Sir Paul McCartney reclaims iconic Beatles relic after 52 years

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney is celebrating the recovery of his iconic Hofner bass guitar, which went missing over five decades ago.

The instrument, integral to the creation of timeless Beatles hits such as Twist And Shout and She Loves You vanished in 1972.

The former Beatle conveyed his appreciation for the reunion with this significant piece of musical history, acknowledging The Lost Bass Project who launched the search in 2018 with their efforts gaining significant momentum in the last year, propelled by heightened media attention.

“Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned,” a statement on McCartney’s official website read.

“The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”

Collaborating with key figures such as Nick Wass from Hofner and the duo Scott and Naomi Jones, the team diligently followed over 100 leads. According to project updates, information surfaced indicating that the guitar had been stolen from a van in Notting Hill, London, in 1972.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the bass had changed hands multiple times before finding its way to the attic of a terraced house on the south coast of England.

The project reported that the current owner, prompted by last year’s publicity, realised the significance of the instrument.

Although the bass remains intact in its original case, it requires some repairs to restore its playability.

Acquired for a mere 30 pounds in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961, the Hofner bass became synonymous with Sir Paul’s musical journey, earning it the moniker “Beatle bass”. The instrument played a pivotal role in The Beatles’ early albums, including Please Please Me and With The Beatles, and featured prominently in hits like Love Me Do.

In a statement, The Lost Bass Project expressed immense pride in their role in recovering the instrument, stating, “We are extremely proud that we played a major part in finding the Lost Bass.”

“It has been a dream since 2018 that it could be done. Despite many telling us that it was lost forever or destroyed, we persisted until it was back where it belonged.

“We want to thank everyone who helped with the search, all those who sent us leads and ideas and many who just wanted to lend their support to us. Thank you all so very much. Very much indeed! We did it!”

-with PA.