A Saltdean man won a guitar owned by one of the Beatles but took a modest cash prize instead – and now the instrument is being auctioned for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The guitar – a Futurama bought by George Harrison for £58 at the start of his career – was offered as a competition prize for Beatles fans in Beats Instrumental magazine in 1964.
The competition was won by AJ Thompson, from Saltdean, but, when offered the chance to have money instead of the guitar he took the cash.
Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions, is selling the guitar on behalf of its current owner. He told the PA news agency: “He probably took about £100 at most because that would be the intrinsic value of the guitar at the time.
“He probably took his friends and family out for a nice evening and a good dinner and some drinks and then went on with his life. If only … Would’ve! Could’ve! Should’ve!”
The guitar was sold to its current owner – a collector – five years ago and was bought by Harrison when he was a 16-year-old apprentice electrician in 1959.
He paid for it in 44 instalments after his mother signed a hire purchase agreement at Frank Hessy’s music shop in Liverpool.
Next month, it will go under the hammer in America, in Nashville, Tennessee, at Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn and Torn sale.
Mr Nolan unveiled the guitar at the Beatles Story museum, in Liverpool, where it will be on display until Thursday 17 October.
He said: “We know he played this guitar in over 324 shows at the Cavern and numerous times in Hamburg in Germany in 1960 and 1961.”
The guitar was originally priced at 55 guineas – or £57.75 in decimal currency – but, cost about £74 with the hire purchase agreement.
Mr Nolan hopes that it will fetch more than $1 million – the equivalent of about £760,000. He said: “We’re estimating, conservatively, $600,000 to $800,000 but I think it should sell for more than a million.”
The same auction house sold John Lennon’s Hootenanny acoustic guitar for $3 million earlier this year and has previously sold an acoustic guitar of Lennon’s for $2.4 million.
Items linked to the Fab Four are among the most popular of the celebrity items that go up for sale, Mr Nolan said.
He added: “They take centre-stage time and time again. You would mention Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and the Beatles may be number one in that listing. They’re so collectable. They’re recognised all over the world.”
The Played, Worn and Torn sale will take place from Wednesday 20 November to Friday 22 November at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, in Nashville, and online at www.juliensauctions.com.
Are you AJ Thompson or do you know who he is? Let us know at brightonandhovenews@gmail.com.
He was right to take the money. It was 1964.
Sixty years is a long time, and no matter what someone is willing to pay now just because George Harrison owned it, it’s still just a s**t Futurama guitar.
AJ Thompson, I salute you. What you did was way cooler than buying into the nonsense. What you did was making a statement.