Jim Irsay’s guitar budget is bigger than yours.

John Lennon’s 1963 Gretsch 6120

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been spending a lot of money on guitars lately. Most recently in the news there’s the $530,000 he dropped on the 1963 John Lennon Gretsch guitar. Lennon famously used the 6120 to record Paperback Writer. Not long after the cheque cleared on that deal Irsay picked up the Les Paul Black Beauty for $275,000. Buddy must have one really understanding wife. I mean you could underplay the significance of the Black Beauty. Let’s face it only aficionado’s had heard about it before the auction. But Lennon’s Gretsch. What are you gonna say? You borrowed it off of Yoko.

And, if price is any indication, both these guitars are beaters from Irsay’s perspective. He dropped $850,000 on Jerry Garcia’s Tiger and the Fender Stratocaster which Dylan used to go electric at the Newport Folk Festival cost him $965,000.

All in all John owns some 175 guitars. So if you ever need to borrow a six-string, Irsay is your man. It’s not like he can say that he’s using all them.