“I walked through the ‘Nothing To Declare’ lane, though it was in an embarrassment of a guitar case atthat point”: The remarkable story behind Rory Gallagher’s 1968 Coral 3S19 Electric Sitar

Rory Gallagher’s 1968 Coral 3S19 Electric Sitar .

It’s well known that Rory used an electric Coral Sitar for tracks such as Philby, but less well known is how much his devotion to its atmospheric sound ended up costing. 

The 19-string instrument, made by the Danelectro sub-brand Coral in collaboration with session guitarist Vinnie Bell, was surprisingly rare and reputedly only around 50 were ever made, many of which were already owned by well-known players such as Pete Townshend. So Rory simply hired one for touring. But, being a scarce item, doing so cost him an arm and a leg.