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