An electric guitar played by the late guitarist George Harrison in the early days of The Beatles will go up for sale at an auction in the US next month where it could be sold for more than $800,000 (€724,708).

Julien’s Auctions announced the sale during an official unveiling event today in Liverpool, during which it called the instrument “one of the holy grails of historic Beatles guitars.”

Harrison first purchased the Futurama guitar from Hessy’s music centre in Liverpool in the late 1950s, quickly becoming one of his main instruments before the arrival of his Gretsch Duo Jet in 1962.

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The Futurama was used in over 300 gigs, including some of the Beatles’ legendary early Cavern Club shows, their Hamburg tour and their first official Polydor recordings.

Harrison said the guitar was "very difficult" to play but he liked what he called its "futuristic" look. "It had a great sound," he later told a journalist.

He donated the instrument to a rock magazine as a competition prize in 1964, but it remained with the publication's editor when the winner opted for a cash prize instead.

The guitar will be on display at The Beatles Story in Liverpool before being shown at other museums across Europe. It is due to be auctioned from November 20-22 in Nashville.