A Hefner bass guitar that Paul McCartney bought for £30 in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle following a worldwide search for stolen instruments.
The uniquely shaped guitar was reportedly one of McCartney’s favorites, having purchased it before his rise to stardom, and was last seen on the Beatles’ final album, Let It Be. It was around the time we were recording “.
McCartney paid £30 for the bass guitar 63 years ago, the equivalent of around £800 in today’s prices.
A search has begun for a missing violin-shaped bass, a German-made Hofner 500/1. lost base project And on Tuesday, student Ruaidri Guest shared a photo of the elusive instrument on social media.
Guest claimed that he had inherited it, adding that it had since been returned to its original owner.
“I gave this item to friends and family, but it was returned to Paul McCartney. Please share the news,” he posted on X.
The item was passed on to friends and family, but it was returned to Paul McCartney. Please share the news. pic.twitter.com/BlKP4L2ELP
— Rassilon Productions (Ruaidhri guest) (@RassilonP) February 13, 2024
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McCartney’s bass (now worth £10 million) became synonymous with the versatile musician in the band’s early days. This model was purchased in the early 1960s when the then-unknown group was touring nightclubs in Hamburg, Germany.
A statement on McCartney’s website said: “Following the launch of the Lost Bass Project last year, Paul’s 1961 Hefner 500/1 bass guitar, stolen in 1972, has been returned.” .
“The guitar has been authenticated by Hefner and Paul is extremely grateful to everyone involved.”
McCartney previously said he “fell in love” with the instrument because of its symmetrical shape, unlike many electric guitars. “I found this Hefner violin bass for about £30,” said McCartney, 81. I got hooked on it. And once I bought it, I fell in love with it. ”
After that, it became a familiar sight, with McCartney using it for live performances from 1961 to 1963, but it finally went missing just before the Beatles disbanded in 1970.
Hefner created the hashtag #tracingthebass to encourage people around the world to help find instruments, and helped the Lost Bass Project search for unexpected instruments.
Hefner executive Nick Wass told the Sunday Telegraph:
“Paul said to me, ‘Hey, since you’re from Hefner, can you help me find bass?’ And that started this great hunt.”
The brand has been McCartney’s choice throughout his career, and much of the company’s success is due to the former Beatle’s endorsement. He has owned four of his Hofner basses since 1961 and still plays his one, which was a gift from the manufacturer.
Mr Wass said the bass could now be valued “more like a Van Gogh or a Picasso than just an instrument”, adding: “This is something Paul played in Hamburg, the Cavern Club and Abbey Road. It’s the base,” he added.
There have been many theories over the years about what happened to the instrument, with some saying a thief stole it from a closet at Abbey Road, and others simply losing it in the basement of the band’s Savile Row offices.
He was last seen days before McCartney and his bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr gave their final live performance on the roof of Savile Row.
In 1963, the guitar John Lennon used to compose ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ went missing during the band’s Christmas show at Finsbury Park, according to the project. It resurfaced 51 years later and sold at auction for a whopping £1.9 million.
