Custom made Vox guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison in the mid-1960s was the highlight at the “Music Icons” event organized by Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Julien’s Auctions and held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan. Although expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000, this semi-hollow-body instrument, used during the Fab Four’s Magical Mystery Tour days, was sold to an unnamed US buyer for the amazing price of $408,000.
Described as “one of the most historical pieces of musical memorabilia” in the auctioneers’ catalog, this custom-built instrument was built by craftsmen Mike Bennett and Dickey Denney of Vox guitars, and was briefly on public display in London earlier this month.
Harrison can be seen rehearsing with the guitar on I Am The Walrus during the Magical Mystery Tour of September 1967. Lennon also played it in the promotional video for Hello, Goodbye but it is not in the final version of the video, according to a statement from Julien’s Auctions.
Lennon gave the guitar to Alex Mardas with a plaque on the back reading: “To Magic Alex/ Alexi thank you/ for been [sic] a friend/ 2-5-1967 John.”
