Averageman
02-16-24, 09:41
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/15/long-lost-bass-guitar-returned-to-paul-mccartney-after-54-years
A Höfner bass guitar bought by Paul McCartney in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle after a global search to find the stolen instrument.
The distinctively shaped guitar, bought by McCartney before his rise to stardom and reportedly his favourite, was last seen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album to be released, Let It Be.
McCartney paid £30 for the bass guitar 63 years ago, equivalent to about £800 at today’s prices.
A search to find the missing violin-shaped bass, a German-made Höfner 500/1, was launched by the Lost Bass Project last year, and on Tuesday a student, Ruaidhri Guest, shared a photograph on social media of the elusive instrument.
Guest claimed he had inherited it, adding that it had since been returned to its original owner.
McCartney’s bass – which could now be worth as much as £10m – became synonymous with the versatile musician during the early days of the Beatles. It was bought when the then unknown group were touring nightclubs in Hamburg, Germany, in the early 1960s.
A statement on McCartney’s website said: “Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass Project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned.
“The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, investigators Scott and Naomi Jones said how they traced the guitar to a pub in west London.
“Initially, people thought the bass went missing in 1969 around January when the Beatles were at Beatles HQ in Savile Row in central London, that famous last performance up on the roof.
“The first surprise was to find out that it had actually been stolen in 1972 from the back of the van, and by that point, obviously the Beatles had split up and Paul had started Wings and it was a Wings roadie van that was parked in Ladbroke Grove that night in October 72 when the bass was stolen,” Scott said.
That Guitar is worth as much as 10 Million Dollars and was returned to it's rightful owner.
Its a Piece of History for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrI6wg5_T3A
A Höfner bass guitar bought by Paul McCartney in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle after a global search to find the stolen instrument.
The distinctively shaped guitar, bought by McCartney before his rise to stardom and reportedly his favourite, was last seen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album to be released, Let It Be.
McCartney paid £30 for the bass guitar 63 years ago, equivalent to about £800 at today’s prices.
A search to find the missing violin-shaped bass, a German-made Höfner 500/1, was launched by the Lost Bass Project last year, and on Tuesday a student, Ruaidhri Guest, shared a photograph on social media of the elusive instrument.
Guest claimed he had inherited it, adding that it had since been returned to its original owner.
McCartney’s bass – which could now be worth as much as £10m – became synonymous with the versatile musician during the early days of the Beatles. It was bought when the then unknown group were touring nightclubs in Hamburg, Germany, in the early 1960s.
A statement on McCartney’s website said: “Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass Project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned.
“The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, investigators Scott and Naomi Jones said how they traced the guitar to a pub in west London.
“Initially, people thought the bass went missing in 1969 around January when the Beatles were at Beatles HQ in Savile Row in central London, that famous last performance up on the roof.
“The first surprise was to find out that it had actually been stolen in 1972 from the back of the van, and by that point, obviously the Beatles had split up and Paul had started Wings and it was a Wings roadie van that was parked in Ladbroke Grove that night in October 72 when the bass was stolen,” Scott said.
That Guitar is worth as much as 10 Million Dollars and was returned to it's rightful owner.
Its a Piece of History for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrI6wg5_T3A