“The serial number was the same as John Lennon’s amp. I couldn’t believe it”: John Lennon’s first Vox amp – used on early Beatles recordings and Cavern gigs – was lost for 60 years. Now it may have been found, covered in black paint, on an auction site

The 1962 Vox AC15 Twin, purportedly owned by John Lennon.

It is quite possibly the amp find of the century. An AC15 Twin believed to be John Lennon’s first Vox amp has been located and recovered for the first time in over 60 years, after an eagle-eyed Beatles fan and guitarist discovered it – disguised under a coat of black paint – in an online auction.

Lennon’s 1962 AC15 Twin, carrying the serial number ‘4583’, was purchased by the songwriter from Liverpool store Hessy’s Music in July 1962 for £123 and saw use in the Beatles’ shows at the Cavern Club and on early EMI sessions, including the recordings of Please Please Me and Love Me Do. It also features in some of the only footage of the Beatles performing at the Cavern Club.