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BeatlesGear Expert discovers John Lennon's long lost 1962 Gibson J160E guitar!

We are excited to finally let you know that one of our experts, Andy Babiuk, recently discovered this most important and historically significant Beatles guitar when current owner, John McCaw’s close friend and guitar instructor, Marc Intravaia, contacted Babiuk. Our team of Experts receive countless calls and emails with people thinking they have an instrument once owned by The Beatles. However, Babiuk's instincts told him there was something about McCaw’s story that was intriguing and warranted further investigation.

Read more about the history of Lennon's, and George Harrison's, 1962 Gibson J160E's here http://www.thebeatlesgear.com/62_J160E.html.

Lennon so loved this particular guitar that he would take it home and write songs with Paul McCartney. Beatles hits like "I Saw Her Standing There," “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Please, Please, Me,” “All My Loving,” “From Me to You,” “This Boy” and more were written with this very guitar. This particular guitar can be heard on the UK singles “Please Please Me/Ask Me Why” and “From Me to You/Thank You Girl.” The guitar also appeared on Please Please Me (album UK), Introducing The Beatles (album US VJ), The Early Beatles (album US Capitol), With The Beatles (album UK), Meet The Beatles (album US Capitol), The Beatles One (Album), The Beatles Anthology 1, Live At the BBC (The Beatles Album) and much more. In addition, the guitar was used on the UK Eps such as The Beatles (No.1), The Beatles’ Hits, Twist and Shout and more. It can be seen in the November 22, 1963 videos of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “This Boy” and in countless 1962-1963 studio and stage performance photographs.

After Babiuk personally examined the guitar, he was able to match the wood grain in the spruce top to photos of Lennon playing the guitar with The Beatles in the early 60’s. Wood grain is like a fingerprint, no two are the same, and without a doubt it is a match. Lost for over 50 years, John Lennon’s beloved Gibson J-160E was finally found. It is one of the most important of all Lennon’s Beatles guitars, as he used this J-160E to write some of The Beatles’ biggest hits, and played the guitar on countless live performances and on many Beatle recordings. It is without a doubt one of the most historically important Beatles guitars to ever be discovered.

The guitar has never been modified in any way. It has never been refinished and has had no hardware or electronic changes. In viewing 1963 videos of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “This Boy,” tell tale marks on the guitar further confirm its identity.

Naturally, as a true Beatles fan, Babiuk took the opportunity to play a number of Beatles songs on the instrument. The guitar will be featured on the cover of the new Beatles Gear-The Ultimate Edition book with a scheduled release date of October 27, 2015.

Lennon's 1962 J160E is slated to be offered for sale by the current owner at Julien’s Auctions Icons & Idols Rock n’ Roll Auction event to be held on November 6th & 7th, 2015. However, it will first will go on display prior to the auction at The LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, from June 13-29 for the opening of The GRAMMY Museum® and Fab Four Exhibits Ladies & Gentlemen…The Beatles Exhibition! It will then be displayed at the GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles from July 2-September 7, 2015 and at Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills from November 2-6, 2015.

https://www.facebook.com/TheBeatlesGear

Is this the real one or a made up one?

Hmmmmm. I'm sceptical.

http://www.lbjlibrary.org/events/ladies ... pening-day

I draw yer attention to Live music provided by The Eggmen.

DNA tested?

So if it actually was Lennon's first J160E, which was stolen... Surely the police will be there to collect it at the auction on behalf of the Lennon estate?

Did this get pulled from the Facebook page? The last entry I see is May 31st.

I doubt we'll hear from the OP again in this thread since he only shows up to advertise his website, but i'd sure like to know if they can even legally sell this guitar considering it was reported stolen at Finsbury Park in 1963.

beatboy77 wrote:However, Babiuk's instincts told him there was something about McCaw’s story that was intriguing and warranted further investigation.

Intriguing, in that the guy admitted stealing it?

Oh well..... that Gibsondependable guy will probably buy it, steam it apart and sell the pieces one by one anyway....

teb wrote:Oh well..... that Gibsondependable guy will probably buy it, steam it apart and sell the pieces one by one anyway....

The story now is that the current owner bought it from "a friend" in 1969. Something tells me the identity of this "friend" will remain a mystery.

http://wogew.blogspot.com.es/2015/06/le ... tails.html

I would imagine The theft is well past the Statutes of Limitation.

While the statute of limitations (which means the duration of time when the criminal/thief could be charged with the theft) has likely expired, that is a different legal principle from OWNERSHIP of the guitar, which would always remain with the original owner (and not the thief, or future owners). Here, it sounds like under British law the ownership did not remain with Lennon as he didn't file a police report.

scoobster28 wrote:that is a different legal principle from OWNERSHIP of the guitar, which would always remain with the original owner (and not the thief, or future owner

Not in every country this is true! I would even go so far to say in most it is not true.

I read in a German mag that the Lennon estate got over 50% of what the guitar brought in at auction.