Paul McCartney has been reunited with his stolen bass guitar after a search that lasted for five years. The instrument, a distinctive violin-shaped 1961 electric Höfner, was instrumental in launching Beatlemania. The search to find the bass was initiated by McCartney himself, who reached out to Höfner for assistance. Journalist Scott Jones and Höfner executive Nick Wass joined forces to track down the missing instrument, estimated to be worth £10 million ($12.6 million).
McCartney purchased the bass for a mere £30 ($37) in 1961 when The Beatles were honing their skills during residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The bass was played on the band’s first two records and featured on hits like Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, and She Loves You. McCartney, who is left-handed, expressed his fondness for the instrument due to its symmetrical design.
The bass guitar was rumored to have been stolen around the time The Beatles were recording their final album, Let it Be, in 1969. However, nobody knew exactly when it went missing.
The search gained momentum when Jones attended a performance by McCartney at the Glastonbury Festival in 2022. The stage lights highlighted the sunburst pattern on the bass, leading Jones to speculate if it was the same instrument McCartney had played in the 1960s. Upon discovering that the original bass was missing and a search was underway, Jones and his journalist wife, Naomi, contacted Wass to spread the word.
After pursuing a lead regarding a roadie for The Who without success, the couple relaunched The Lost Bass Project. Within 48 hours, they received over 600 emails containing valuable information that eventually led them to Ian Horne, a sound engineer who had worked with McCartney’s band Wings. Horne revealed that the bass had been stolen from the back of his van one night in London’s Notting Hill in 1972.
A former trainee reporter provided the date and details of the theft, as documented in an article from the British Library. Subsequently, a person came forward claiming that their father had stolen the bass and sold it to Ron Guest, the landlord of the Admiral Blake pub, for a small sum and some beers.
As the Joneses began searching for Guest’s relatives, the information reached the Guest family, who then contacted McCartney’s studio. Cathy Guest, Ron’s daughter-in-law, confirmed that the old bass found in her attic resembled the one sought by McCartney. The instrument had passed down from Ron Guest to his eldest son, who tragically died in a car accident, and finally to Haydn Guest, who was married to Cathy and passed away in 2020.
The bass guitar was returned to McCartney in December and subsequently underwent a two-month authentication process. While the estimated value of the instrument is based on the sale of a Gibson acoustic guitar played by Kurt Cobain, it held minimal value over the past fifty years. Neither the thief nor the Guest family attempted to sell it, fearing that its connection to McCartney would immediately be recognized.
In a message posted on his official website, McCartney expressed immense gratitude to everyone involved in the recovery of his bass guitar. The incredible journey to find the instrument that played a pivotal role in The Beatles’ success has finally come to an end, bringing joy and relief to the iconic musician.
