Stolen Beatles Bass Guitar Used by Paul McCartney Recovered After 51 Years

A Hofner bass guitar that was stolen from Paul McCartney and used to record The Beatles’ first two albums has been discovered and returned after 51 years, following an extensive global search by The Lost Bass Project.

Termed the “most iconic lost musical instrument of all time” by the search team, the bass played a crucial role in Beatles singles such as the 1963 hits “She Loves You” and “All My Loving.”

Nick Wass, one of the founders of The Lost Bass Project, emphasized the historical significance of the find, stating, “It’s the bass that started Beatlemania. That’s why it’s important; it’s the one that got it going.”

The search team initiated a public appeal last year, which gained global attention. A breakthrough occurred when someone from Hastings, on the south coast of England, contacted Paul McCartney’s company after seeing the publicity. The instrument was returned last year, but the announcement was made on Thursday.

The guitar, stolen from a van in Notting Hill, London, in October 1972, has been authenticated by Höfner, and Paul McCartney is reportedly grateful to all involved in its recovery, according to a spokesperson on McCartney’s website.

Nick Wass revealed that the bass guitar suffered some damage, including a cracked neck, a damaged bridge requiring replacement, and non-functional pickups. Despite these issues, Wass expressed optimism about restoring the instrument to a playable condition.

Notably, in 2015, a guitar stolen from John Lennon in the 1960s fetched $2.41 million at an auction in Beverly Hills, California, after the buyer, unaware of its connection to Lennon, originally purchased it. The recovery of McCartney’s stolen bass guitar adds another chapter to the ongoing saga of retrieving lost and stolen musical treasures associated with The Beatles.