Word from London via Reuters is that Sir Paul McCartney’s first guitar was purchased by an American collector named Craig Jackson. The Arizona collector paid $614,000 for the acoustic guitar, which is kind of funny when one considers that multi-instrumentalist McCartney played bass in The Beatles.
Despite that and being a collector myself, Jackson has a piece of history that is very special. It’s relatively easy to buy a guitar once owned by Paul McCartney or any of The Beatles for that matter. I would guess that one could find a six string that even Ringo or Pete Best had picked up at one time or another.
But there is only one Sir Paul, and there is only one acoustic guitar, and Craig Jackson owns it. If I mention his name one more time and perhaps plug his business, maybe he’ll let me come over and play it.
Until then, one wonders if Macca is liquidating special things at the much-anticipated Beatles auction as a result of divorce proceedings or simply because that “old thing was gathering dust”. (The last is a fake quote made up by me in the hopes that Jackson will feel the guitar is worthless and donate it to a worthy music columnist.)
Until then, remember that the last time a Jackson walked away with McCartney history was when Michael Jackson snuck past the McCartneys and picked up those music publishing rights. Here’s hoping Craig Jackson (see, another mention, Craig) has a more positive experience.