An acoustic guitar that John Lennon played during The Beatles’ heyday is up for auction. This was reported by the economic publication Kalkalist on Wednesday, April 24.
We are talking about a 1965 Framus acoustic 12-string guitar. For fans of the Fab Four, this instrument has special meaning. It is known that Lennon starred with him in the film Help! and recorded music for the album of the same name. George Harrison also played this guitar when recording the famous song Norwegian Wood, included in the album Rubber Soul. The guitar disappeared during Lennon’s lifetime and was considered irretrievably lost, but relatively recently it was found in the attic of a village house in England.
The guitar of Lennon, who died at the hands of a murderer in 1980, is to become the main lot of the auction organized by the American auction house Julien’s. The auction is scheduled to take place May 29-30 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. The head of the house, Darren Julien, in an interview with reporters, said that the instrument could be sold at a price several times higher than the estimated price ($600,00-800,000) and become “the most expensive Beatles guitar in history.”
“In 2015, we sold another Lennon guitar for $2.5 million,” Julien explained. “That was a record. But this guitar has much more historical significance, it was played by John and George when they recorded Help! and Rubber Soul. I guess.” “It will be one of the five most expensive guitars ever sold at auction. For collectors, this is the only and probably the last opportunity to purchase a guitar with such a glorious history.”
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John Lennon acoustic guitar
(Photo: Julien’s Auctions website)
According to Julien’s, Lennon parted with the guitar rather quickly. Its next owner was Gordon Waller from the popular British duo Peter and Gordon, who presented the instrument to his entrepreneur. The guitar then disappeared from sight for 50 years. She was discovered in a cluttered attic by the owner of a village house when he was preparing to move. Realizing what a treasure he had fallen into his hands, he contacted Darren Julien. In the same house, the guitar’s “original” case was found, thrown into the trash. This case can be seen in several photographs of Lennon taken in 1965.
Julien’s auction house has sold other relics related to the history of The Beatles. For example, Ringo Starr’s drum kit (sold for $2.2 million), a unique copy of the 1968 White Album with a personal dedication ($790,000) and other items from a private collection put up for auction in 2015.
The most expensive guitar ever sold at auction belonged to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. It was sold in 2020 for $6 million.
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