Friday, 30th May 2008 (475 views)

A gold-plated banjolele once owned by Beatle George Harrison is to go under the hammer at an auction in London later this year.

The instrument, which was also played by George Formby during some of his live performances, is expected to sell for between £20,000 and £35,000.

George Harrison is believed to have bought the Dallas E banjolele, or banjo ukulele as it is often known, at auction before selling it back to the Formby family.

According to the BBC it was first presented to George Formby in 1930 by Dallas, the maker of the instrument.

Another of the entertainer's banjoleles will be sold at the Bonhams Entertainment sale, which takes place in Knightsbridge on Wednesday June 18th, although the gold-plated version could steal the limelight.

A banjolele is a four-stringed musical instrument which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It has a body like the banjo and a fretted neck like the ukulele.

 

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