it might have been replaced with a pale mint green, 3-ply pickguard. Apart from the same guitar strap being used at each event, the vintage of the pickguard is probably the flimsiest piece of evidence for determining the source of the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine strat, which is separate from the task of establishing a link between the Concert for Bangladesh strat and the Ascot strat. A tech would be much more likely to change a pickguard than to change a neck without the express permission of the famous guitarist. So, I think it is most likely that the guitar and neck are from 1960, but the original mint green, 3-ply, celluloid pickguard was replaced with a post-1963 pickguard--either mint green, 3-ply, and celluloid or white, 3-ply, and vinyl. What about John Lennon's Sonic Blue strat? According to the Fender Stratocaster Handbook, while the strat George got from Mal Evans (SN#83840) had a December 1961 manufacturing date, John's strat had a 1962 manufacturing date. This provides no evidence that the Ascot strat wasn't John's with a replacement neck, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence for that theory.
Interesting. I always thought it was a Mary Kay strat, but that would have had a single ply pickguard. Surprised Fender did not cash in yet with Bangladesh Strat, a 60ish body sanded and 50s neck. And charge the obligatory $15,000.
AT 99% THAT'S JOHN'S SONIC BLUE GUITAR, i found this on the description of the Lennon's how do you sleep promo video: "...A bearded George Harrison is in front of you, to the right, playing electric slide on John's pale blue Fender Strat..." By the way, good video
Maybe. I'd like to know what evidence the assertion is based on. As I say in the video, it's possible it's John's Strat after a neck change, but no-one has yet been able to offer good evidence to support that, and the fact that someone repeated the claim in a video description doesn't offer any new information.
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik I researched the strat Clapton gave George some years ago and finally found that it was a maple necked sunburst, the one with the Indian symbol on it. Sorry I can't provide a link or source as I can't recall where I found it.
@@jltrem The one he plays on "This Song" on the live German tv appearance. That jives with the facts as we know them. Pretty sure he gave Pete Townshend a maple and sunburst 50s Strat as well. I've never seen any evidence that he gave a neck to Lennon, though I'm not against the idea if anyone has any evidence.
You call it interesting conjecture, but I'd argue it being John's sonic blue strat fits the criteria of "simplest answer is often the right one." You said it yourself, sonic blue is a rare custom color, the fact that Mal Evans bought two in the same location on the same day is almost unbelievable if not for the very obvious proof that he did. John hung out with Clapton quite a bit in 1969 at the very least, probably more, and Clapton loved maple necks. Seems fairly reasonable that John popped a maple neck on and then gave this guitar to George as a thank you for the session.
I agree. I just didn't think there was much to offer as evidence for the video as I was making it. I think the argument is strong in form, and I think its the likely explanation, but unsupported by any decent documentation that I know of.
The Strat he played in the imagine sessions is actually one of two matching guitars given to George and John during their early Beatles days, John obviously kept his and later let George use it during the session, George painted his matching Sonic Blue Strat into the guitar known as "rocky"
If you have any evidence for that I'd be really interested in it. I can't find any myself. The two Beatles Strats had rosewood necks, so if the Imagine one is one of them it was re-necked in between, which is definitely possible as the sonic blue/greenguard/maple is a very unusual combination, but there doesn't seem to be any concrete proof, and without it I can't say for sure. John replaced his blue Strat with a black one just a couple of years later, while still in the Beatles, so I'm not necessarily convinced he kept the blue.
The guitar may not have initially been white but it certainly isn't just bare wood. There is finish on the guitar though worn in many spots. Eric Clapton's Gibson Byrdland is natural color as are the acoustic guitars used in the same concert. Those guitars are the color of bare wood and the Bangladesh Strat is closer to bone white than bare wood.Look at the promo video for the concert where George comes from back stage, again the guitar is not 'natural'.it is in fact some shade of white be it the primer which it may be sanded down to but still no trace of sonic blue. The How Do You Sleep strat looks to be brand new but it does have the same strap. Believe what you wish but that Bangladesh Strat will always be some beautiful worn shade of bone white to me, not bare wood. Three people to ask would be Ringo, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan though it's questionable that either of them would know with any degree of certainty if they would even take anyone's calls. Dhani Harrison may know or even Jeff Lynne but if if I were to recreate a strat that looked as close to that as possible....white paint would be involved and it wouldn't just be bare wood. ....my two cents.
You're right that the finish looks a more mottled, lighter colour. The reason the natural finished guitars you mention look so different is that they are natural "finished", which George's Strat is not. George sanded his finish off, and actually left the wood totally bare, he didn't have it polished, refinished or anything else. He sanded the body, and reassembled without any further finishing. As someone who has personally done this to a Strat, I can assure you this is exactly what that looks like. The roughly sanded body looks very white, but the bits where the wood is subsequently worn by a resting elbow or palm buff up to a darker colour closer to what you'd expect if it were buffed to be clear coated for a natural finish. Plus as I mentioned, George personally stated that he sanded the Bangladesh Strat to a bare finish (as distinct from a "natural" finish), I don't think you can get a more definitive opinion on it than that.
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik Seems like there's primer there. Where did you hear the interview with George about that guitar? I love to hear it. It''s really my favorite strat of all time. I saw the film the day it came out in Santa Barbara California. That strat on the big screen was magnificent whatever color it is : )
@@Vitotesta I can't seem to find the full interview anymore, but enough might be quoted in this article from Fender to get you what you're after www.fender.com/articles/artists/in-1970-eric-clapton-bought-6-strats-at-a-nashville-music-store
Big gap between the neck and body of the guitar, near the high E. Would seem a very sloppy fit even for bolt-neck Fender? Sonic Blue, identical pickgaurd to the '61...likely it's a 61 with an earlier neck
It's funny how back in the day they wanted to strip the nitro lacquer off their guitars to get a supposedly "better tone", fast forward to the present day, and people want to refinish their guitars or buy guitars that are already finished in Nitro Lacquer to get a supposedly better tone. It's crazy to think about it. I don't buy the hype that lacquer, bare wood or Poly adds or takes anything away from the tone, but I will say I prefer Nitro for aesthetic reasons. I like how it ages. I don't claim it has any magical tonal value.
@@Rotary_Phone I agree about nitro. I believe the idea with people wanting it is that it's a thinner finish which allows the wood to naturally resonate better than poly, which is actually the same reason everyone was stripping the finish before, so it is consistent. It's just that nitro gets you some of the way there without having to lose your colour.
True, but it looks to me like he sanded right through to the wood. I've done it myself and if you do it rough and don't finish the wood you're left with whitish wood with darker patches where you sanded smoother, or where your skin oils darken the wood over a very short amount of time.
Great research. I didn't buy your argument that the Concert for Bangladesh strat is the same as the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Sessions Sonic Blue strat until I saw this video, but I did read your Wordpress blog. The most compelling piece of evidence is the fretboard mark around the 20th and 21st fret under the E and B strings. There is a crystal-clear photo on your Wordpress blog that you say is of the CfB strat, but other photos don't show that mark. What is the source for that photo and what is the evidence that it is a photo of the CfB strat? There is a lot of grain on the neck in that photo that doesn't seem to be on the Ascot strat.
Of Course. He wanted his Guitar to match his clothes. He was the leader of this huge band. He had to stand out, even though he did just by being himself..."George Harrison" 🎸
About your point about the empty screw hole near the middle pickup. . . MIGHT IT BE EMPTY BECAUSE THERE IS NO HOLE IN THE GUITAR FOR A SCREW AT THAT LOCATION?!?!? The possibilities are either 1) that the body is configured for a modern, post-1963 pickguard, 2a) that the body is configured for an 8-screw pickguard (1954-1959) and the missing screw is a coincidence (i.e., simply missing), or 2b) that the body is configured for an 11-screw pickguard (1959-1965) and the missing screw is a coincidence (i.e., simply missing). To test (2a and 2b), the Imagine sessions should be reviewed for other missing screws, but it's possible George or a luthier was less cautious about putting the four other mis-matching screws into the body wood. I lean toward the possibility that there is no hole in the guitar body for a screw there and the idea that the body is probably a post-1963 body, perhaps with the rationale for swapping the neck being a dislike for the larger headstock for post-1965, CBS/Fender strats.
Klaus Voorman, having played on both the Imagine sessions and the Concert for Bangladesh, would seem like a potentially good source for confirming the provenance of this Strat. But I think your detective work has already given us the answer to this mystery.
In 1970 Eric Clapton bought a bunch of old Stratocasters. He took the best parts from 3 of them to assemble his famous "Blackie" Stratocaster, and he gave several away. He gave one to George, and I wonder if maybe this was it. No way to know for sure, I suppose.
That guitar looked so cool with his ohm suit outfit. Why if he was going to sand a strat.. why didn't George sand his Rocky Strat like all The Beatles sanded there pyschadelic paint jobs. That's how they discovered how much they preferred the sound and feel of sanded guitars. McCartney sanded his Painted Rickenbacker John Lennon sanded his Casino, his LP jr, and his first Rickenbacker 325. I wonder if Harrison got another paint job that he didn't like as much and never was pubically seen. At that time The Beatles sanded guitars to get rid of paint they didn't like. It wasn't til later they sanded there guitars because they preferred the sound and feel sanded guitars after years of playing there former painted guitars and enjoying the finish... Maybe I'm wrong and he just sanded a regular strat just to have a sanded one. But why do that to a new or original finish strat and not sand his Rocky Stratocaster. Maybe it was John's Blue Strat. Maybe John ordered a black one because the blue strat had an accident and the neck was broken. So Lennon ordered a black strat and George took John's Blue strat and put a maple neck on it. It's possible George wanted to sand Rocky but was worried he would regret it. So he tried it on John's guitar first a double of his. Who knows it weird to me.. I'm so glad George didn't sand Rocky one of my all-time favorite iconic guitars.
George didn't seem to fall out of love with his paintwork like the others did! I believe he sanded his Casino and his J-160e around the same time as the other guys, but Rocky and Lucy, which would have been his main electrics around that point (apart from the Rosewood Tele, which was already natural) escaped the same fate. Thank god they did, too!
So, after reading all of this, that the conclusion is that the Bangladesh Strat is the Black & White Strat bought in 1969 and Sanded down. So, why are they saying That the guy called Spike was gifted the Bangladesh Guitar plus an Amp by George.. Sure, according to the video it was a Strat but not THAT Strat. The guy doesn't know what he's talking about. He says The Beatles used this Guitar recording "Yesterday" Duh.... no electric guitar on the record. The one who truly might know the answer as to where the Bangladesh Guitar is now, ask Georges son Dhani!
A little update. During the Imagine sessions, George tried using a resonator for slide but he and John agreed it was too tinny sounding for the recording. This suggests to me that he hadn't brought a slide guitar of his own to the sessions, which means the blue Strat could indeed have been John's, and possibly the one from the Beatles renecked. Not conclusive, not enough to make the claim on for me, but suggestive.
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed it. I always wondered about that "white" strat. Now we know.
Fabulous detective work! I always loved the look of the Sonic Blue strat George played on the "Imagine" sessions. Had no idea it became the Bangladesh strat. Well done!
My favorite Strats:
David's '69 "The Black Strat"
George's "Rocky"
Jimi's Olympic White '68 & his favorite black Stratocaster
Jerry's '57 Natural "Alligator" from Grame Nash
Sting's '78 Stratocaster
The Edge's Stratocaster
Several of Ritchie Blackmore's CBS Stratocasters.....
Frank Zappa's "Hendrix" Stratocaster that Dweezil now owns...
Rory Gallagher's "beat to shit" Stratocaster
Yeah, a lot of those are on my list too. Basically any guitars owned by George, David Gilmour, or Mark Knopfler!
[Great detective work, TWM/lapelcelery42! This comment replicates many of the things Thomas Williams said (here and on Word Press), but does try to point out places that might lead to alternative conclusions (e.g. a possibly missing screw hole in the body of the guitar)] Where did the Sonic Blue strat that George played at the Ascot Sound Studios during the Imagine sessions come from? Fender introduced Sonic Blue in 1960. Maple fretboards were used from 1954 until 1959/1960. The Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Strat could be a 1960 or possibly 1961 model (Fender frequently has carried over use of old materials into production for a year after.). However, if you think that the dark circle near the middle pickup indicates a missing pickguard screw--missing, that is, because there is no screw hole in the guitar body at that location--then there's an argument for believing that the Ascot Strat is something other than a 1959-1963 model (equipped with a non-original 1959-1963 pickguard); perhaps a 1963-70 model. Since maple necks were discontinued around 1959, one might think the original neck was actually rosewood, which leads to more conjecture: It's possible that the Ascot Strat is a 1966 (or later) Strat body and that a dislike for the aesthetics of an original post-1965 headstock was a motive to change the neck to an earlier, maple neck.
What about the pickguard? Is it white? Is it mint green? It looks white to me based on a comparison with George's khaki-colored outfit in the Ascot studio, but it could be a very pale greenish color. After 1959 (until 1966), strat pickguards were mint green, 3-ply, and made of celluloid. After 1965, the strat pickguards were made of vinyl and were white again, but 3-ply. Apart from the material ad color of the pickguard, there is also the number of screws in the pickguard to consider. The number of screw holes in Fender pickguards changed from 8 to 11 in 1959 and, also, around 1963, a screw hole for one of the eleven screw holes was moved back to very close to the middle pickup, which was a position for one of the screws in the 8-hole pickguards. The pickguard of the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Sonic Blue strat has 11 screw holes, which puts its manufacturing between 1959 and 1963 based on vintage positioning of the guard screw next to the middle pickup. It is an open question whether the guitar body is configured for an 8-screw pickguard (1954-1959), a 1959-1963 11-hole pickguard, or a 1963-present 11-hole pickguard. If the dark circle (screw hole) near the middle pickup indicates a missing screw, and if that screw is missing because there is no screw hole in the guitar body at that location, this implies that the body is a 1959-1963 body that was not configured for either a pre-1960 pickguard or for a 1963-present pickguard (but is configured for a 1959-1963 11-hole pickguard).
How much does the pickguard matter? Is it possible that someone replaced the original pickguard? The celluloid pickguards were notorious for breaking at the screw holes near the middle pickup and horn, but how about the white vinyl 3-ply pickguards? If it were replaced, it might have been replaced with a pale mint green, 3-ply pickguard. Apart from the same guitar strap being used at each event, the vintage of the pickguard is probably the flimsiest piece of evidence for determining the source of the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine strat, which is separate from the task of establishing a link between the Concert for Bangladesh strat and the Ascot strat. A tech would be much more likely to change a pickguard than to change a neck without the express permission of the famous guitarist. So, I think it is most likely that the guitar and neck are from 1960, but the original mint green, 3-ply, celluloid pickguard was replaced with a post-1963 pickguard--either mint green, 3-ply, and celluloid or white, 3-ply, and vinyl.
What about John Lennon's Sonic Blue strat? According to the Fender Stratocaster Handbook, while the strat George got from Mal Evans (SN#83840) had a December 1961 manufacturing date, John's strat had a 1962 manufacturing date. This provides no evidence that the Ascot strat wasn't John's with a replacement neck, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence for that theory.
Wow that's pretty cool and thanks for the effort put into this video.
My Pleasure 😊
Thanks so much! Enjoyed this material so much!
Thank you ☺️
Interesting. I always thought it was a Mary Kay strat, but that would have had a single ply pickguard. Surprised Fender did not cash in yet with Bangladesh Strat, a 60ish body sanded and 50s neck. And charge the obligatory $15,000.
There's still time. Wonder if anyone knows where the original is after Spike died.
Mary Kaye Strats have ash bodies. The wood grain on this Strat suggests otherwise.
AT 99% THAT'S JOHN'S SONIC BLUE GUITAR, i found this on the description of the Lennon's how do you sleep promo video: "...A bearded George Harrison is in front of you, to the right, playing electric slide on John's pale blue Fender Strat..."
By the way, good video
Maybe. I'd like to know what evidence the assertion is based on. As I say in the video, it's possible it's John's Strat after a neck change, but no-one has yet been able to offer good evidence to support that, and the fact that someone repeated the claim in a video description doesn't offer any new information.
It is indeed John’s Sonic Blue Strat with a replacement maple neck which I think was donated by Eric Clapton in 1970 while he was building Blackie
That's incredibly interesting if true. Do you have a source?
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik I researched the strat Clapton gave George some years ago and finally found that it was a maple necked sunburst, the one with the Indian symbol on it. Sorry I can't provide a link or source as I can't recall where I found it.
@@jltrem The one he plays on "This Song" on the live German tv appearance. That jives with the facts as we know them. Pretty sure he gave Pete Townshend a maple and sunburst 50s Strat as well. I've never seen any evidence that he gave a neck to Lennon, though I'm not against the idea if anyone has any evidence.
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik Sorry, wracking my brain trying to recall where I came across the info. If I manage to retrieve it I'll post it.
You call it interesting conjecture, but I'd argue it being John's sonic blue strat fits the criteria of "simplest answer is often the right one." You said it yourself, sonic blue is a rare custom color, the fact that Mal Evans bought two in the same location on the same day is almost unbelievable if not for the very obvious proof that he did. John hung out with Clapton quite a bit in 1969 at the very least, probably more, and Clapton loved maple necks. Seems fairly reasonable that John popped a maple neck on and then gave this guitar to George as a thank you for the session.
I agree. I just didn't think there was much to offer as evidence for the video as I was making it. I think the argument is strong in form, and I think its the likely explanation, but unsupported by any decent documentation that I know of.
The Strat he played in the imagine sessions is actually one of two matching guitars given to George and John during their early Beatles days, John obviously kept his and later let George use it during the session, George painted his matching Sonic Blue Strat into the guitar known as "rocky"
If you have any evidence for that I'd be really interested in it. I can't find any myself. The two Beatles Strats had rosewood necks, so if the Imagine one is one of them it was re-necked in between, which is definitely possible as the sonic blue/greenguard/maple is a very unusual combination, but there doesn't seem to be any concrete proof, and without it I can't say for sure. John replaced his blue Strat with a black one just a couple of years later, while still in the Beatles, so I'm not necessarily convinced he kept the blue.
The guitar may not have initially been white but it certainly isn't just bare wood. There is finish on the guitar though worn in many spots. Eric Clapton's Gibson Byrdland is natural color as are the acoustic guitars used in the same concert. Those guitars are the color of bare wood and the Bangladesh Strat is closer to bone white than bare wood.Look at the promo video for the concert where George comes from back stage, again the guitar is not 'natural'.it is in fact some shade of white be it the primer which it may be sanded down to but still no trace of sonic blue. The How Do You Sleep strat looks to be brand new but it does have the same strap. Believe what you wish but that Bangladesh Strat will always be some beautiful worn shade of bone white to me, not bare wood. Three people to ask would be Ringo, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan though it's questionable that either of them would know with any degree of certainty if they would even take anyone's calls. Dhani Harrison may know or even Jeff Lynne but if if I were to recreate a strat that looked as close to that as possible....white paint would be involved and it wouldn't just be bare wood. ....my two cents.
You're right that the finish looks a more mottled, lighter colour. The reason the natural finished guitars you mention look so different is that they are natural "finished", which George's Strat is not. George sanded his finish off, and actually left the wood totally bare, he didn't have it polished, refinished or anything else. He sanded the body, and reassembled without any further finishing. As someone who has personally done this to a Strat, I can assure you this is exactly what that looks like. The roughly sanded body looks very white, but the bits where the wood is subsequently worn by a resting elbow or palm buff up to a darker colour closer to what you'd expect if it were buffed to be clear coated for a natural finish.
Plus as I mentioned, George personally stated that he sanded the Bangladesh Strat to a bare finish (as distinct from a "natural" finish), I don't think you can get a more definitive opinion on it than that.
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik Seems like there's primer there. Where did you hear the interview with George about that guitar? I love to hear it. It''s really my favorite strat of all time. I saw the film the day it came out in Santa Barbara California. That strat on the big screen was magnificent whatever color it is : )
@@Vitotesta I can't seem to find the full interview anymore, but enough might be quoted in this article from Fender to get you what you're after www.fender.com/articles/artists/in-1970-eric-clapton-bought-6-strats-at-a-nashville-music-store
Big gap between the neck and body of the guitar, near the high E. Would seem a very sloppy fit even for bolt-neck Fender? Sonic Blue, identical pickgaurd to the '61...likely it's a 61 with an earlier neck
It's funny how back in the day they wanted to strip the nitro lacquer off their guitars to get a supposedly "better tone", fast forward to the present day, and people want to refinish their guitars or buy guitars that are already finished in Nitro Lacquer to get a supposedly better tone. It's crazy to think about it. I don't buy the hype that lacquer, bare wood or Poly adds or takes anything away from the tone, but I will say I prefer Nitro for aesthetic reasons. I like how it ages. I don't claim it has any magical tonal value.
@@Rotary_Phone I agree about nitro. I believe the idea with people wanting it is that it's a thinner finish which allows the wood to naturally resonate better than poly, which is actually the same reason everyone was stripping the finish before, so it is consistent. It's just that nitro gets you some of the way there without having to lose your colour.
Nice job, i love this kinda stuff too.
Outstanding scholarship.
Great video! Sonic blue gets a white base coat, so would explain a lot of people thinking its white.
True, but it looks to me like he sanded right through to the wood. I've done it myself and if you do it rough and don't finish the wood you're left with whitish wood with darker patches where you sanded smoother, or where your skin oils darken the wood over a very short amount of time.
The whole nation is grateful to you George
Well done.
Great research. I didn't buy your argument that the Concert for Bangladesh strat is the same as the Ascot Sound Studios/Imagine Sessions Sonic Blue strat until I saw this video, but I did read your Wordpress blog. The most compelling piece of evidence is the fretboard mark around the 20th and 21st fret under the E and B strings. There is a crystal-clear photo on your Wordpress blog that you say is of the CfB strat, but other photos don't show that mark. What is the source for that photo and what is the evidence that it is a photo of the CfB strat? There is a lot of grain on the neck in that photo that doesn't seem to be on the Ascot strat.
Too bad Paul and John didn't join them... 🙁
Well done mate.......
I think he choose that guitar to match his outfit lol
He had the outfit custom made for the concert, so it might actually be the other way around!
@@ThomasWilliamsMusik damn thats pretty cool
Of Course. He wanted his Guitar to match his clothes. He was the leader of this huge band. He had to stand out, even though he did
just by being himself..."George Harrison" 🎸
About your point about the empty screw hole near the middle pickup. . . MIGHT IT BE EMPTY BECAUSE THERE IS NO HOLE IN THE GUITAR FOR A SCREW AT THAT LOCATION?!?!? The possibilities are either 1) that the body is configured for a modern, post-1963 pickguard, 2a) that the body is configured for an 8-screw pickguard (1954-1959) and the missing screw is a coincidence (i.e., simply missing), or 2b) that the body is configured for an 11-screw pickguard (1959-1965) and the missing screw is a coincidence (i.e., simply missing). To test (2a and 2b), the Imagine sessions should be reviewed for other missing screws, but it's possible George or a luthier was less cautious about putting the four other mis-matching screws into the body wood. I lean toward the possibility that there is no hole in the guitar body for a screw there and the idea that the body is probably a post-1963 body, perhaps with the rationale for swapping the neck being a dislike for the larger headstock for post-1965, CBS/Fender strats.
Klaus Voorman, having played on both the Imagine sessions and the Concert for Bangladesh, would seem like a potentially good source for confirming the provenance of this Strat. But I think your detective work has already given us the answer to this mystery.
In 1970 Eric Clapton bought a bunch of old Stratocasters. He took the best parts from 3 of them to assemble his famous "Blackie" Stratocaster, and he gave several away. He gave one to George, and I wonder if maybe this was it. No way to know for sure, I suppose.
That guitar looked so cool with his ohm suit outfit. Why if he was going to sand a strat.. why didn't George sand his Rocky Strat like all The Beatles sanded there pyschadelic paint jobs. That's how they discovered how much they preferred the sound and feel of sanded guitars. McCartney sanded his Painted Rickenbacker John Lennon sanded his Casino, his LP jr, and his first Rickenbacker 325. I wonder if Harrison got another paint job that he didn't like as much and never was pubically seen. At that time The Beatles sanded guitars to get rid of paint they didn't like. It wasn't til later they sanded there guitars because they preferred the sound and feel sanded guitars after years of playing there former painted guitars and enjoying the finish... Maybe I'm wrong and he just sanded a regular strat just to have a sanded one. But why do that to a new or original finish strat and not sand his Rocky Stratocaster. Maybe it was John's Blue Strat. Maybe John ordered a black one because the blue strat had an accident and the neck was broken. So Lennon ordered a black strat and George took John's Blue strat and put a maple neck on it. It's possible George wanted to sand Rocky but was worried he would regret it. So he tried it on John's guitar first a double of his. Who knows it weird to me.. I'm so glad George didn't sand Rocky one of my all-time favorite iconic guitars.
George didn't seem to fall out of love with his paintwork like the others did! I believe he sanded his Casino and his J-160e around the same time as the other guys, but Rocky and Lucy, which would have been his main electrics around that point (apart from the Rosewood Tele, which was already natural) escaped the same fate. Thank god they did, too!
In the D.C show the neck has a black nut. Nice video!👍👍
So, after reading all of this, that the conclusion is that the Bangladesh Strat is the Black & White Strat bought in 1969 and Sanded down.
So, why are they saying That the guy called Spike was gifted the Bangladesh Guitar plus an Amp by George.. Sure, according to the video it was a
Strat but not THAT Strat. The guy doesn't know what he's talking about. He says The Beatles used this Guitar recording "Yesterday"
Duh.... no electric guitar on the record. The one who truly might know the answer as to where the Bangladesh Guitar is now, ask Georges son Dhani!
I just wanted to hear good music not a long and intelligent university speech
You should have probably read the title more carefully then.