Nadia Bellingeri
Sale Manager, Private Sales & Themed Sales
Lot 4
Rory Gallagher: A Bjarton Acoustic Guitar, Early 1960s, guitar 35 1/2in (90cm) long
17 October 2024, 15:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £11,520 inc. premium
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Head of Department
Rebecca Anthony
Associate Specialist
Fred Lawton
Cataloguer
Rory Gallagher: A Bjarton Acoustic Guitar,
Indistinct serial no. 8 164 stamped to top of headstock, labelled inside Tillverkare Bjarton Musikinstrumentfabrik Bjarnum - Sweden, natural finish, spruce top, mahogany sides and back, mahogany laminate inside, fingerboard with dot markers, solid headstock with logo and three-a-side tuners, in shaped, plush-lined Yamaha hardshell case (damaged), with transit labels/stickers,
Footnotes
"I've got an old Bjarton guitar and it's beautiful."
- Rory Gallagher
Rory bought this acoustic guitar in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1967 and used it for recording the song 'Hail' for Taste's debut album in 1969. He said, "I've got an old Bjarton guitar and it's beautiful. It's a very small guitar like the small Martins. Blind Blake used to use one - it's like a ragtime guitar. The neck joins the body at the 12th fret. I got that in a pawn shop in Denmark in about '67 for about £4. I've been playing that a lot lately, and that's got the light strings - being a small-scale guitar, the light strings don't buzz or anything - it's just right. I used it on the first Taste album and I used to use it on stage. In fact, I was thinking of pulling it out one night and sticking an Ibanez or something on it."
- Rory Gallagher, International Musician, 1977.
Literature
'Gallagher', International Musician Magazine, April 1977. www.roryon.com/collection.html.
Bjärton:
Bjärton Musical Instrument Factory was founded in 1946, in Bjärnum, Sweden. Originally the company specialised in double basses, but soon began producing guitars from 1952, until their closure in 1990. In their guitar design, the company focused on producing classical and steel-string acoustic guitars. These instruments are renowned for their high-quality construction, using premium European tonewoods that contribute to their rich sound. Though the company eventually ceased production, Bjärton guitars remain prized by collectors and musicians who appreciate their vintage charm and the legacy of traditional Swedish luthiery.