Test Match Special

John Lennon’s ‘Help!’ Guitar Auctioned for Nearly $2.9 Million

John Lennon’s ‘Help!’ Guitar , Auctioned for Nearly $2.9 Million. Lennon's Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar has been sold by Julien's Auctions for $2,857,500. According to 'Rolling Stone,' that is "a new record for the highest-selling guitar at auction in the Beatles‘ history.". Lennon's Gibson J160E, which was sold for $2.4 million in 2015, previously held the record. We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have set a new world record with the sale of John Lennon’s lost Hootenanny guitar, David Goodman, chief executive at Julien’s Auctions, via statement. This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy. , David Goodman, chief executive at Julien’s Auctions, via statement. Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of the Beatles’ music and John Lennon, David Goodman, chief executive at Julien’s Auctions, via statement. The Hootenanny acoustic guitar was played by both Lennon and George Harrison while making 'Help!' and 'Rubber Soul.'. It later fell into the hands of Scottish singer-songwriter Gordon Waller who gifted it to one of his road managers. 50 years later, the guitar was found in an attic in Britain, and the original guitar case was rescued from the trash. Darren Julien, co-founder of Julien’s Auctions, referred to the discovery as "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. , Darren Julien, co-founder of Julien’s Auctions, via statement. To awaken this sleeping beauty is a sacred honor, Darren Julien, co-founder of Julien’s Auctions, via statement