Paul McCartney’s stolen bass is found and returned to him after more than 50 years
Paul McCartney has been reunited with his original bass guitar, which was stolen over half a century ago. The distinctive violin-shaped 1961 electric Höfner, estimated to be worth $12.6 million, went missing during the recording of The Beatles’ final album, Let It Be, in 1969. McCartney reached out to Höfner for help in finding the instrument that had played a significant role in launching Beatlemania. With the assistance of journalist Scott Jones and Höfner executive Nick Wass, a five-year search was launched to track down the missing bass.
I was determined to solve the mystery, Wass said. Seeing what the lost bass means to Paul, I knew we had to find it.
McCartney originally purchased the bass for around $37 in 1961 when The Beatles were honing their skills during residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The instrument was played on their first two records and featured on hits such as Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, and She Loves You.
Jones, a journalist, became involved in the search after attending McCartney’s headline performance at the 2022 Glastonbury Festival. The sight of McCartney playing his bass sparked a realization that it could be the same instrument from the ’60s. After conducting online research, Jones discovered the bass was missing and reached out to Wass to expand the search.
The Lost Bass Project, led by Jones and his wife Naomi, garnered significant attention after publishing an update on their website. Sound engineer Ian Horne, who had worked with McCartney’s band Wings, provided a breakthrough by revealing that the bass had been stolen from the back of his van in 1972. Horne had carried the guilt of the theft for decades, unaware of its significance.
Further progress came when a person contacted the Joneses, admitting that their father had stolen the bass unintentionally. The thief had panicked upon realizing what he had taken and sold it for a minimal sum to Ron Guest, the landlord of a pub. The bass remained in the Guest family, passing from father to son until it reached Cathy Guest, who noticed its uncanny resemblance to McCartney’s missing instrument.
In December, the bass was finally returned to McCartney. It took an additional two months to authenticate the instrument. The news of its recovery was initially planned to be announced by The Lost Bass Project but was instead upstaged by Cathy Guest’s son, Ruaidhri Guest, a 21-year-old film student. He posted photos of the guitar on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, stating that it had been returned to McCartney.
The significance of the instrument is not solely its monetary value but the historical and sentimental attachment McCartney holds for it. Although estimated to be worth $12.6 million, it held little monetary value during its time in the hands of the thief and the Guest family. Anyone attempting to sell it would have immediately raised suspicions due to its association with McCartney.
Paul McCartney expressed his gratitude to all those involved in the recovery of his beloved bass guitar. The instrument represents a significant piece of music history and holds immeasurable sentimental value to the legendary musician. After more than five decades, McCartney can once again strum the chords of his past and relive the moments that helped shape the sound of a generation.
