George Harrison's "first real decent guitar" can be yours, now that Gretsch has released the G6128T-GH George Harrison Signature Duo Jet guitar. The new instrument, modeled on the same one that the legendary guitarist referred to as his "first real decent guitar," extends the legacy of George Harrison and brings back the vibe of the Beatles’ early-’60s era music.

The G6128T-GH George Harrison Signature Duo Jet features distinctive appointments and modifications found on and inspired by Harrison’s original 1957 Gretsch Duo Jet, which he purchased second-hand in the early 1960s. These features include a lightweight mid-’50s-style chambered body, all-black color scheme (arched maple top, mahogany back and sides, and back of the one-piece mahogany neck), Bigsby B3C tailpiece with a black Phillips head tremolo arm pivot bolt, and an offset strap button on the lower bout.

The guitar also sports three-ply body binding (white-black-white), white single-ply neck and headstock binding, a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with 12" radius and hump-block pearloid inlays, two single-coil DynaSonic pickups, a vintage-style "rocking bar" bridge with rosewood base, silver plexi pickguard, chrome-plated Grover V98CM Sta-Tite tuners, Gretsch "G" arrow control knobs, chrome-plated hardware, Harrison’s signature on the truss rod cover, and a premium tweed case.

Gretsch writes that the G6128T-GH George Harrison Signature Duo Jet evokes the vibe of Harrison’s original Duo Jet, which he held dear in the Beatles’ early-’60s era and used to record the group’s landmark first album, Please Please Me (1963). A quarter-century later, Harrison was pictured with the guitar on the cover of his acclaimed 1987 solo album, Cloud Nine. Further, the introduction of the G6128T-GH George Harrison Signature Duo Jet closely follows the early 2011 release of the Gretsch Custom Shop G6128T-GH George Harrison "Tribute" Duo Jet, a limited-edition relic model that mirrored the original guitar down to the tiniest detail.

The MSRP on the new guitar is $5,000. For full specifications and more information, go to gretschguitars.com.