Elvis Presley's Guitar on Display at the Musical Instrument Museum

The Musical Instrument Museum already boasts some cool rock 'n' roll relics, including an Eric Clapton guitar and John Lennon's piano. But on Sunday, June 19, the museum will unveil perhaps its most iconic instrument yet: a 1975 Martin D28 acoustic guitar that belonged to Elvis Presley.Presley played the guitar...

By Niki D'Andrea

June 16, 2011

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The Musical Instrument Museum already boasts some cool rock 'n' roll relics, including an Eric Clapton guitar and John Lennon's piano. But on Sunday, June 19, the museum will unveil perhaps its most iconic instrument yet: a 1975 Martin D28 acoustic guitar that belonged to Elvis Presley.

Presley played the guitar on his final tour in 1977, including his final concert on June 26 of that year. During a media preview of the exhibit today, MIM spokesperson Alan di Perna said, "It may not be the last guitar he played. We don't know what happened at Graceland. But in terms of his final public performance, this is it."

Presley's Martin D28 guitar is just one part of a much larger Elvis Presley exhibit at MIM, scheduled to open in the gallery on August 6. The exhibit is permanent and will constantly have new items over the years. The museum's working with Elvis Presley Enterprises on the exhibit, which will cover the three phases of Presley's career: his '50s rock period through his Army years, his '60s movie years, and the '70s Las Vegas comeback-era. In addition to hosting items from Presley's career, MIM has also been contracted to restore the Martin D28.

The guitar, di Perna explained, was found in an upstairs closet at Graceland in 1982. Irene Peters of MIM will restore the guitar, including fixing cracks near the top and bottom of the body, a crack by the strap pin, and removing excess glue from a pick guard that was re-glued sloppily. She'll also restore the finish worn off the guitar surface, where it looks like Presley's guitar strap slipped and scraped the finish. Peters estimates restorations -- including documentations --- could take about ten hours total.

Dads can have their photos taken with a signature model Elvis guitar, and the whole family can enjoy performances by Kuniko Yamamoto (masks, mime, and music of Japan), a Q&A with a museum spokesperson, and a rendition of Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" played on a 1936 Apollonia dance organ. There will also be $3 local beers at the MIM Cafe.

Everything is free with museum admission except for the Yamamoto performance, which costs an additional $15. For more information, visit www.theMIM.org.

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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.

Contact: Niki D'Andrea