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John Lennon's lost guitar, a hootenanny Framus 12-string acoustic instrument used on the album Help! Sold for an unprecedented $2.9 million (£2.3 million) at auction on Wednesday 29 May 2024.
This sale, part of Julien’s Auctions’ two-day "Music Icons" event, establishes the guitar as the most expensive Beatles instrument ever sold at auction.
The iconic Framus 12-string acoustic guitar was acquired via a telephone bid at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.
It was famously seen in the Beatles’ Help! film and numerous photographs taken by Beatle Monthly Book publisher Sean O’Mahoney, who had full access to the Beatles during their 1965 Help! recording sessions, where the guitar can be heard on “Help!” “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, “It’s Only Love” and “I’ve Just Seen A Face” and more.
The Framus Hootenanny 12-string can also be heard on The Beatles’ recording of “Girl” during the Rubber Soul sessions and on the rhythm track for ‘Norwegian Wood’ played by George Harrison.
By the mid to late 60s, the famous Framus was in the possession of Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon, who later gave the Hootenanny 12-string guitar to their road managers. It was recently discovered in an attic in the rural British countryside where it had lain forgotten and unplayed for over 50 years.
The homeowners found the guitar in the midst of their move and contacted Julien’s Auctions. Executive Directors and Founders, Darren Julien and Martin Nolan, travelled to the UK and immediately recognised that this was indeed the storied Help! guitar. While on the premises, they also discovered the Framus’ original guitar case - a Maton Australian-made guitar case
Notable past sales include a John Lennon acoustic guitar that sold for $2.4 million, Ringo Starr’s Ludwig drum kit at $2.2 million, the Ludwig Beatles Ed Sullivan Show drumhead for $2.1 million, and the Beatles White Album owned by Ringo Starr, which went for $790,000.
Ringo Starr, who before the sale reunited with Lennon's long-lost guitar after more than 50 years, expressed his delight: "After so many years, I'm happy to see this guitar again, thanks to a little 'Help' from my friends at Julien's."
The guitar, integral to the recording of The Beatles' "Help!" album, resurfaced in a UK attic, sparking worldwide excitement.
The guitar's reemergence has been a focal point for Beatles fans and music collectors. Experts had initially estimated it would sell for $600,000 to $800,000, but the final bid far surpassed expectations. Before the auction, the guitar was displayed at the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus in London from April 23 to April 29, 2024, and then at Hard Rock Cafe New York from May 22 to May 28.
David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions, remarked on the sale: "We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have set a new world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost hootenanny guitar. This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy."
The Music Icons event continues, showcasing a lineup of historic items from music legends such as Prince, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, U2, Michael Jackson, and The Randy Bachman Collection featuring over 200 guitars.