Lost for about 50 years, the guitar used by John Lennon — and occasionally George Harrison — during the recording of the albums Help! and Rubber Soul was auctioned off for approximately R$ 14.5 million at Julien's Auctions last Thursday, the 29th.
The German-made 12-string Hootenanny guitar surpassed the value of the Gibson J160E guitar, which was also played by Lennon and sold in 2015 for US$2.4 million, becoming the most expensive instrument in Beatles .
The instrument can be heard on tracks such as “Help!”, “You've Got to Hide Your Love Away”, “It's Only Love”, “I've Just Seen a Face”, “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) and “Girl”.
Where was the guitar?
According to Julien's Auctions, the Beatle gifted the Gordon Waller of the band Peter & Gordon in 1965. Waller, in turn, gave the instrument to one of his roadies, who then took it home and stored it in the attic, where it remained for fifty years.
An Englishman found Lennon's Hootenanny while helping his parents move. The guitar, still in its original case, was authenticated by Beatles historians.
The sale of the item took place at a Hard Rock Café in New York. For Darren Julien , co-founder and CEO of the auction house, the discovery of the guitar is the biggest revelation of a Beatles instrument since the discovery of Paul McCartney , also this year.
“The new owner is now the guardian of a piece of Lennon’s soul, a tangible link to the creative energy that flowed from him and touched the lives of millions. The sale serves as a poignant reminder of the Beatles’ enduring legacy and the indelible mark they left on the world,” said Julien.
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