John Lennon's long-lost Help! acoustic expected to break auction records
John Lennon's 1964 Framus 5/024 Hootenanny famously played on the title track of The Beatles' 1965 album Help! – and believed lost for more than 50 years – is heading to auction next month, where it's expected to break records.
The famous Framus can also be seen in the star-studded Help! film for the performance of You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, as well as in editions of The Beatles fan magazine. It can be heard on tracks like It's Only Love and I've Just Seen A Face, plus it's reported to feature on Michelle, Polythene Pam, Girl, and Norwegian Wood too.
At some point after the recording of Rubber Soul, the guitar moved from Lennon/Harrison to Gordon Waller of pop duo Peter & Gordon (probably best known for A World Without Love, released in 1964). From there, the historically important 12-string was gifted to a road manager and then disappeared for more than 50 years.
The well-traveled instrument was recently discovered in an attic in rural England, found while the home owners were packing up for a move. They contacted the Beverley Hills auction house, and Julien's Auctions' founders hopped over the pond for a closer look.
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