A rare acoustic guitar once owned by country music pioneer Gene Autry has become the center of an international ownership dispute after resurfacing in Sweden decades after its disappearance.
The instrument, a Martin OM-45, was discovered in a Swedish farmhouse by a woman named Sandra, who inherited it following her father’s death in 2021. During restoration, specialists uncovered Autry’s name beneath black paint and identified a serial number linking the guitar to the early 1930s.
Historical records indicate that Autry reported a Martin guitar stolen in 1932. However, how the instrument eventually reached Sweden remains unknown.
Autry’s widow, Jackie Autry, is seeking its return to the United States, where she hopes it can be displayed at the Autry Museum of the American West.
Jackie previously offered Sandra $20,000 for the guitar, but the offer was declined. Sandra maintains that the instrument holds sentimental value because of its connection to her family.
The disagreement raises questions about ownership rights across international borders. For now, the guitar remains the subject of competing claims, with no confirmed resolution.
