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A 1964 Framus Hootenanny 5/024 12-string acoustic guitar, natural finish. This guitar was owned by John Lennon and used by both Lennon and George Harrison during the recording sessions for The Beatles albums Help! (1965) and Rubber Soul (1965). It has been matched to photos taken during sessions for both records as well as stills from the movie Help!

John Lennon acquired this Framus Hootenanny in late 1964, and it made recording debut during the 1965 Help! sessions where it was photographed in the hands of both Lennon and Harrison along with the Maton case it was originally paired with at the store.

“Fifth Beatle” producer George Martin’s handwritten notes from those sessions record that the Hootenanny was used by both Lennon and Harrison on “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” The Hootenanny is also present in “Help!” outtakes where John can be heard tuning the guitar before he starts playing.

This Framus is the guitar heard on “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” “It’s Only Love, “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and of course, “Help!” On Rubber Soul it can be heard on “Girl” as well as George Harrison’s parts on “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).” It’s featured in photos from the Beatles Monthly Magazine, and is seen being played by John in the movie Help! when The Beatles perform “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.”

At the end of 1965, John Lennon gave the guitar as a gift to Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon, for whom Lennon and McCartney had been writing songs. Later, Waller would pass the guitar on to a manager of his, who took the guitar home, tossed it in the attic, and gave it nary a thought for decades.

We worked closely with musician, author, and Beatles Gear expert Andy Babiuk to confirm that this Hootenanny, serial #51083, is indeed John Lennon’s guitar. It has some distinctive markings which made it easily identifiable when compared to photos and stills from Help! These markings include the darker patches in the pattern of the rosette, telltale wood grain on the top, and the swirl of the tortoise shell pickguard material.

With the Hootenanny, the real proof is in the sound. When strummed, it immediately identifies itself as “that” guitar. If you know the chords, Beatles tunes fall out of the sound hole effortlessly. Like an audio time capsule from 1965, the Framus is a direct link to those records.

This historic instrument still retains the Maton case seen with it in recording room photographs. Its brown exterior is clearly worn from having done its job so dutifully for so many years. Inside, the crushed yellow velvet looks just like the color photos from the Rubber Soul sessions, its exterior Maton badge catching the light just so. There’s also an interior dealer tag that can be seen in the photo that matches perfectly.

The Framus “Hootenanny” 5/024 12-string acoustic guitar was made in the company’s Bubenruth, Bavaria factory in 1964. It features a spruce top and mahogany back and sides, a set mahogany neck, a 19-fret rosewood fretboard, and a decorative sound hole rosette made of individually-inlaid pieces of wood. A trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge, twelve tuners with white plastic buttons, a white string guide nut and zero fret, and multi-ply binding.

Includes Maton-branded hardshell case and a copy of The Beatles Help! Deluxe Edition Hardcover Book, Script, and DVD box set, and a copy of The Beatles: Photographs from the Set of Help! by Emilio Lari.

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