I have a newfound respect for this guitar after getting to spend some time with it - the neck feels GREAT! 🔴Check out on Reverb: reverb.com/item/40085787?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly 🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 💰New to Reverb? Get $10 on Me ➡️ reverb.grsm.io/earn10 ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/ 👕 Merch: teespring.com/basic-logo-4245?pid=211
@Wendy Black I have a solid rosewood Telecaster, however it is not a signature model just a straight up solid rosewood body and neck. It is easily one of my most favorite guitars. Compared to a Pine body Telecaster I have the tone is very different. I find the overall tone to be very dark sounding (for a Telecaster). My advice to anyone who wants a solid rosewood Telecaster would be to play one first as they do sound different (at least mine does and it’s the only one I’ve ever tried). Weight is also a factor as some species of rosewood are so dense they do not float in water! My rosewood Telecaster is solid (no weight relief) and tips the scales at 11 Pounds 5 Ounces.
What a great review, thank you Austin. I think those pickups sounded great in that guitar, so glad they convinced her to return for this tribute instrument for George Harrison. What a cool package Fender has put together. I can’t afford that guitar but will certainly see about purchasing myself a Tweed style briefcase! Thanks for this upload (especially being as busy as you are right now).
I think people are missing the point here he did this for us the fans of the show the dedication he has for his channel is utterly amazing not many people would buy a $25,000 guitar to share with other people thank you so much Austin you are truly one of a kind !!!!!
Good point Sir. Trogly is indeed a Man with a Mission. We are all very fortunate to have him share all of this with u. Personally, I hope this video gets as many views as possible. Whenever a new or limited guitar is released I know that if Austin reviews it that will most likely be the only way I could view the guitar’s internals.
@@dennismoes7281 He could sell it for a little less than he paid for it and still profit as he was able to use it for some great content on his channel. Kind of a win-win for him.
@@Rand_al_Thor372 Or it could be that his business can afford the cost of such an instrument. This guitar was purchased for the sole purpose of documentation for RU-vid content and for resale. If he charged too much consistently over time he'd have gone out of business long ago. With on-line shopping and sites like reverb I would imagine he would need to remain competitive to keep his business open for so long. Maybe do a Poll of his past customers and see what they think, you may be surprised by what you'll find.
@@larrybethune3909 taking a guitar apart for someone who has done it hundreds of times like he has its not a big deal he didn't take the neck joint apart on a les Paul.
@@benher973 even a veteran guitar repairman would be astounded at the price and be EVEN MORE careful with it so he doesn't break it. So, yes, it's a big deal
Ahhhh so that's what it was ! I was totally like 'hey that's not the same guitar' around 28.00, then it changes back at about 28.30, then changes again !!! I thought it might be a glitch in the matrix lol
Another Clapton and Harrison Stratocaster story is that Clapton bought six 1950's Stratocasters in 1970 from Sho Bud guitar shop in Nashville. Clapton gave three of them away to Pete Townsend, Steve Winwood and George Harrison. He took the three remaining guitars and built the iconic "Blackie" out of the best parts of them.
As far as the two original sonic blue Stratocaster‘s go. One was for George Harrison and one was for John Lennon. I think it’s an awesome guitar, thanks for putting out the cash Trogly.
@@DanRelayer_Ukraine Apparently it was Lennons old one he used on Imagine at JL's house, of the original two. I heard somewhere that he had a maple neck fitted to the Body that was bought at the same time as George's but not sure if thats correct?
George played the 2nd sonic blue strat given to The BEATLES, and owned by John, on rehersals for 'How do you sleep' after beatles split. Check it out on YT.
George and John both wanted a Strat, that is why Mal Evans came back with two. Before 1965 it was literally impossible to find American guitars in the UK due to trade restrictions, so going out and buying a Fender was something really special at the time.
Actually the first Stratocasters that ever came to England came in December 1964 and only 13 Stratocasters. So George got his first Stratocaster in December 1964. As the Beatles picken up 2 of the 13 Stratocasters. Then for the rest of his life George Harrison almost Exclusively recorded with a Fender Stratocaster. He wanted one in 1956. He tried to buy a Stratocaster in 1956 but because of the US embargo there was not one Fender Stratocaster available in Liverpool. Thats Why George Said ” If I’d had it my way the Stratocaster would have been my first guitar”.
What a great episode. I was gazing at one of these in person through glass at Chicago Music Exchange a few weeks ago, but you’ve given me a closer look than I got in person. I saw George playing the original on his only US solo tour. I was in the front row. The guy next to me said loudly ‘is that the guitar from Magical Mystery Tour?’ George stepped up to the mic and said proudly ‘Yeah, I painted it meself.’ 🤩
My dad was a good-player and collector. I *had* to learn about them . 😂 I spent hours talking with my pop about gear. He passed in ‘12, and he was a Gibson/Fender guy. So, it’s fun and familiar to watch this show & test my knowledge.
Mal bought two strats One for George and one for John which was typical They had two J160E’s Two Epiphone Casinos George was given a Rickenbacker 12 because john was not there to receive it
Brian Epstein said he'd pay for the Strats if they were matching colors. John didn't want the 12 string. He told the Rickenbacker reps that George would probably like it.
George was sick and was the one not being there to recive the Rickenbacker 360/12. John suggested that George might like it and he did when he later saw it
brother, thank you. most of these end up on a private collector's living room wall. it can be hard to get an in depth look at these recreations and they are so special.
This headstock with “rocky” could easily be done by a 5 years old kid. Anyway, I love Beatles and George Harrison, and if I had money to spend on expensive guitars inspired on his collection, this certainly would be on the end of the list. But that’s just me.
@@silverfr3ak i agree that i would much rather get a rosewood Tele, which is a beauuuutiful guitar, and then have my own custom colored strat or SG. Having someone elses custom job is a bit odd, but i don’r think it is ugly just because it’s primitive.
Thanks for the in-depth video, Trogly. I'm a Beatles nut and a Fender fanboy, but I don't think I would drop $25k on that guitar (even if I HAD the money to spend). Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you. The actual reason why they got two Sonic Blue Strats is because both George and John wanted a Strat, and Brian Epstein said that if they both got the same color, he would pay for them (thinking matching guitars would look good on stage, to go with their matching outfits). The guitar solo in "Nowhere Man" is George and John playing in unison on their new Strats. It would seem that Lennon also acquired a black Strat (with a matching headstock) a little later. There are photos of John playing it when the Beatles were rehearsing for their last tour ('66). Nobody knows where it came from, or if he actually owned it, or borrowed it from somebody. Not sure why he would need to borrow a Strat for a rehearsal, but there's no other photographic evidence of him playing it.
What beautiful sounding pickups. People might quibble at the price of the guitar but the amount of man hours that went into producing that thing must have been enormous. Not keen on the finish of it but the sound and attention to detail is incredible. A true collectors instrument. Another great video.
George was the best player in the band too. Loved his slide playing. His work after the Beatles was all great stuff as well. Missed seeing him with the Traveling Willburys when Roy Orbison passed just a couple weeks before the show. What a group of guitar guys that was. Great review Trogly!
I think you see John's on the documentary he made about his solo album and George comes on and plays a solo on it. How cool to see so many guitar freaks out there..
If you look it up, you can see that Paul and John also painted some of their instruments as well in the same period. Most famously Paul’s Rickenbacker 4003, but also some pianos. John even had a psychedelic painted Rolls Royce. George had a 1966 Mini with a unique spiritual paintjob as well.
All of the Modern CS Strats and Teles have those same features if you get the relics. I have and they are bad ass. Getting those pickups is the key to the sound and the light wood. It really does make a difference. You will be hard pressed to find Abby pickups. I have some of her Protégé's. Josefina Campos. Abby trained her for a few years for when she retired and they are basically the same. They sound amazing. They are expensive but worth it. I have them in my 59 CS Strat and my 51 Nocaster. They are both winds for the appropriate years. The harmonics that come out of these pickups is beautiful. As you just experienced. My Tele is a 19' and the Strat is a 20'. I can vouch for their work in those years. As do almost anyone that plays or owns them. Bout time you got a real Vintage CS relic Fender on here.
‘51 Nocaster, that is so bada$$. I’ve a few CS level instruments and can tell you that even after owning them for many years they still amaze me when I pick them up and play them. A few of my guitars I’ve owned for over 25 years and am still as excited playing them as I was the very first time.
crazily expensive but full respect for the job done at Fender in putting together this guy! As usual super fantastic, interesting and brilliant review from your side.
@@romanmiller6924 Yeah,sooner or later the pick guard is gonna scratch...then what? ha ha-gorgeous guitar no doubt but i'd rather have the Jimmy page dragon tele,least i can play that without worrying too much.
Great show! Shout out to Pamelina H. at the Fender Custom Shop for doing all the paintwork on these. She hand paints the bodies, headstocks, and pick guards. Then they go back to Paul Waller for the relic treatment, etc. Also, I am not 100% sure, but I think the serial numbers started in the triple digits. The George Harrison Telecasters you talked about (Masterbuilt from 2016) had serial numbers like this "GH 023" so I wonder if they started the Rocky's as "GHR 101" to continue the sequence without having duplicates? These look even better in person, and the neck is indeed phenomenal. Hare Krishna. 🕉
Interesting, tonight when i have dinner at Maries restaurant in Cleveland right across the street from DAYGLO! I will have a great story to share with my focus group
You don't come across as a guy that favours the Les Paul over the Stratocaster, Austin. This one in particular was so natural in your hands, especially with all of your renditions of "I've Just Seen a Face" and what sounds a lot like Roxette at the end.
Thanks for documenting everything about this guitar. Nobody else would have dared to go as far into as You did. You did a great job of showing every detail about the RGH guitar. Keep up the good work.
George did not buy it from Grimwoods, he got it from Sound City in Charing Cross Road London. A gent by the name of Ron originally bought it from Grimwoods in Whitstable, Kent (Ron owned a guitar shop in Herne Bay called Macs Music) but then traded it for a Gretch in Sound City.
Great video. It has been on my list to make a copy of "Rocky" myself, and you have jumpstarted that project. Interesting footnote here: I have seen many videos and publications that erroneously stated he commissioned the same Dutch artists that did Clapton's S.G., the "Fool" guitar. Thank you for the up-close images. They help.
@@christineblack4654 you do realize that offloading a guitar that expensive does not happen overnight right? Especially if doing so at a profit. You're very likely to sit on it for months to years.
To be accurate Trogly’s business has the $25K for this purchase. Buying and Selling guitars for a living is all fun and games until you have to sell an instrument you’ve fallen in love with but must be sold. It is for this reason I’m not a guitar dealer or a pet store owner as I’d not be able to part with any of the inventory!
The Beatles always liked to add little extras in their releases. Sgt. Pepper was the first record with lyrics and the cutouts, the White Album had the posters etc...Sure you may pay dearly for anything Beatles related but the sounds are always top notch, whether it's an album or an instrument and there's always plenty of other secret bang from the bucks you spend included in their packaging.
George debuted his Strat on “Your going to lose that girl”. He played his original Rickenbacker 360/12 on “Ticket to Ride”. John played his Sonic Blue Strat on TTR. You can clearly hear it on the A chord rhythm pattern. Also George used his Epiphone Casino on “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds” not Rocky He used it live with Delaney & Bonney in 1969 and also in open E on the 1974 Dark Horse tour I’ll wait for the FSR version 😉 I don’t t have 25k USD
“I’ve Just Seen a Face” is such a great tune. Also appropriate since this guitar has a face on it. I am surprised Fender didn’t make the guitar in its original color only too.
wow that is pretty light. 25k tho? i guess i understand the price, it sounds pretty great those pickups are nice! i custom built my own thick maple top mahogany back hard tail strat that just breaks 7 pounds, i used antique furniture to reclaim the best wood possible.took me a couple yrs to finish but it was worth the time invested.
Under an abundance of caution, you really need to start putting a cloth over the section of the body that you are laying the wired pick-ups and pick-guards onto after removing them. (At least during your videos) Just seems logical for us OCD folks. ;)
Thank You, I agree with you. When he rests the humbucker on the face of a new Les Paul I almost have to look way. When I work on any guitar I have small infant blankets I use under and on top of the guitar. What is kind of irritating is that most Luthiers seem kind of careless with guitars when working on the (IMO).
Also the Beatles stopped touring in 66. So if he bought this in 65 I’m not surprised by not bringing on tour. Definitely learning a lot from your video though!
They sure did I bought one when I was in college (I graduated in 1994). Mine is tweed and I still have it. They were also available in brown tolex and maybe even in blonde tolex.
It's a really well made piece of art, and guitar, and I'm not knocking any of the highly skilled luthiers who put these together, but I think the whole idea of these insanely expensive "collectors" guitars is kind of ridiculous. We've gotten to the point where these guitars have become almost pure art pieces, and maybe that's fine, but it just seems silly going to the effort of including spare straps, and spare back plates etc, when these guitars will most likely never be seriously played. (Especially this particular guitar, as the paint work is hand painted and probably not clear coated).
@@Rickzenbackzer it really feels like a waste to be fair. Ive always felt guitars like this way too personal to the artist to be owned by literally everybody else.
I could see modern art and pop culture museums buying these up where they can be admired by everyone. But I don't see average musicians selling there kidneys house and car so they can proudly say they own this guitar.
Thanks for documenting it for us. Hard to say if it's really worth that much money, but I give credit to Fender for making a solid attempt at justification.
As much as I love this, I wonder if George would have wanted a Fender licensed exclusively expensive signature run. He was a pretty modest guy throughout.
He would have had none of it i reckon. As you say far to modest a man to be doing things like that. I think he may have been disgusted at the asking price.$25000? You bought it for your collection or to punt on down the line. Like your doing us all a favour by documenting it. It was documented at Fender.
I love those mini guitars. I have one of Claptons Fool. I have an Explorer that I turned into a Christmas tree ornament, and one I modified to make it look like a mini version of my Gretsch Jet Club. Like a Mini Me for my Gretsch.
