Long-lost John Lennon 'Help!' era Beatles guitar sets a new auction record of $2.9 million and is now considered the musician's most expensive musical instrument
A guitar used by both John Lennon and George Harrison, which appeared in the movie Help!, has sold for a record-breaking amount at auction.
This Framus 12-string acoustic guitar was used by the Beatles during the filming and recording of their 1965 movie "Help!" and its accompanying album.
John Lennon played the guitar when performing the song "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away".
The same guitar model also appeared on the studio recordings of that track, as well as other songs from the "Help!" album like the title track, "It's Only Love", and "I've Just Seen a Face".
George Harrison even used this rare Framus 12-string on recordings of "Norwegian Wood" and "Girl".
After being missing for 50 years, this historically significant Beatles guitar was recently auctioned off in New York, selling for a remarkable $2.9 million (£2.3 million), NME explained.
The sale was held by Julien’s Auctions and took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. The winning bid was placed over the phone, and it has not been confirmed who the model was bought by. Originally, it was predicted to sell for between $600,000-$800,000 (£485,000-£647,000).
The Framus 12-string acoustic guitar has set a new record as the most expensive musical instrument owned by John Lennon that has been sold at auction.
This surpasses the previous auction record held by another of Lennon's guitars - a J-160E Gibson acoustic - which sold for $2.41 million (£1.6 million) in 2015. That Gibson guitar had been stolen from Lennon and later unknowingly purchased by a musician.
The Julien's Auctions CEO has described this specific guitar as the most significant Beatles-related instrument to ever come up for auction.
“This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy, he said (via BBC News).
“Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of The Beatles’ music and John Lennon.”
The previous owners were gifted the instrument by Gordon Waller of the 1960s pop duo Peter and Gordon. They then kept the guitar stored in their attic, eventually forgetting that they even owned it.
