The return of an iconic guitar
After decades of mystery and absence, John Lennon’s acoustic guitar has reemerged on the world music stage with stratospheric impact. With a staggering asking price of $2.85 million (€2.6 million), this musical relic has captivated collectors, fans and music lovers at an auction in New York, gathering a global crowd of enthusiasts. .
This iconic 12-string guitar, used by Lennon during the recording of his famous album ‘Help!’ in 1964 and also by his partner George Harrison in the ‘Rubber Soul’ sessions in 1965, has returned to light after being missing for more than half a century. The story behind his rediscovery is as fascinating as the music he helped create.
The rebirth of a musical muse
The lost guitar, a Framus Hootenany, emerged from the shadows in a remote town in the English countryside after a dormancy of more than half a century, since the end of 1965. Legend has it that Lennon gave it to Gordon Waller, a member of the British duo Peter & Gordon, back in the days when he and Paul McCartney wrote songs together. But the guitar’s fate took an unexpected turn when Waller gave it to one of his administrators, who kept it in the attic of his home, where it remained buried in oblivion.
Made in Bavaria, the Framus Hootenanny exudes a warm, robust sound that has resonated throughout music history, having passed through the hands of each of the members of the Beatles. This instrument, simple but loaded with symbolism, was a privileged witness to the birth of some of Lennon’s most beloved songs. At the dawn of The Beatles, this guitar was not only an object, it was a muse in itself. It echoed in smoky pubs and dream-saturated recording studios. More than wood and strings, it was the echo of Lennon’s boisterous creativity, a sounding board for his deepest emotions and a palpable link to the beating heart of one of the most revolutionary figures in the musical firmament.
A historic price
The sale of this guitar not only set a new world record by becoming one of the most expensive guitars ever sold, but also exceeded the expectations of Julien’s auction house. With palpable excitement, David Goodman, Managing Director of Julien’s Auctions, indicated that they were ‘absolutely thrilled and honored to have set a new world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost Hootenanny guitar.’ The significance of this auction lies not only in the monetary value, but in the cultural and emotional significance that this guitar represents for music lovers around the world. It is a tribute to the enduring legacy of John Lennon and the eternal influence of The Beatles on music history.
