Guitar Signed by The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Other Artists in the TCM-Bonhams March 27 Auction

Last I heard, there were no genuine, intact Beatles-signed guitars known. The only one was reportedly destroyed in a Malibu, Calif. landslide about 15 years ago.

RR Auction sold one a Beatles signed guitar around 2010, but the owner had tapped the autographs down with an awl to, um, "preserve them."

So I was surprised yesterday to see guitar signed by The Beatles, Stones, and 30 other artists in the TCM-Bonhams Rock and Roll Through the Lens Auction, being held March 27 in New York.

Bonham's says guitar signed by early Top of the Pops guests starting in early 1964, including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, and many others.

The Beatles autographs looked real to me, but I asked a friend who knows Beatles up and down. He got back to me this morning after checking them out carefully.

He says the autographs are real. And he saw the guitar in-person in the early 1990s in a Sotheby's or Christie's auction.

Here's the mystery: The one reportedly destroyed in the mudslide was also signed by the Stones and other artists.

Could this be the same guitar?

I asked years ago for photos of the one supposedly destroyed, but I never was able to locate any.

Most of all... Do you think the autographs are real?

These are images of The Beatles autographs on the guitar that I've enhanced to make them easier to see. Click to enlarge them.

John Lennon

Paul McCartney

George Harrison

Ringo Starr

What do you think?

Tags: Rock and roll through the lens, TCM presents, auction, autograph, beatles, rolling stones, signed guitar

1 member likes this

Comment by sling on March 8, 2017 at 10:38am: I have always questioned the mudslide story. It is just rumors-no one has shown a newspaper clipping, article with the owner of the house and guitar, etc.

Comment by Tommy Byron on March 8, 2017 at 12:29pm: I guess you never know. Obviously not a great display piece, but stranger things have happened.

Comment by Richard Booth on March 8, 2017 at 12:57pm: The signatures on the guitar look good to me too!

Comment by Adam Halloran on March 8, 2017 at 1:00pm: I think they look good, any loas by Caiazzo or Cox? Was the one in the mudslide certed by anyone?

Comment by BallroomDays67 on March 8, 2017 at 1:47pm: They look good to me too.

Comment by Alexander Mehl on March 8, 2017 at 4:23pm: All four Beatles sigs are fakes!

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 8, 2017 at 4:36pm: Tell us, Alexander.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 8, 2017 at 4:36pm: Adam, I don't know about the one in the mudslide.

Comment by KarlKeaton on March 8, 2017 at 4:57pm: There's also supposed to be a guitar signed by the Beatles and many other legends owned by Shane Fenton/Alvin Stardust. I've discussed what I know before on this forum and seen a poor photograph on which it is impossible to identify individual autographs.

The guitar looked tatty and faded, like the one we are discussing. Shane Fenton was certainly in a position to get their signatures and married Iris Caldwell, Rory Storm's sister who also dated a couple of Beatles.

Comment by Alexander Mehl on March 8, 2017 at 5:08pm: Comparing with lots (hundreds) of Beatles autographs of 1964 I found in all signatures several faults. Therefore in my opinion fakes!

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