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Earlier this year Julien’s Auctions announced that John Lennon’s long-lost Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar, which was used in the recordings of The Beatles’ Help! album and film, had been discovered in a British attic after 50 years.
Darren Julien, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions shared at the time: “The discovery of John Lennon’s Help! guitar that was believed to be lost is considered the greatest find of a Beatles guitar since Paul McCartney’s lost 1961 Höfner bass guitar.
“Finding this remarkable instrument is like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso, and it still looks and plays like a dream after having been preserved in an attic for more than 50 years.
“To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honour and is a great moment for Music, Julien’s, Beatles and Auction history.”
The musical instrument, which Sir Ringo Starr was reunited with ahead of the auction, is considered the most important Fab Four guitar to ever come to market and was expected to break the world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar.
To give fans an idea, a John Lennon acoustic guitar sold for a record $2.4 million in 2015 and this one was set to fetch at least $1 million.
Now the auction has taken place at Hard Rock New York and the piece of music history sold via a telephone bid for a record sum far beyond the estimated price.
Lennon’s acoustic guitar sold for an unprecedented $2.9 million, making it the most expensive Beatles guitar ever sold at auction.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honoured to have set a new world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost hootenanny guitar,” said David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions.
“This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy. Today 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. Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of The Beatles’ music and John Lennon.”