THE long-lost 12-string acoustic guitar of the late John Lennon, missing for 50 years, is set to be auctioned later this month after its recent discovery in a British attic.
This beloved instrument, a 12-string Hootenanny acoustic model, was famously used by Lennon in the 1965 musical comedy Help! and featured in several Beatles songs.
In addition, George Harrison also used the guitar for the rhythm part on Norwegian Wood and on the Rubber Soul song Girl.
According to The Independent, Julien’s Auctions co-founder and executive director Darren Julien said it received a call from the owners who had been gifted the guitar “many years ago” by Scottish musician Gordon Waller from the 1960s pop duo Peter and Gordon.
The couple rediscovered the guitar decades later while in the middle of a move from their home in the English countryside. After being told about the guitar, Julien sought the expertise of Andy Babiuk and Beatles historian Danny Bennett, who confirmed that it was the same instrument used by Lennon.
Experts at the auction house anticipated that the long-lost guitar would fetch over US$800,000 (RM3.8 million), potentially surpassing the world record for the highest-selling Beatles guitar.
