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Paul McCartney has reunited with the iconic bass guitar that became a key part of the Fab Four’s image during their rise to fame in the 1960s.
McCartney has confirmed that he now has the guitar, which was used on countless live shows and classic albums before it was stolen in 1972.
A statement about your official website, dated Wednesday, said: “Following the release of last year’s Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is Incredibly grateful to all those involved.”
The four-string was thought to have been lost or destroyed after being stolen from a van. His unusual violin shape was a key part of the Beatles’ visual style, along with their sharp suits and mop-top hairstyles.
The guitar was found in the possession of a family in Hastings, southern England, still in its original case. Ruaidhri Guest wrote on X: “To my friends and family, I inherited this item which has been returned to Paul McCartney.”
A campaign called the Lost Bass Project was launched in 2018 to find the lost instrument and attracted worldwide attention from Beatles fans and volunteers who claimed to know something about where the bass was.
The campaign said in a statement on their website on Thursday: “We are very proud to have played an important role in the search for Lost Bass. It has been a dream since 2018 that it could be done.”
He continued, “Despite many telling us it was lost forever or destroyed, we persisted until it was back where it belonged.”
McCartney bought the violin-shaped, hollow-body Höfner 500/1 guitar in Hamburg, Germany, for 30 pounds (about $37) in 1961, when the young Beatles were on one of their long, arduous residencies in the city, before to achieve great fame. time two years later.
He ordered a custom-made left-handed version from the German manufacturer and liked its light feel and symmetrical appearance, according to “Tune In,” the authoritative account of the Beatles’ early years by cultural historian Mark Lewisohn. McCartney had just reluctantly taken over the role of Stuart Sutcliffe’s bassist.
McCartney was unsure how long the guitar would last: a previous guitar broke and shattered on stage. More than 50 years later, the Höfner needs minor repairs but is otherwise in good condition, according to the Lost Bass Project.
He played it hundreds of times at The Cavern, the Liverpool club synonymous with the Beatles’ embryonic stardom, and on early hits like “Why Please Me” and “She Loves You.”
In 1963, McCartney acquired another almost identical Höfner bass, and the original version purchased in Hamburg became a backup. But the original was still used occasionally, including in the “Let It Be” sessions, as documented in Peter Jackson’s epic “Get Back” documentary.
Beatles memorabilia is big business. A Gibson acoustic guitar, with which John Lennon wrote songs such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, disappeared during a show in 1963, but resurfaced in 2015 and sold at auction for $2.4 million.