50 years after after its disappearance, Sir Paul McCartney‘s prized bass guitar has been returned to its rightful owner.
After a half century apart, the The Beatles legend was reunited with his long-lost instrument following the 2018 quest to locate the classic item which was believed to have been stolen around 1969, then the band recorded ‘Let It Be.’
The quest originally initiated by the guitar’s original manufacturer alongside a husband-and-wife journalist duo, evolved into a crowdsourcing effort known as The Lost Bass Project.
According to McCartney’s website:
“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.” “The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”
The Herculean search came to an end after sound engineer Ian Horne contacted The Lost Bass Project and stated that the guitar had been stolen from his van in London in 1972. After the tip was posted, an anonymous email arrived from a person who said their father had stolen the bass, unaware of its valuable. At the time the thief swapped the guitar with a British pub owner in exchange for some beers and a few pounds. The mystery was solved after the publican’s daughter-in-law contacted the project to say that the guitar had been in her attic for some years.
While Paul McCartney originally purchased the guitar for $37.00, the iconic instrument is now valued at some $12,600,000.00
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Al Denté
Photo: Raph_PH