A guitar used by John Lennon in The Beatles’ 1965 film and album Help! sold for a record-breaking amount at auction.
In the film, Lennon famously played the Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar on ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away’ and also used it in Help! studio recordings of ‘It’s Only Love’ and ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face.’
George Harrison also recorded Rubber Soul’s ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘Girl’ with the 12-string.
The guitar sold for $2.9 million ($AU4.3 million) at a Julien’s Auction event in New York City’s Hard Rock Cafe after being estimated to go for $600,000-$800,000 ($AU900,000-$AU1.2m). The sale makes it the most expensive Lennon guitar to be sold at auction, surpassing the former record of $2.41 million ($AU3.6m) 2015.
The Framus was thought to be lost for 50 years and was recently found in a UK attic.
David Goodman, chief executive of Julien’s Auctions, believes this to be the most important Beatles guitar to ever come to market.
“This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon’s enduring legacy,” he said via BBC News.
“Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of The Beatles’ music and John Lennon.”
