Paul McCartney's signature violin-shaped Höfner bass is back in your hands, decades after it was stolen in the 1970s.
The Beatles rocker confirmed on Thursday that the instrument had been returned, with the help of the Lost Bass Project, an initiative launched by journalists Scott and Naomi Jones, and Höfner executive Nick Wass. The search began in 2023.
“The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to everyone involved,” reads a statement on the singer's website.
The Lost Bass Project announced its discovery online earlier this week, detailing the beginnings of the search and the condition of McCartney's guitar, in a blog post. According to the website, the instrument will need professional care to “make it playable again.” The guitar was purchased in 1961.
In several Instagram posts on Friday, Lost Bass Project shared more images of the damage, including broken strings and cracks in the shiny wooden body.
Lost Bass Project also revealed information about the night McCartney's guitar, a mainstay during Beatlemania in the 1960s, was stolen. The team said they learned that the Höfner was allegedly stolen by an anonymous person in 1972 from a van in Notting Hill London. The post said the details of the robbery matched tips and information the team received from other Beatles fans and Internet sleuths. Dozens of people who contributed to the search are credited on the website.
Paul McCartney's Höfner guitar was the subject of a months-long search by the Lost Bass Project.
(The Lost Bass Project / Nick Wass via AP)
The Joneses and Wass deduced that the guitar, after being stolen, was eventually sold to a man named Ron Guest. Guitar remained in his family for generations. Ultimately, one of Guest's relatives contacted the rock star to return the stolen instrument.
In December, Höfner met with McCartney. It took about two months to authenticate it, the Associated Press reported.
“Despite many telling us it was lost forever or destroyed, we persisted until it was back where it belonged,” the Lost Bass Project said on its website. “We would like to thank everyone who helped with the search, everyone who sent us clues and ideas and many who simply wanted to give us their support.”
