Beatles Rickenbacker guitar coming to auction

Friday, May 9, 2014

photo This undated photo provided by Julien's Auctions shows the1962 Rickenbacker 425 guitar that George Harrison played as The Beatles recorded "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at Abbey Road Studios. It could bring up to $600,000 on May 17, 2014 during a rock memorabilia sale by Julien's Auctions at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. (AP Photo/Julien's Auctions)

A guitar owned by George Harrison is heading to auction along with other Beatles and rock memorabilia.

The Julien's Auctions sale is May 17 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan. The 1962 Rickenbacker 425 is estimated to bring up to $600,000.

Harrison bought the guitar in 1963 at Fenton's Music store in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He had gone there to visit his sister.

He had the guitar refinished from a Fireglo red to black to match John Lennon's Rickenbacker.

The auction also has a "Beatles '65" album signed by the Fab Four. It could bring up to $300,000. The auction house says any albums signed after Beatlemania began in 1964 are extremely rare.

Other highlights include Jimi Hendrix's Sears Silvertone electric guitar. Its presale estimate is up to $100,000.