“Nothing’s changed on it,” says Christie’s Amelia Walker of the glowing NOS look of John Lennon’s 1964 Rickenbacker Model 1996. “The Rickenbacker wasn’t used for a huge amount of time – it was a sort of replacement while his black 325 was being mended – but it’s got such a distinct look because it was one of the English [Rose-Morris] models with the f-hole like a violin,” she adds.
The guitar has now sold for $1,270,000 as part of the mammoth Jim Irsay Collection auction. But it had a long history leading up to the sale. Guitar historian Tony Bacon picks up the story here.
