John Lennon's acoustic guitar sold for a huge £1.5m at auction

Virgin Radio

30 May 2024, 16:03

One lucky buyer is now the proud owner of a piece of music history, after John Lennon's guitar sold for £1.5 million at auction.

The acoustic guitar has broken records to become the most expensive piece of Beatles memorabilia in history.

The guitar is a 12-string Hootenanny acoustic, previously owned and played by John Lennon.

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Lennon used it on their 1965 album and film called Help, only to then end up sitting gathering dust in an attic for 50 years.

Scottish musician Gordon Waller, of pop duo Peter and Gordon had the guitar, before passing it on to a colleague.

The guitar had initially been given an estimate of £485,000 to £647,000.

It far surpassed expectations when the Julien's Auctions sale took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

David Goodman is the chief executive of Julien's Auctions: “We are absolutely thrilled and honoured 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 sale] symbolises what we do best at Julien's - creating opportunities for people to reconnect with the cultural touchstones that have shaped the moments that matter most throughout their lives.”

Sir Paul McCartney's boots are also up for auction, aiming to raise money for charity.

A sitar of George Harrison's also recently sold for $66,993.

 He bought it in 1965 for the recording sessions of Norwegian Wood, and Lennon's guitar also featured on the same recording.