George Harrison's Vox amp to be auctioned

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It's not an AC30, but it's still rarer than Ringo's modesty

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Vox UL730, cabinet and trolley (front)

A Vox UL730 amplifier previously owned by George Harrison and used on The Beatles albums 'Revolver' and 'Sgt. Pepper's…' is due to go to auction on 15 December at Bonhams, London.

In lieu of a massive pay rise, team TG is collectively pooling spare kidneys, children and other items of modest financial value in order to scrape together a bid near the £50,000 to £70,000 that the Vox is expected to fetch.

The amp and cabinet's previous owner was discovered when the Vox was lent to (Joy Division/New Order bassist) Peter Hook for a recording session. After it developed a fault, the amp was taken to a specialist, who subsequently discovered the name 'George Harrison' etched into the chassis and speaker cabinet.

Further research turned up a photograph of the Beatle with a Vox UL730 that had matching chalk markings on it and, since then, the author of the gear pages from 'The Beatles Book' official magazine (who attended many of the sessions that the Vox was used in) confirmed it as the same amp.

However, despite its Beatles association, TG reckons the amp would still fetch a decent sum. The UL700 series - early hybrid models with transistor pre-amps and valve power amps - were originally intended to replace the flagship AC30s, but flopped and were only sold in the UK between 1966 and 1967.

To give you some idea of just how rare that makes it, there are thought to be as few as 26 UL730s in existence and Vox itself is said to have destroyed around 76 that were returned to the factory at the time.

It's probably going to wind up under a sheet in Roman Abramovich's garage, so if you've got a spare £70,000, head to the Bonhams website and save it from that fate.The rest of us will have to make do with these pictures...

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Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.