An acoustic guitar that was used by John Lennon has set a new record as the most expensive instrument from The Beatles to be sold at an auction. The Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar was found after being presumed lost for over 50 years, according to the auction house. A telephone bid for $2.9m (£2.3m) was made at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.
John Lennon played the song You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away on the guitar in the 1965 film Help!. The guitar was also used on recordings on the album of the same name that was released the same year.
The rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia auction house, Julien’s Auctions, sold the guitar; it has previously sold other Beatles memorabilia that have set records too. One of Lennon’s acoustic guitars was sold for $2.4m (£1.9m), whilst Ringo Starr’s Ludwig drum kit was sold for $2.2m (£1.7m) in other celebrity musical instrument sales.
According to David Goodman, the chief executive of Julien’s Auctions, the Framus was the most influential guitar used by The Beatles ever to have been offered for sale. He stated “This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy. Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of The Beatles’ music and John Lennon.”
The sale of the guitar is a part of Julien’s Auctions ‘Music Icons’ sale, which had other items for bidding, including Elvis Presley’s red velour shirt. The sale was online, with the bidding ending on 25 June
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