John Lennon's Guitar Found in UK Attic... Estimated Value a Whopping 1.1 Billion KRW

Other Cases Also Found in Trash Can

The guitar used by John Lennon of the legendary rock band The Beatles was recently discovered in the attic of a house in the UK and will be auctioned next month.

On the 23rd (local time), British media including Sky News reported that a 12-string guitar used by Lennon in the 1960s was found by the owner in the attic of a house in the UK.

The British rock band The Beatles posing on a train departing from Paddington Station, UK, in March 1964. From the left, clockwise: John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

This guitar was used for recording the 1965 album "Help." Auctioneers expect the guitar's price to reach up to $800,000 (approximately 1.1 billion KRW).

Representatives from the American auction house Julien's Auctions traveled to the UK to appraise the guitar and also found the guitar case in the trash bin of the house. The guitar was gifted by Lennon to Gordon Waller of the pop duo "Peter and Gordon," who was active during the same era, and after passing through Waller's manager and others, its existence was forgotten.

Julien's Auctions plans to auction the guitar on the 29th of next month through the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and their website. Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, said, "This guitar, preserved in an attic for over 50 years before being discovered, is still playable." He added, "It is a sacred honor to awaken the beauty that was asleep, and it is a great moment in music, The Beatles, and auction history."

Last February, Paul McCartney announced that he had recovered a guitar stolen over 50 years ago. [Image source=Lost Bass Project homepage]

Earlier this year, another Beatles member Paul McCartney's bass guitar, which he owned and was stolen, was found after 51 years and returned to its owner. McCartney's side revealed that the guitar, which was placed in the back seat of a van in Redbrook Grove, London, was stolen in October 1972.

However, McCartney recovered the guitar in February this year. McCartney's spokesperson stated on his official website, "Paul's 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar stolen in 1972 has been returned." The spokesperson added, "(Paul) is incredibly grateful to everyone who helped him find this guitar." The British Guardian estimated the value of the recovered bass guitar to be 10 million pounds (approximately 17 billion KRW).

Meanwhile, instruments used by Beatles members typically sell for very high prices at auctions. For example, Lennon's guitar, which was stolen in 1963 and resurfaced after about 50 years, was sold at auction for 1.9 million pounds (approximately 3.2 billion KRW).