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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

4 members like this

Attachments: No photo uploads here

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by S. Maxwell on September 18, 2011 at 7:37pm

Why doesn't the person who bought this just check the serial number on this guitar and see if it is indeed a post 1980 Les Paul and then totally [...] the sellers. Just like that one signed Beatles album that Epperson (I think it was him) caught being a more recent reissue thus rendering the autographs fake. Great way to prove it. I think that would be a good place to start with this item.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 18, 2011 at 8:02pm

I'd be surprised if it were post 1980. The autographs are all amateurish forgeries, though. No doubt about it.

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Permalink Reply by Sidney Fields on September 18, 2011 at 8:08pm

I don't know about the autographs themselves.

I do know that any security or other event worker who regularly asked performers for autographs would very likely become an ex-worker very soon. I produced and worked on several rock shows in that time period. I never did it and never saw it done. It's unprofessional...just not tolerated.

I note also that the venues here seem to mirror the venues at which mega-signed legends guitars supposedly were autographed. (The guitars supposedly signed by Elvis, Hendrix, Morrison, the Beatles, the Stones and practically everyone else). Coincidence?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 18, 2011 at 9:40pm

Where did you see the megasigned guitars? Did we upload any here? You're right, the letters for the ones we've seen, sold by American Royal Arts, listed similar venues. One ARA victim we helped paid about $100,000 for one. He bought some Hendrix forgeries, too...maybe other stuff. All Morales authenticated.

Christie's London sent him to me a couple of years ago after he tried to consign them.

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Permalink Reply by S. Maxwell on September 18, 2011 at 9:17pm

What's strange about this guitar is the 2 extra toggle switches and the odd configuration of the tone and volume knobs. Les Paul's have a pretty set look for the knobs which is usually in a slightly off set box kind of shape. I was just digging around on the net and could not find any example of this set up at all. Unless this is some kind of radical modified job, I've never seen a Gibson Les Paul with this kind of set up. Kind of weird. The serial number could shed some light.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 18, 2011 at 10:33pm

WOW...you guys are onto something!!! Open the photo attached at the end of the story. This isn't a Les Paul guitar...it's an Electra MPC. The first MPC came out in 1976. Now look how worn the guitar is. No one would have played it after they started getting it signed, and that guitar has YEARS of wear on it. No way it was signed then.

Wasn't George Harrison's last U.S. concert tour 1974? If that was his last before Lennon died that would make the guitar beyond a doubt a forgery right there.

Anyone know George, Paul and Ringo's US tour dates from 1976-80?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 2:12pm

The Electra MPC guitar was introduced at the NAMM Show in January 1976, so theoretically, Paul McCartney could have signed it in May 1976 in the Washington, DC area on his Wings Over America tour—his last until long after Lennon died.

But the MPC would have only been out a few months by then and it's hard to believe it could be worn out like this one, so even a genuine-looking McCartney would need extra-careful examination.

Ringo and George Harrison could not have signed the guitar.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 19, 2011 at 2:33pm

Read the article.

Wakefield said his dad got all signatures but Lennon's backstage as a security guard at Washington, DC, venues before Lennon died in 1980. The guitar didn't come out until January 1976 (I don't know when it was available for retail delivery).

If Wakefield made up the story, then it's conceivable that the others could have signed it over the years. But why would he make up a story if the autographs were real?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 18, 2011 at 10:45pm

What were Paul McCartney's, George Harrison's and Ringo Starr's US concert tour dates from 1976-80? Did George Harrison tour the US at all during those years?

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Permalink Reply by donc on September 19, 2011 at 5:34am

McCartney's tour schedule did have him stop at the Capital Center in 1976, but he didn't tour the US again until 1989. Harrison's last, and only tour of the US was 1974. Ringo didn't tour the US until 1989.