An English father of two got more than he bargained for when he purchased a mid-’60s blackface Fender Deluxe on Facebook Marketplace for £3,000, a little more than $4,000 at current exchange rates. It turns out the amp was owned by John Lennon and likely used on the Beatles' 1968 White Album.
“I saw this old 1960s Fender amp on Marketplace,” James Taylor, 45, of Brighton, told The Manchester Evening News. “They told me it might have been gifted to someone by John Lennon, but I have heard these stories before and I didn't pay it much mind.”
Research into the Fender amp, however, revealed that he should have given more weight to the claims. The amp was used by one half of the Lennon-McCartney tandem during the Beatles' final years and into his early 1970s solo career.
Writing in his book Beatles Gear, musical instrument historian Andy Babiuk confirms the Beatles received a care package of equipment from Fender in 1968, ahead of the White Album sessions. It included a Fender VI six-string bass, a silverface Deluxe Reverb and the blackface Deluxe. Lennon plugged his Epiphone Casino into the Deluxe for the “Hey Jude” music video. The VI, meanwhile, was used by Lennon and George Harrison, respectively, on “Rocky Raccoon” and “Honey Pie,” among other White Album tracks.
Lennon held onto the Deluxe for three years before gifting it to Rod Lynton, who played acoustic guitar on four tracks from his 1971 solo album, Imagine. Lynton confirms he received the amp as a token of Lennon's gratitude for his contributions to Imagine, and he has a certificate of authenticity to prove the amp's provenance.
Taylor believes the amp was also used in the Beatles' video for “Revolution” and is looking for help authenticating its roles in the group's recordings.
“I bought the amp because I wanted the amp, and I didn't pay John Lennon sort of money for it,” he says. Indeed, Lennon’s first Vox amp recently resurfaced at auction. Though it was purchased for £16,000, now that its history has been confirmed, it's worth an estimated £250,000, about $320,000.
“Once I had it, I started researching the history, and all the details started checking out, I realized I had something very exciting on my hands,” Taylor continues. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
“One of my earliest listening experiences was my parents introducing me to Sgt. Pepper at a young age,” he adds. “And now I have John Lennon's amp, which is crazy to think about.”
I bought the amp because I wanted the amp, and I didn't pay John Lennon sort of money for it
James Taylor
“It plays and sounds fantastic. I had used it in my own band practices prior to authentication. I might have been a bit more cautious had I realized the historical importance!”
Given its value, Taylor doesn't expect he'll be able to hold onto the amp for too long.
“I will probably have to sell it because of the value,” he admits. “It would be scary for me to have something so valuable in the house. There are many parts of me that wish I could hold onto it, but it is a risk to keep in a house with toddlers rushing around.
“I could probably use the money from selling it to get myself a mortgage and get on the property ladder.”
Several auction houses have reportedly contacted Taylor with estimates that the amp could fetch six-figure sums at auction. Time will most certainly tell.
