Gallotone Champion Guitar

The Gallotone Champion Guitar was an acoustic guitar manufactured in South Africa by the country's largest record company, Gallo Africa, during the 1950s and '60s. It was a cheaply made instrument intended for the beginner market and was exported to many countries.

Gallotone Champion Guitar
Headstock showing labels

The Champion model is a 3/4 size steel string flat-top acoustic made from laminated woods, and was "guaranteed not to split".

Perhaps the most famous of all Gallotone Champion players was John Lennon, whose guitar was sold for £155,500 ($251,700) at a "Rock'n'Roll" memorabilia sale by Sotheby's London in 1999. There is also a childhood photograph of Jimmy Page posed with a Gallotone Wonder.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ Lock, Brett. "On a Gallo Guitar and a homemade speaker box". Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  2. ^ "£155,000 picks up Lennon guitar". News report. BBC. September 14, 1999. Retrieved 7 August 2014.