The Story of George Harrison’s ‘Mad’ Guitar

by Paul Brett

Published by This Day in Music Books

This is a beautifully presented book and looks every bit its £24.99 cover price. Very well written and, regardless of whether you pick it up because you have an interest in guitars or George Harrison, it is written in an easy to read conversational style which engages its audience from the first page. Well, it did me, even as a very casual guitar player and a mere child when the Beatles were at their height. The book covers one very special guitar, which value and history came to light through a visit to Battle Abbey in the summer of 2019 by the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Unlike myself who joined a very long queue on a hot summers day with my ‘treasure,’ the owners of this, the highest ever valued item to appear on the Roadshow, reserved their spot in front of the cameras a few days earlier such was the interest peaked by the Producers.

Enter local session musician from Hailsham, Ray Russell and his friend and now author of Finding Fretless, Paul Brett from Pevensey. And the rest is history, as recorded amongst a vast array of photographs throughout the book which adds plenty of interest to the words. Covering the history of some guitars in general; fender, Les Paul, Rickenbacker amongst others, we learn about the rise of the very rare Bartell’s fretless guitar and who else may have owned and or played any other. The book gives details and stories from owners and handlers of such an instrument; Lennon, Hendrix, Zapper, Elvis, the Wrecking Crew and even people who may have just seen one or heard about it.

In particular we follow the journey of this, the prototype, the discovery of the missing Beatles guitar, as used on the White album and gifted to Ray by George Harrison with the words “It’s a strange old thing to play, I played a few notes” he said, “Yeah, you’re definitely getting more out of it than I am. It’s doing better for you, why don’t you have it?” to its eventual disappearance again through Bonham’s Auction House (well, at that valuation, who wouldn’t!) and to its new owner somewhere and a story that is bound to be continued.

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About the Author: Paul Brett lives locally in Westham village, a short walk from Pevensey Castle, and a short drive from his rock star friend, Ray Russell in Hailsham.

https://www.findingfretless.com/theauthor

Forewords https://rwww.findingfretless.com/forewords

Price £24.99 Softback – 195 Pages full colour

Available from the author at  https://www.findingfretless.com/

Available from the publisher at https://thisdayinmusicbooks.com/product/finding-fretless/

[Article First printed November 2021]

Richard Bennett