Custom Built “Rocky” Strat

George Harrison “Rocky” Stratocaster is probably one of the most copied Stratocasters. So I had to have one. This guitar started out as a Fender Sonic Blue Strat Partscaster that I built. The “Rocky” paint job done by a real pro, Rob Burger from Burger Guitars who has painted this theme thousands of times. See the entire build process and history of George Harrison’s “Rocky” Strat here.

Looks great and plays great

Great tribute to George Harrison

I wanted a great playing and sounding guitar, NOT just a wall hanger. I PLAY all my guitars. No cheap parts, period correct, authentic looking and plays great.

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

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!

John Lennon Fender Sonic Blue Stratocaster

These Stratocasters were used extensively on the album the Beatles were making at the time, Rubber Soul. Most notably on the song Nowhere Man which John and George played the solo in unison.

“Rocky” was born!

George transformed the Sonic Blue Strat into “Rocky”

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, Patti Boyd (later, Layla) 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 never parted with his first Stratocaster. It remains today in the possession of his family, and is the most colorful guitar in the George Harrison collection. Basically it is priceless.

“If I’d had my way, the Strat would have been my first guitar,” Harrison said. “I’d seen Buddy Holly’s Strat … on the Chirping Crickets album cover, and tried to find one. But in Liverpool in those days the only thing I could find resembling a Strat was a Futurama. It was very difficult to play, (the strings were) about half an inch off the fingerboard … but nevertheless it did look kind of futuristic.”