“They’ve been stuck in London customs for a month”: Paul McCartney's guitars allegedly held up in England ahead of major Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibition

Paul McCartney performs live on stage with Wings at Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands on March 25, 1976. He plays a Rickenbacker 4001S bass guitar
(Image credit: vCaem/Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)

Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, titled “Paul McCartney and Wings,” is supposed to open in two days (May 15). However, it is now being alleged that the guitars that were supposed to be part of the exhibit haven’t yet made their way to Cleveland.

According to Page Six, seven of McCartney’s guitars have been stuck in customs in London, since they’re made out of Brazilian rosewood and therefore fall under the remit of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – a multilateral treaty entered into force on July 1, 1975 that, as per UNESCO, ensures “international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.”

“They’ve been stuck in London customs for a month,” an unnamed source reportedly told Page Six. “The tree is endangered, so you can no longer use it, but it’s the best wood you can use for sound and acoustics.”

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According to Rock Hall, it’s set to feature “the most extensive collection of items from McCartney’s personal archives to ever be made accessible to the public, as well as donations from band members and associates.”

It will also include “instruments played in Wings’ recording sessions and in concert performances, clothing worn by the band, handwritten lyrics, original artwork, tour memorabilia, and previously unseen photography”, all presented within an immersive audio-visual experience.

In more recent news, Macca has announced his first solo album in five years, The Boys of Dungeon Lane – inspired by a mysterious guitar chord and a cup of tea with Andrew Watt.

Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology and how it is shaping the future of the music industry, and has a special interest in shining a spotlight on traditionally underrepresented artists and global guitar sounds. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Auf der Maur, Yvette Young, Danielle Haim, Fanny, and Karan Katiyar from Bloodywood, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her Anglo-Maltese, art-rock band ĠENN.

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