Paul McCartney reunited with guitar stolen 51 years ago
Paul McCartney has joyfully recovered the iconic Höfner bass guitar that disappeared in 1972 and was used for Beatles classics like "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You."
The guitar was taken from a van in London and surfaced in an attic in Sussex after an initiative dubbed the Lost Bass launched a search.
The guitar was taken from a van in London and surfaced in an attic in Sussex after an initiative dubbed the Lost Bass launched a search.
McCartney, who originally bought the bass in 1961, expressed his deep appreciation for its return.
The discovery came after McCartney encouraged Höfner to locate the missing instrument. A tip-off to the Lost Bass team led to a man in Sussex who found the guitar in his attic.
The reunion happened on a recent Sunday, and McCartney's team confirmed its authenticity, noting some necessary repairs to render it playable again.
The guitar's journey included a theft from a van in Notting Hill and ownership by a local pub landlord before ending up in Sussex. Journalist Scott Jones and the Lost Bass team, which includes McCartney's longtime Höfner consultant, Nick Wass, shared their excitement about solving what they called "the greatest mystery in rock and roll."
With no intention to blame, the search encouraged anonymous tips, which flowed in from well-wishers of McCartney. The guitar's original cost was £30, but its current worth could potentially surpass the record-setting $6m achieved in 2020 by a guitar owned by Kurt Cobain. Lennon's similarly retrieved stolen guitar sold for $2.4m years later.
The discovery came after McCartney encouraged Höfner to locate the missing instrument. A tip-off to the Lost Bass team led to a man in Sussex who found the guitar in his attic.
The reunion happened on a recent Sunday, and McCartney's team confirmed its authenticity, noting some necessary repairs to render it playable again.
The guitar's journey included a theft from a van in Notting Hill and ownership by a local pub landlord before ending up in Sussex. Journalist Scott Jones and the Lost Bass team, which includes McCartney's longtime Höfner consultant, Nick Wass, shared their excitement about solving what they called "the greatest mystery in rock and roll."
With no intention to blame, the search encouraged anonymous tips, which flowed in from well-wishers of McCartney. The guitar's original cost was £30, but its current worth could potentially surpass the record-setting $6m achieved in 2020 by a guitar owned by Kurt Cobain. Lennon's similarly retrieved stolen guitar sold for $2.4m years later.
