December 18, 2004

A Gibson cherry-red SG Standard guitar used by George Harrison and John Lennon sold for US$567,500 at a Christie's auction on Friday.

The guitar was used by the late George Harrison on the Beatles' "Revolver" album and by the late John Lennon of the famous "White Album".

Harrison gave the guitar to his friend Pete Ham in 1969. When Ham committed suicide five years later in 1974, the guitar was passed to Ham's brother, who kept the guitar stored beneath his bed for 28 years, until 2002.

The auction pre-sale estimate for the guitar was $500,000.

Among other items auctioned, a pair of Elvis Presley leather pants sold for $35,850 and a letter sent to Courtney Love from Kurt Cobain in 1991 fetched $19,120.