Everyone knows the Telecaster, but the one created for George Harrison in 1968 was a unique instrument, made entirely of rosewood. One of the most unusual guitars in Fender's history, it played a starring role in the Beatles' final years, including their legendary rooftop concert.
In late 1968, Fender decided to experiment with a new range of guitars made entirely of rosewood. To promote the project, the company built two prototypes for two exceptional ambassadors: a Rosewood Telecaster for George Harrison and a Rosewood Stratocaster for Jimi Hendrix.
The project was entrusted to Roger Rossmeisl, already renowned for his work at Rickenbacker, and the young luthier Philip Kubicki. The construction was quite unusual: the body consisted of two solid rosewood sections, separated by a thin central layer of maple. The Stratocaster intended for Hendrix was not completed until April 1970, and never made it into the guitarist's hands. Jimi died in September that year, and the guitar's whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
The Rosewood Telecaster, on the other hand, arrived in London in December 1968 and was used by George during the Let It Be sessions. It can be seen in all its glory in Peter Jackson's documentary Get Back, as well as in the famous guitar solo on the Let It Be single version. But its most iconic appearance came on 30 January 1969, when Harrison played it during the legendary concert on the Apple rooftop, the Beatles' final public performance. The guitar also made an appearance during the Abbey Road sessions throughout 1969. In December of that year, however, George gave it to Delaney Bramlett, an American singer and guitarist from the duo Delaney & Bonnie, with whom he briefly toured alongside Eric Clapton. The guitar was sold at auction in 2003 and purchased on behalf of Olivia Harrison, returning to the family collection.
George's Rosewood Telecaster remains a unique instrument, forever associated with the Beatles' final years. Fender introduced the model into production in 1969, but its unusual construction and limited production numbers make it quite rare today.
The guitar featured in our photographs is a custom-made Rosewood Telecaster, built using carefully selected woods and Fender components, inspired by George's original. Other models from the Telecaster family have also featured in our videos: we've used them for Strawberry Fields Forever, Back in the USSR and Helter Skelter, as well as Get Back and Don't Let Me Down. Our collection also includes a custom-made Fender Esquire, another member of the same guitar family, inspired by the one used by Paul McCartney during the Sgt. Pepper era.
