“The Framus Hootenanny 12-sting acoustic guitar serial number 51083 is indeed the same guitar John Lennon and George Harrison both used in the studio recording songs for The Beatles’ ‘Help!' and 'Rubber Soul' albums. While examining the guitar in person and up close, I was able to match the woodgrain patterns on the body of the guitar to the many detailed archival photos of the Beatles using the guitar. Wood is like a fingerprint and no two are the same. The rosette inlay around the sound hole of the guitar is inlayed with individual pieces of wood in various colors which also match identical to archival photos. Also, the pickguard on the guitar is manufactured with a synthetic plastic to assimilate tortoise shell. In the manufacturing process, each pickguard produced has its own unique pattern. The pickguard on this guitar, with its unique pattern, is an identical match to the pickguard in the photos of the Beatles using this guitar. With all these detailed facts, I can 100% authenticate, without a doubt, that this is indeed the same guitar used extensively by the Beatles in the studio to record some of their most popular songs such as ‘Help!’, ‘It’s Only Love’, and ‘Norwegian Wood’ to name a few. Lennon is also famously seen playing the guitar in the Beatles’ 'Help!' film where they perform ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’. By the end of 1965 John Lennon gave the guitar to Gordon Waller of Peter and Gordan who used the Framus Hootenanny 12-sting acoustic guitar during a performance of their hit ‘A World Without Love’ on the British television special ‘The Music of Lennon & McCartney’ which aired on Granada Television December 16th, 1965. Waller later gave the guitar to Peter and Gordan’s road manger who has had it ever since. There are but a few actual Beatle guitars that are not accounted for. Lennon’s Framus Hootenanny 12-sting acoustic guitar has been found, it’s the real thing, still sounds amazing and is very cool!”