George Harrison guitar collection explored in new iPad app

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Beatles fans and guitar freaks have a fun new toy coming their way in February with the Guitar Collection: George Harrison, an iPad app that takes users on a virtual closeup tour of many of the instruments played by one of the most celebrated musicians in history.

The app will cost $9.99 and will be available on iTunes starting Feb. 23, two days before what would have been Harrison’s 69th birthday. It was developed by Harrison’s son, Dhani, a technologically facile musician who also plays in a couple bands of his own, thenewno2 and the mellow L.A. supergroup Fistful of Mercy with Joseph Arthur and Ben Harper.

It’s currently in use at the Grammy Museum’s exhibit “George Harrison: Living in the Material World,’ allowing visitors to closely examine the instruments through detailed photos and to explore each one’s history with documentation that shows when and where they were made, how Harrison acquired each one, and on which Beatles and solo Harrison songs they can be heard.

Here’s a preview video for the app:

The George Harrison Guitar Collection from George Harrison on Vimeo.

Photos by Steven Sebring offer a 360-degree view of each instrument, and each angle can be enlarged for the minutiae-minded to explore every scratch, dent and modification Harrison made to his musical arsenal.

There’s also a video section, not currently part of the Grammy Museum version, that includes recent footage of various musicians, including Dhani Harrison, Harper, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Queens of the Stone age/Eagles of Death Metal member Josh Homme, playing the iconic instruments.

Much of that footage was shot while the guitars have been on loan to the Grammy Museum for the L.A. exhibit.

Dhani Harrison also discusses the unique aspects of various instruments with Conan O’Brien, and former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore is interviewed about George Harrison’s influence in the world of rock music.

The app reportedly will be updated as more guitars from Harrison’s estate are documented, and updates will be available free to those who buy the app. The name of the app suggests it will be the first of a series that could offer a similar exploration and celebration of any number of guitar heroes’ collections.

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--Randy Lewis