325/12 Twelve-string (serial no. DB151)

John Lennon British
1964
Not on view
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Shortly after John Lennon used a Rickenbacker guitar in the Beatles’ first Ed Sullivan Show appearance, Rickenbacker built him this one-of-a-kind twelve-string version of his Model 325. Lennon played the guitar throughout the Beatles’ North American tour in 1964 and during the recording sessions for A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles for Sale; it is probably heard in the introduction of “Ticket to Ride.”

Technical Description:
Semi-hollow body; maple body and neck, padauk fingerboard; 20¾ in. scale; black finish; set neck with dot inlays; slotted headstock with Rickenbacker logo on truss rod cover, side- and back-facing tuners for main strings and octave strings; three chrome bar pickups, three-way selector switch, two volume and two tone controls with master volume control; chrome-plated adjustable bridge, tailpiece, and tuners, black plastic knobs, white plastic pickguard

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: 325/12 Twelve-string (serial no. DB151)
  • Artist: Rickenbacker, Inc. (American)
  • Artist: John Lennon (British, Liverpool 1940–1980 New York City)
  • Date: 1964
  • Geography: Santa Ana, California, United States
  • Medium: Maple, padauk, chrome, plastic
  • Dimensions: Length: 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm)
    Width: 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm)
    Depth: ~1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
    Weight: ~7 lbs. (3.2 kg)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
  • Credit Line: Courtesy of Yoko Ono
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments