An autographed bass guitar from Sir Paul McCartney will star in a charity auction, set be held in London on June 29.
 Sir Paul onstage with one of his famous Hofner violin bass guitars |
The event is being held to raise money for the music therapy charity, Nordoff Robbins, and will form part of the O2 Silver Clef awards, an annual awards lunch for the music industry. Sir Paul picked up the coveted Silver Clef award himself in 1988 and has since been a strong supporter of the event.
He commented: "I am delighted to have signed and donated this very special left-handed Hofner bass in order to raise funds for Nordoff Robbins. The work they do with music therapy transforms the lives of vulnerable children and adults across the UK, and I hope the sale of this guitar raises lots of money. Rock on."
The last time the former Beatle donated a signed guitar it raised £60,000, so expectations are high for the archetypal autographed Hofner bass in this sale. The first guitar McCartney used to learn his craft sold for £330,000 in 2006, setting an impressive precedent for similar items at auction.
Autographed memorabilia from any member of the Beatles is still being snapped up by avid collectors, with a signed photo of the Fab Four showing a 14.33% increase in value from 2000-2011, according to the PFC40 Autograph Index.
As 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles in their most familiar format and their first performance at the Cavern Club, the rising value of memorabilia is set to see even further increases. A poster advertising one of the legendary Cavern Club shows sold 83.3% above estimate at $42,515 only last week.
For those who can't make the auction, Paul Fraser Collectibles has two fantastic autographed photos of Sir Paul, as well as an authentic strand of hair. Discerning Beatles collectors will want to view our full collection of Fab Four memorabilia, which includes this incredible and unique rarity.
