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Beatles Signed Guitar: Authenticity Opinions Please!

Claimed to be signed by all four Beatles, the guitar below was sold by Rock Star Gallery in an auction they held on April 1, 2006. A portion of the proceeds from the 200-lot rock memorabilia auction benefited Phoenix Children's Hospital, which issued a press release promoting the auction [press release has been removed since this discussion was posted].

Click for larger image:

If you feel you know Beatles autographs well enough, please give your opinions on either each autograph, or an opinion on the entire group.

But instead of just saying genuine or fake, tell us how strongly you feel by calling them, in your opinion:

Definitely Genuine
Probably Genuine
No Opinion/Not Sure
Probably Fake
Definitely Fake

The following is Rock Star Gallery's March 2006 press release on the guitar and the auction:

From Beatles to Zeppelin -- Rare Guitar Signed By All Four Beatles Added to April 1st Auction

A rare Beatles autographed guitar will be added to auction and a top forensic expert to attend the live auction to further authenticate autographs for bidders.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) March 28, 2006

Adding fuel to an already hot fire, a last minute addition of a very rare guitar is making the headlines again. “On top of seven rare signed Beatles albums, now bidders will have a shot at a very rare autographed guitar with all four signatures, with a very solid provenance,” commented Michael Dunn with Rock Star gallery.

The guitar is being flown in from Virginia by forensic expert Christopher Morales. Christopher will further review other ots in the auction for bidders who request further authentication. “All the lots in the auction already are covered by a guarantee and prior forensic expert review, however his presence will re-affirm any questions from live or online bidders about the authentication of any autograph in the auction” explained Michael. “It is wonderful Christopher can attend the live event” His resume will be posted shortly online.

Here is the story on how the autographs were obtained on the guitar:

“Dave Wakefield Sr., an avid Beatles fan from Virginia, worked for Baltimore City in the 70s and 80s. During that time period, a close friend of his, a police officer who moonlighted as event security at the Civic Center got Dave signed on as one of the extra event security workers. This provided him with the opportunity to be backstage for various events. He had the chance to meet and get the autographs of many performing artists who appeared at the Civic Center during this time period.

His primary work was done at the Civic Center, which became the Baltimore Arena. He also did security work at the MerriWeather Post Pavilion, the Capitol Center, Cole Field House, the Towson Center and RFK Stadium.

Three out of the four signatures on the Beatles guitar were acquired at these various venues (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison). He was unable to acquire John Lennon's signature at any of these locations.

In early 1980, after several failed attempts to get the remaining signature to obtain the final autograph, he traveled to New York to attempt to get John Lennon's signature. He went to the Dakota, the building Lennon lived in, and waited patiently outside. On the second day, John Lennon came out on foot and Dave approached him. He explained that he had the other three Beatles signatures but was missing his. Lennon commented “.. of course, he needed the most important signature” and signed his guitar.

Dave Wakefield Sr. kept the guitar in his home in a case. A few years ago, he passed it on to his son who is now putting it up for auction.

Catalog: http://www.cbtechlive.com

Rare rock memorabilia to be auctioned April 1, 2006 a portion benefiting “Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children’s Hospital”. Also available for bid is a series of high-quality photographic prints from Robert M. Knight, one of the most prolific photographers in rock music history. The photographs include classic shots of such artists as Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews, John Mayer and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. Possible guest celebrities including world renowned rock photographer Robert Knight and friends will attend to auction off rare rock music photography to benefit the children.

Dave Wakefield Sr's son who consigned the guitar to the auction was reportedly Dave Wakefield Jr. Wakefield owns Rock and Roll Heaven in Clearwater, Florida.

Your opinions on this guitar are very important. Please don't give an opinion unless you feel that you know Beatles autographs well enough to judge these.

See file below for full-length image of guitar.

Thanks,

Steve

Tags: authenticity, beatles signed guitar, george harrison, john lennon, michael dunn, morales, paul mccartney, ringo, rock star gallery, wakefield

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 8:46am

Mike,

The guitar was purportedly signed in-venue in the DC area by Paul, George and Ringo. Read the statement by Dave Wakefield from the press release above:

"His primary work was done at the Civic Center, which became the Baltimore Arena. He also did security work at the MerriWeather Post Pavilion, the Capitol Center, Cole Field House, the Towson Center and RFK Stadium.

Three out of the four signatures on the Beatles guitar were acquired at these various venues (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison). He was unable to acquire John Lennon's signature at any of these locations."

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 8:59am

Thanks, Donc. I confirmed your info. Harrison definitely didn't play US in the 1970s-80s after 1974. Ringo played once with The Band in NY, in 1980, but otherwise no chance during that period.

McCartney's Wings over America tour in 1976 ended on June 23 (don't have date for DC-area concert yet), so I'm trying to find the date the guitar was released.

So 2 signatures definitely impossible, and one to go.

Someone may want to ask Dave Wakefield Jr at www.rocknrollheaven.biz to explain this.

I think Christopher Morales has some explaining to do, too. How could a forensic document examiner not check to see if the guitar could have been signed by the people who supposedly signed it?

Hopefully he'll remember the guitar.

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Permalink Reply by donc on September 19, 2011 at 9:38am

Wings played the Washington area:

Saturday 15th May 1976 Capital Center, Landover, Maryland, USA
Sunday 16th May 1976 Capital Center, Landover, Maryland, USA

That's right from paulmcccartney.com

Is that what you were looking for?

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Permalink Reply by donc on September 19, 2011 at 10:08am

Harrison played the Capital Center on December 13, 1974.

I couldn't find an official listing but I used this website:

http://www.fabfour.de/tour_of_1974.htm

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 10:12am

Donc,

You, my friend, have been a great help. Thank you!

I couldn't find my way through the site. Now I'm waiting to find the exact dates the Electra MPC guitars came out, to see if everyone but John's autograph was impossible.

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Permalink Reply by Sidney Fields on September 19, 2011 at 10:37am

Very nice work here.

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 6:01pm

Here's one of the "Megasigned" guitars American Royal Arts sold for $100,000 that Sidney Fields mentioned last night. It was signed by everyone from Beethoven to Britney...well almost. It was authenticated by Chris Morales (originally for Rock Star Gallery according to his LOA) and E'Lyn Bryan. Look at this list of the 34 artists who "signed" it:

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Freddy Mercury, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Brian May, Sting, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Allen Collins, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Ronnie Wood, Richard Manuel, Bono, James Taylor, Jerry Garcia, Bobby Weir, Gene Simmons and Ricky Nelson.

It comes with a letter with a similar tale to Dave Wakefield's story on the Beatles guitar above.

Click to enlarge:

The victim tried to consign this and other signed memorabilia he bought from ARA to Christie's London in 2009 and they suggested he contact us. I haven't spoken to the victim in years, but I heard that Jerry Gladstone of ARA (now of www.PopCultureVault.com) recently settled with him—personally, out of his own pocket—for this and other rock autographs, authenticated by Morales and Bryan.

I guess that says it all.