A guitar bought by Paul McCartney for £30 in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle following a global search for a uniquely shaped Höfner bass.
The instrument was purchased by McCartney before he became famous and is said to be his favorite instrument. It was last seen 54 years ago when the Beatles recorded their upcoming final album, Let It Be.
Last year, the search began for a missing violin-shaped bass, the German-made Höfner 500/1, and on Tuesday, Ruaidhri Guest, a student, shared a photo on social media claiming to own the elusive instrument. The guest said he inherited it, adding that it had been returned to the original owner.
“I inherited this item from my friends and family and it has been returned to Paul McCartney. Share the news,” he posted on X.
McCartney’s bass, now worth up to £10 million, became synonymous with the versatile musician from the band’s early days. It was purchased in the early 1960s by an unknown band while touring nightclubs in Hamburg, Germany.
A representative for McCartney said: “Following the launch of the Lost Bass project last year, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar… has been returned.
“The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul would like to thank everyone involved.”
McCartney has previously said he “fell in love” with the instrument because, unlike many electric guitars, it has a symmetrical shape. “I found this Hofner violin bass for about £30,” said McCartney, 81. “To me, because I’m left-handed, it looked less silly because it was symmetrical. I was intrigued by it. Once I bought it, I fell in love with it.”
It became a familiar sight, with McCartney using it for live performances from 1961 to 1963, until it eventually disappeared in 1970, shortly before the Beatles’ breakup.
Hefner helped McCartney in his unlikely quest to find the instrument by creating the hashtag #tracingthebass, encouraging people from around the world to help find it.
Nick Wass, chief executive of Höfner, told the Sunday Telegraph: “I have worked closely with Paul McCartney’s team for many years and when I met Paul we discussed his first Höfner bass and where it would be today.
“Paul said to me, ‘Hey, since you’re from Hefner, can’t you help me find my bass?’ That’s what started this great hunt.”
The label has been McCartney’s choice throughout his career, with much of the company’s success being attributed to the former Beatle’s endorsement. He has owned four Höfner basses since 1961 and still plays one given to him by the manufacturer.
Voss said the bass was now valued “more like a Van Gogh or a Picasso than just an instrument”, adding: “This is the bass Paul played in Hamburg, the Cavern Club and Abbey Road.”
Over the years there have been varying theories as to what happened to the instrument, with rumors ranging from thieves stealing it from a closet in Abbey Road to others suggesting it simply disappeared from the basement of the band’s Savile Row offices .
Last seen a few days before McCartney and his bandmates – John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – performed their final live show on the roof of their Savile Row base sky.
In 1963, the guitar John Lennon used to write “I Want to Hold Your Hand” disappeared during the band’s Christmas gig in Finsbury Park, according to the project. Fifty-one years later, it reappeared and sold at auction for £1.9 million ($2.4 million).
