An amp believed to be John Lennon’s first Vox – used in Cavern shows and in the recording of the Beatles' first EMI sessions, including the tracks Please Please Me and Love Me Do – is going up for auction via Propstore next month (November 15).
Back in July, in a Guitar World exclusive, we reported that the 1962 Vox AC15 Twin, bearing the serial number 4583, had been spotted and purchased after it resurfaced on an auction site in December 2023.
At the time, the listing showed an amp that had been painted black and did not detail a serial number. The current owner (and a few other bidders) only spotted the correlation after requesting additional pictures, eventually securing the unit for a final bid of £16,000.
Now, restored to its original fawn finish and with period-correct speakers, it's headed back to auction, but this time with the Lennon association front and center of the listing – and an estimated price of $130,000-$260,000.
The auction house behind the sale, Propstore, tells GW that it has conducted its own research and checks to authenticate the amp and is confident that it is Lennon’s unit. This counts for something as the firm’s policy essentially offers a money-back guarantee of authenticity.
“It is arguably one of the most significant Beatles and Lennon artefacts to come to market,” states the listing. “It was the catalyst in forming the early tone and sound of one of The Beatles, considered one of the most influential bands of all time.”
Since Guitar World’s initial report, further research has revealed that the unit remained under the Beatles’ care for slightly longer than initially thought, with pictorial evidence of its use until late-1963, rather than early ’63.
As such, it was likely used intermittently with the black AC30s the band was first supplied directly by Vox owner Jennings Musical Instruments that year, as part of its burgeoning sponsorship agreement.
Lennon’s own ‘fawn’ covered unit was purchased, alongside much of the Beatles’ early gear (including the recently resurfaced George Harrison Futurama guitar) from Liverpool store Hessy’s Music in July 1962.
Ringo Starr joined the band around the same time, playing his first shows with the group in August 1962, so Lennon’s AC15 Twin saw use through a formative period for the group, including Cavern shows (indeed, it features in the only known video footage of the band performing at the legendary Liverpool venue) and during the group’s first sessions at Abbey Road for EMI.
AC15 Twin amps of the era – distinguished by their twin speaker configurations – are notoriously rare in their own right and Beatles gear tends to demand a premium, so if buyers are confident in the authenticity, then this lot could well exceed its estimate.
As we noted previously, a Vox AC30 belonging to Bill Wyman of the ’Stones previously sold for over $100,000, but the Beatles – and, particularly, Lennon’s – auction cache is arguably much higher. How much so? Well, we’ll find out when it goes under the hammer next month…
The amp will be sold as part of Propstore’s forthcoming Entertainment Memorabilia auction on November 15. Head to Propstore to browse the full listing and images of the amp.
