A guitar played by Beatles pair John Lennon and George Harrison sold for 408,000 US dollars (£269,000) at a New York auction today.

The Beatles Vox guitar, a custom prototype made in 1966 and later given to "Magic Alex" Mardas, a friend of the band, was sold by Julien's Auctions at the Hard Rock Cafe on Times Square.

The instrument raised a hundred thousand dollars more than its pre-auction estimate, which was between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars (£130,000-£200,000).

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Harrison can be seen rehearsing with the guitar on I Am The Walrus during the Magical Mystery Tour of September 1967. Lennon also played it in the promotional video for Hello, Goodbye but it is not in the final version of the video.

Lennon gave the guitar to Alex Mardas with a plaque on the back reading: "To Magic Alex/ Alexi thank you/ for been [sic] a friend/ 2-5-1967 John."

It was built by Mike Bennett with electronics by Dick Denney of Vox guitars, and was briefly on public display in London earlier this month.

PA