Julien’s Auctions, renowned for selling iconic music memorabilia, recently announced at a press conference at the Piccadilly Circus Hard Rock Cafe® in London that one of the most important guitars in rock music history, belonging to John Lennon of The Beatles, has been found. The long-lost Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar will headline the MUSIC ICONS auction on May 29 and 30!
Framus 12 String Hootenanny Acoustic Guitar Debut
From The Earliest Records of The Beatles to The Beatles Mania of The 1960s.
This guitar was used in the recording of The Beatles’ “Help!” album and film, as well as many of the band’s popular works in the 1960s. So, the guitar and instruments they used became legendary, just like their music.
This guitar first gained popularity after appearing in The Beatles’ movie “Help!” and was further featured in photos taken by Sean O’Mahoney, the publisher of The Beatles Monthly magazine (The Official Beatles Fan Club Magazine).
Later, during the filming of “Help!” in 1965, they used this guitar to record songs such as “Help!”, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, “It’s Only Love”, and “I’ve Just Seen A Face”. The Framus Hootenanny 12-string also appeared in The Beatles’ recording of “Rubber Soul” album’s “Girl” and in rhythmic tracks played by George Harrison in “Norwegian Wood”.
By the mid to late 1960s, this famous Framus guitar fell into the hands of Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon, and later he gave their tour manager the Hootenanny 12-string guitar as a gift.
Finally, this guitar was discovered in the attic of a rural household in the UK. The homeowner found this guitar while moving and contacted Julien’s Auctions. Darren Julien and Martin Nolan, the executive director and founder of Julien’s Auctions, immediately went to the UK and realized that it was indeed the legendary Help! guitar. They also found a Framus original Australian-made Maton guitar case in the trash pile on the spot, which had appeared in photos of The Beatles in 1965.
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This extraordinary guitar, from being forgotten, lost, and now found, can also be considered a case of lost and found. Darren Julien, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions, stated: “The discovery of John Lennon’s Help! guitar, thought to be lost, is absolutely the greatest Beatles guitar find since Paul McCartney lost his Höfner bass guitar in 1961. Finding this precious instrument is akin to discovering a lost Rembrandt or Picasso painting, and after half a century tucked away in an attic, its appearance and playability still seem like a dream. Awakening this sleeping beauty is a sacred honor, marking a great moment in the music industry, Julien’s Auctions, the Beatles, and auction history.”
However, Julien’s Auctions also brought this precious Rickenbacker guitar back to its former bandmate, Starr, rekindling their connection and igniting memories of the splendid era of The Beatles. Starr said, “After so many years, I am delighted to see this guitar again. Thanks to my friends at Julien’s for a little ‘Help’.”
This auction will take place simultaneously at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and on juliensauctions.com. It is considered the most significant guitar in auction history associated with The Beatles, with an estimated price expected to surpass the presale estimate of US$600,000-$800,000/ HK$4,680,000 – 6,240,000, potentially setting a new world auction record for a guitar related to The Beatles.
