Paul McCartney's 'First Guitar' Sells For $600,000; New John Lennon Song To Hit Charts Soon

The guitar pop legend Sir Paul McCartney learned to play on has fetched $600,000 at an auction at London's Abbey Road Studios.

The instrument was sold by the former Beatle's school friend Ian James for three times its estimate.

McCartney used the Rex acoustic guitar - which belonged to James - to learn his first chords. He also used it to audition for John Lennon's The Quarrymen, the band the pair played in before The Beatles.

McCartney provided a letter of authenticity for the guitar, which reads, "The above guitar, belonging to my old school pal Ian James, was the first guitar I ever held. It was also the guitar on which I learned my first chords in his house at 43 Elswich Street, Liverpool 8."

The buyer was American Craig Jackson, the president of an auction company, who says, "This is such an important piece of rock history and I am an extremely happy man tonight. Without this guitar The Beatles may never have existed and it is a fantastic acquisition."

Lennon's Chart Comeback

John Lennon could return to the top of the charts with a rare and long-forgotten track that has been unearthed.

The hidden track Attica State was written by the late former Beatle more than 30 years ago and is being used as the soundtrack for upcoming documentary "The US Vs John Lennon." The human-rights ballad has been polished using the latest technology and is set for release in September.

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