Lot 59, Roger McGuinn Regal 12-string guitar

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Sale 2137 Lot 59

Byrds Roger McGuinn Regal 12-String guitar

The spruce-top acoustic guitar confirmed as Byrd's lead singer Roger McGuinn's first 12-string. McGuinn has mentioned the instrument in several articles, mistaking it for a Stella but the vendor has established that the guitar is in fact a Regal, authenticated by vintage guitar expert George Gruhn and bluesman Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart, which was obtained by McGuinn circa 1957. This historic guitar was given to the vendor by musician and song writer Hoyt Axton who McGuinn had opened for early in his career, and rented a room from whilst a struggling performer. According to Axton, McGuinn left him the guitar in lieu of rent. Axton then gave the guitar to the vendor, a promising 13 year old guitarist, telling her of its connection with the then relatively unknown McGuinn. Around 1977 the vendor saw McGuinn perform at the Starwood Club, West Hollywood and afterwards went backstage where she re-met McGuinn and told him about the guitar (she had previously met him whilst performing with Axton). Apparently McGuinn smiled at the recollection of his time with Axton and told her he was happy it was in such good hands. This rare and important instrument is sold together with Hoyt Axton's original German hard shell guitar case.

Refer to Department for estimate.

In 1964 Jim McGuinn (later changing his name to Roger) formed the Byrds and invented the folk-rock movement, with songs such as 'Mr Tambourine Man' and 'Turn,Turn, Turn', lending the perfect sound track to the seventies. 'The jangling, 12-string guitar sound of Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker was permanently absorbed into the vocabulary of rock', inspiring the likes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, REM and innumerable others. This electronic Rickenbacker sound which formed the backbone to The Byrds innovative sound, developed directly from McGuinn's early acoustic folk efforts on this guitar.

The lot is accompanied by:
-An e-mail from Roger McGuinn referring to his original ownership of the guitar.
-An image of the young Jim (later Roger) Mc Guinn playing the guitar, the pick guard visible in the picture had been replaced prior to Hoyt Axton giving it to the vendor, the existing pickguard was professionally installed in late 1964.
-A letter of authenticity from Hoyt Axton.-A letter from Bill Elkins who was with the vendor when she met Roger McGuinn in 1977.

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