John McCaw is a building contractor form 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.
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 following the band's pre-Christmas show in London.
In 1969, Mr. McCaw bought Lennon's Gibson on a garage sale for around $175, or about $1,100 when inflation-adjusted for 2014. Much like the guy who sold the instrument, John had no idea about the guitar's previous owner.
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 for 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.
"I went through a lot of different emotions," the man said. "The first one was excitement. Then started to be overwhelmed, realizing what we did have, what it meant and could mean to the world. Then it became a whole different piece. 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.
In 1969, Mr. McCaw bought Lennon's Gibson on a garage sale for around $175, or about $1,100 when inflation-adjusted for 2014. Much like the guy who sold the instrument, John had no idea about the guitar's previous owner.
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 for 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.
"I went through a lot of different emotions," the man said. "The first one was excitement. Then started to be overwhelmed, realizing what we did have, what it meant and could mean to the world. Then it became a whole different piece. 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.
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