On any list of “famous” Rickenbackers, John Lennon’s 1958 325—serial number V81—has to be near the top of the list.
Over its life it went through a number of modifications to suit his needs/taste. It was painted black, then stripped back to bare wood and refinished. The Kauffman vibrola and roller bridge were replaced. Control knobs were changed more than once. And the gold pickguard got replaced with a white one.
These changes did not happen all at once, and experts can fairly accurately date a photo based on what set of modifications V81 is currently wearing.
I’m not sure what percentage of 325’s bought today are bought to hang in a Beatles shrine, but I’m sure it’s higher than the percentage that are bought to play regularly. And the process of purchasing such a guitar and then modifying one or more of its stock features to recreate a specific moment in Beatles history is referred to as “Lennonizing”.
The guitar above started life as 325C58 like we saw above (although it probably was Jetglo as Rickenbacker knew their market and offered the 325C58 in both Natural and Jetglo), but has been fully “Lennonized” with Burns knobs, a Bigsby vibrato, and a Sorkin bowtie bridge. Indeed, finding an “un-Lennonized” Jetglo 325C58 can sometimes be a challenge.
Of course, Lennon had a second 325, a 1964 example rush shipped to him from the factory in time for The Beatles’ second Ed Sullivan Show appearance after F.C. Hall saw the poor condition of V81. Indeed, for US fans this is probably the 325 they most associate with Lennon. And while the 325C64 is a faithful reproduction of that guitar that is still in production, that doesn’t mean that other 320/325 variants haven’t been Lennonized to replicate this guitar as well.
Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to not find Lennonized examples of ANY 320/325 variant ever produced. Even Rickenbacker themselves got into the act with the 325V59, the only factory model EVER to feature a Bigsby vibrato.
And that’s the story with Lennonization. And even though we’ve reached the point where we’re losing the original Beatles fans and the demand for Lennonized guitars has slowed some, it hasn’t disappeared as new fans continually appear. When Rickenbacker stops making new 324C64s that will tell us something…but they haven’t yet.
To learn more about all the Beatles inspired guitars, click here.
I will always be a fan of the 310-325 series. I’ve got the natural 325c58 unmodified. Also a 310c64. Just love those little guitars. I’m in need of a Kauffman vibrato, but unfortunately, none to be found.
Though FC Hall presented George Harrison with his new 360/12 the day before their first appearance in NY on the Ed Sullivan show, Hall didn't present John Lennon with his 2nd 325, but rather it was built after Hall returned from NY and shipped to Lennon in Miami. From the Kelly Rick book, p. 173: ". . . a brand new Rickenbacker 325, serial number DB122, was shipped overnight to the Deauville Hotel in Miami where the band were rehearsing for their second Ed Sullivan appearance. Lennon adopted the guitar immediately, playing it during rehearsals and on the show itself which was broadcast live from the Deauville on February 16th."