Paul McCartney and the Enduring Legacy of His 1964 Epiphone FT-79 Texan
- Paul Fitzgerald
- Dec 28, 2025
- 3 min read
When discussing the most important acoustic guitars in popular music history, a short list inevitably emerges. Among them stands one instrument whose influence transcends wood, wire, and craftsmanship: the 1964 Epiphone FT-79 Texan played by Paul McCartney.
More than a tool of composition, McCartney’s Texan became a cultural artifact — inseparably linked to Yesterday, one of the most recorded songs of all time, and to a moment when popular music embraced vulnerability, intimacy, and acoustic honesty. For today’s collectors, the story behind this guitar is as valuable as the instrument itself.
Epiphone’s Kalamazoo Era and the FT-79 Texan
The Epiphone Texan, designated FT-79, emerged during Epiphone’s golden Kalamazoo, Michigan production era after the company was acquired by Gibson in 1957. Built alongside Gibson acoustics by the same luthiers, the Texan offered a distinctive voice and aesthetic:
Solid Sitka spruce top
Solid mahogany back, sides, and neck
Long 25.5" scale length
Slim, fast neck profile
Dry, articulate tone with exceptional midrange clarity
Unlike its Gibson J-45 and J-50 counterparts, the Texan delivered a slightly more focused and piano-like response — a tonal characteristic that would later prove ideal for recording.
McCartney’s specific Texan, serial number 194959, left the Kalamazoo factory on May 23, 1964. Its original retail price was approximately $175 USD, a figure that underscores how unpredictably history assigns value.
How Paul McCartney Acquired the Texan
In late 1964, while visiting a London music shop to purchase an Epiphone Casino electric, McCartney also acquired the Texan — almost as an afterthought. Like many of his instruments, it was originally right-handed. McCartney had it restrung and set up left-handed, a modification that subtly altered string tension and resonance, contributing to its distinctive recorded sound.
At the time, McCartney was already exploring more introspective songwriting. The Texan quickly became his preferred acoustic companion.
Recording Yesterday: A Defining Moment
In June 1965, McCartney brought the Texan into Abbey Road Studios to record Yesterday. The resulting track was unlike anything previously released by The Beatles.
For the first time, a Beatles song featured:
A single Beatle performing solo
An acoustic guitar as the primary harmonic instrument
A classical string quartet arrangement
The Texan’s clarity allowed McCartney’s vocal to sit effortlessly above the accompaniment, producing an intimacy that resonated across generations. The guitar’s dry mahogany response minimized excessive overtones, making it ideal for close-mic recording — a detail not lost on modern collectors and recording engineers.
Influential Performances That Cemented the Texan’s Legacy
The Ed Sullivan Show (1965)
McCartney’s solo performance of Yesterday on The Ed Sullivan Show marked a watershed moment. Standing alone with his Texan, McCartney departed from the Beatles’ unified image, presenting himself as a solitary songwriter to an audience of over 70 million viewers.
For collectors, this performance is significant: it transformed the Texan from a production acoustic into a globally recognized icon.
Beatles World Tours (1965–1966)
Throughout the Beatles’ final touring years, McCartney regularly performed Yesterday solo with the Texan. In stadiums dominated by electric chaos, the acoustic interlude became a dramatic emotional counterpoint — one of the earliest examples of a quiet moment holding tens of thousands in rapt attention.
This practice helped establish a concert format still used today: the acoustic centerpiece.
Post-Beatles Performances and Modern Use
McCartney has continued to use the Texan in:
Wings & Solo tours
Intimate charity performances
Retrospective Beatles sets
In later years, discreet pickups were added for live amplification — a reversible modification that preserved the instrument’s integrity while adapting it to modern stages.
Provenance, Reissues, and Market Impact
In 2005, Epiphone produced officially sanctioned Paul McCartney Texan reissues, including:
A hand-signed ultra-limited series
Museum-grade replicas built to original specs
These reissues significantly increased awareness — and value — of original 1960s Texans. Today, clean Kalamazoo-era FT-79 Texans are among the most desirable vintage Epiphone acoustics on the market.
Why the 1964 Texan Matters to Collectors
The importance of McCartney’s Texan lies not only in its association with Yesterday, but in what it represents:
The moment acoustic guitars re-entered mainstream pop dominance
A shift toward songwriter-led performance
Proof that understated instruments can shape cultural history
For discerning collectors, the Texan is not merely a guitar — it is a cornerstone artifact of 20th-century music.
