The “Rocky” Stratocaster started out as a Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster that was purchased in England. George’s FIRST Fender.

George Harrison and John Lennon decided to get Stratocasters sometime in late 1964. So they sent out roadie, Mal Evans, saying ‘Go and get us Strats.’ And he came back with two of them, pale blue ones.” Ironic that the Fender company would given them ANYTHING they wanted for free, but they still ended up purchasing their first Fenders!

According to George “everything was more colorful in the 1960s” so he ended up painting the guitar with Day-Glo paint (new at the time) with a brush. He also used some of his first wife’s, Pattie Boyd nail vanish and naming the guitar “Rocky.” George did not think it was a great paint job and surely had no idea just how iconic it would become.

George played the All You Need is Love on the “Rocky” Strat during in 1967 for the first live global satellite televised event Our World on June 25, 1967. The “Rocky” Strat was also in the Beatles film Magic Mystery Tour on “I Am Walrus” the same year.

Later in 1969, George also added the name “Rocky” to the guitar’s headstock. To honor Rockabilly legends Gene Vincent and Carl Perkins he also added “Bebopalula” to the upper body and “Go Cat Go” to the pickguard.