Posted on 07/29/2015 7:28:49 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
John McCaw is a building contractor from San Diego who struck jackpot way back in 1969 without even knowing it.
The story actually began in 1962, when John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles got themselves a pair of matching Gibson J-160E guitars.
About a year later, John's six-string was stolen after the band's pre-Christmas show in London.
A few years later Mr. McCaw's friend had unknowingly bought Lennon’s Gibson in a local music shop. In 1969, that friend sold it to McCaw for about $175, or about $1,100 when inflation-adjusted for 2014.
45 years later, after using the legendary J-160E to teach his sons how to play guitar and strumming on it during many amateur jam sessions throughout the decades, McCaw got a hold of a 2012 issue of Guitar Aficionado. The magazine featured George Harrison wielding a six-string with striking similarities to John's old guitar.
After reaching out to international experts, McCaw had the guitar examined and, lo and behold, got a certificate of authenticity based on a string of contributing factors.
"Then it became a whole different piece," the man told NBC. "Before, it was a guitar. And after it was authenticated, it became a Holy Grail." The guitar has been used by Lennon on several early Beatles hits, including "Love Me Do," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and more.
The six-string will be auctioned in Los Angeles, with experts estimating it will fetch between $600,000 and $800,000. An amazing story it is.
What luck for shipping, United Breaks Guitars.
Lennon was probably reimbursed by his insurance co.
The insurance co might have some salvage claim to it, but the cost to them of providing proof that it is the same instrument would likely greatly offset its value to them.
The last sentence it was.
What you meant I knew.
Messing with you I was.
;D
$800k is chump change for the committed collector.
I have a brass nut on my ‘78 Yamaki Japanese Martin knock-off.
It also has a cedar top. Amazing guitar.
My $175 guitar find in Ashland Oregon may not have been worth $800,000 but my brother said it was the best recording acoustic guitar he had ever heard. Just a common Yamaha FG200. He recorded with acoustic guitars costing thousands of dollars and not one of them sounded as full, rich and vibrant as my cheapie little Yamaha find I got in Ashland Oregon while waiting to see a play.
Works for me.
Great pic.
Personally, I'd like the Ludwigs Ringo is playing ...
but that Gibson is a definite keeper.
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I heard/saw that if insurance paid them back, it is fair game. I think it was on the Pawn Stars show.
I used to buy guitars at yard sales, fix ‘em up and sell on eBay. A $35 severely hacked fender got me over $400.
I’ve seen a few of those episodes where Rick tells somebody they’ve terribly underestimated the value of some item and given them a fairer price- admirable - but more often his pitch seems to fall into either - if it’s an expensive item of limited availability he’ll say there’s not much of a market for - or - if it’s expensive but there are a lot of them around, he’ll say it’s just not rare enough to make it very valuable - either way he tries to bring the asking price down so he can make a good profit - but that’s business.....
Eh not true...I purchased a used Lotus Flying-V for $50 while I was in high school and it’s held up quite nicely.
IMHO Rick is a crook and the whole show is rigged. Has nobody in Las Vegas ever heard of eBay? I think every transaction they show is scripted.
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