Paul McCartney's original Hofner bass guitar, stolen in 1972 from the back of a van in London, has been recovered and returned to him after 51 years. The guitar, a 1961 Höfner 500/1, was McCartney's first bass and played a significant role throughout the Beatles era, including on the 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles' albums. It was found in an attic in Sussex and has been authenticated by Höfner. McCartney expressed his gratitude for the return of the guitar, which was instrumental in recording early Beatles hits including 'Love Me Do', 'Twist and Shout', and 'She Loves You'. The recovery was the result of a five-year search, involving fans and amateur sleuths, culminating in a story that solves one of music's most enduring mysteries. The guitar, bought in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961, became McCartney's backup after he acquired a second Hofner in 1963. It is estimated to be worth £10 million ($12.6 million) and thought to be worth at least $5 million at auction.
A bass stolen from Paul McCartney more than 50 years ago has been found and returned to the Beatle. A woman living on England's south coast came forward after word spread last year about the search for the missing 1961 violin-shaped Höfner bass. Link: https://t.co/lCzUPnwpBE
"Paul McCartney and his stolen bass come together after more than 50 years: 'Grateful.'" (via @latimes) https://t.co/6ZsMpUQHYy
Fifty years after it was stolen, Paul McCartney is reunited with his iconic violin-bass https://t.co/vIQHVeEsof https://t.co/vIQHVeEsof
An iconic piece of Paul McCartney's bass arsenal from his Beatles days went missing more than 50 years ago but was recently recovered from a family's attic in the UK. Read: https://t.co/DwQ1XQ0ouW https://t.co/Q48Kez1dLn
The piece became Mr. McCartney’s backup guitar after he bought a second Hofner in 1963, one that he would use the rest of his time with the Beatles, who broke up in 1970. https://t.co/vcwHZgR6Yt
In addition to being used in live sets, the recovered bass can be heard on early Beatles hits “Love Me Do,” “Twist and Shout” and “She Loves You,” plus the “Please Please Me” and “With the Beatles” albums, according to the Lost Bass Project. https://t.co/vcwHZgR6Yt
Paul McCartney’s stolen guitar found after 53 years, returned to him. McCartney bought it for $50, think it’s worth at least $5 million at auction. https://t.co/nisETN5Pum https://t.co/u8Ls7ltvUi
“The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner, and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved,” Mr. McCartney’s representative wrote in a statement on his website Thursday.https://t.co/vcwHZgREO1
Paul McCartney’s bass guitar was missing for 51 years. Fans helped find it. https://t.co/nffhhEsEFo
Mr. McCartney bought the instrument, a Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961 and used it in gigs there and Liverpool, England, according to CBS News. https://t.co/vcwHZgR6Yt
Got back! Paul McCartney's stolen bass has been found and returned to him after more than 50 years. https://t.co/aXTUNt4rFK
Got Back! Paul McCartney’s Stolen Bass Is Found and Returned to the Beatle after More than 50 Years https://t.co/z2hqPBgCQr
Beatles legend Paul McCartney's stolen guitar found, returned after more than 50 years: 'Incredibly grateful' https://t.co/3jqJc1OEvT
Got back! Paul McCartney's stolen bass is found and returned to the Beatle after more than 50 years (from @AP) https://t.co/jXTOv6PHrZ
A five-year search helped track down the missing instrument that helped launch Beatlemania across the universe. https://t.co/7n06pl2Uec
Paul McCartney and his stolen bass come together after more than 50 years: 'Grateful' https://t.co/LeJOwQm6re
Got back! Paul McCartney's stolen bass is found, returned to him after more than 50 years https://t.co/CgeiJBvKDy
Sir Paul McCartney has been reunited with his bass guitar, on which he strummed the famous tunes Twist And Shout and She Loves You for The Beatles, after it went missing more than 50 years ago Read more 🔗 https://t.co/6dgRDjVD4i
Paul McCartney reunited with long-lost bass guitar that was stolen in 1972 https://t.co/d15XlWzeFw
After a five-year search, The Beatles star has been reunited with his distinctive violin-shaped 1961 electric Höfner that went missing a half century ago and is estimated to be worth 10 million pounds ($12.6 million). https://t.co/ejD5i87I1Y
Paul McCartney’s bass guitar was missing for 51 years. Fans helped find it. @washingtonpost https://t.co/qNEqnciPGV
No one seemed to know what had happened to the Höfner violin bass that accompanied Paul McCartney and the Beatles to worldwide fame when it went missing more than 50 years ago. It turned out to be passing time in the loft of a family home in England. https://t.co/eA7UcnfgUZ
Got back! Paul McCartney's stolen bass is found and returned to the Beatle after more than 50 years https://t.co/16NRFs7ShE
Paul McCartney reunited with missing Hofner bass after more than 50 years https://t.co/EwZNYeoX6k
A bass stolen from Paul McCartney more than 50 years ago has been found and returned to the Beatle. https://t.co/37aexG5SA9
Paul McCartney reunited with stolen guitar ‘that kicked off Beatlemania’ after 50 years https://t.co/Y6O5pIyJRj
Got back! Paul McCartney’s stolen bass is found and returned to the Beatle after more than 50 years https://t.co/fEDYsCF22J https://t.co/tlKwF5nl5O
Sir Paul McCartney reunited with stolen £10m guitar after 50 years https://t.co/HWEgo4Doxj
Beatles fans were able to reunite Paul McCartney with his Höfner bass guitar that was stolen in 1972 and sold to a pub landlord, Ronald Guest. https://t.co/nPsWZLSYN6
Sir Paul McCartney has been reunited with the bass guitar he used on Beatles hits including Love Me Do and She Loves You, 51 years after it was stolen from the back of a van in London. https://t.co/suPFZI6yXG
McCartney bought the guitar in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961. It was his primary instrument throughout the early years of The Beatles' runs at Liverpool's Cavern Club and on early Beatles recordings until it became his backup when he got a new Höfner in 1963. https://t.co/Zu8jH5SgF0 https://t.co/YXrPti28jF
How Paul McCartney’s lost bass was found — five decades later. https://t.co/wqugGzMpP0
A bass guitar used by Paul McCartney at the beginning of his Beatles career, stolen in 1972, has been found and returned to the legendary rockstar. https://t.co/dVZHSzIgdg
Paul McCartney has finally been reunited with his original Höfner bass guitar, which was allegedly stolen more than 50 years ago. STORY: https://t.co/3CUcjQkq21 https://t.co/zKnftR3Ur0
Beatles legend Paul McCartney was finally reunited with a guitar that went missing 50 years ago. #8NN https://t.co/c60YzZKGWI
Paul McCartney's stolen Hofner bass has been found and returned 50 years later: https://t.co/RvxJxjI5V7 https://t.co/15BV1ZBkhw
Bass guitar stolen from Paul McCartney 52 years ago finally recovered - https://t.co/rZlwHgTXxj
Paul McCartney's stolen Beatles bass guitar found after 51 years https://t.co/XlEIp7Av4S https://t.co/AQ32y4Xp0H
Paul McCartney has expressed his gratitude after the Beatles legend was reunited with a missing bass guitar that he owned in the 1960s and used on several Fab Four tracks. https://t.co/gxj9Mhrpgc
A stolen Hofner bass guitar belonging to Paul McCartney and used to record The Beatles' first two albums has been found and returned after 51 years following a global hunt. https://t.co/ksjRJrPcCZ
Thanks to a little help from his friends, Paul McCartney has finally found his first-ever bass guitar that was stolen in 1972. https://t.co/Yw9u629qEe
For decades, mystery has surrounded the fate of Sir Paul McCartney’s first guitar he bought after becoming the bassist for the Beatles ⬇️ https://t.co/E9vMMkm4Yi
Paul McCartney's long lost bass, the famous Hofner 500/1, has finally been returned to the Beatle after being missing for over 50 years: https://t.co/CyvyR8CKJc
One of music's most enduring mysteries has finally been solved with the discovery of Sir Paul McCartney's stolen bass guitar that vanished 51 years ago. He used it during the entire Beatles era and it's been missing ever since. https://t.co/Rql2EcSX9d #PaulMcCartney #7NEWS https://t.co/mANlVJG4PZ
Get Back: Paul McCartney reunited with bass he played on string of Beatles hits, 52 years after it was stolen https://t.co/RHHqdsxr6r
Sir Paul McCartney ‘incredibly grateful’ as stolen guitar returned after ‘collecting dust’ for 50 ye https://t.co/1szd0bFPft
Sir Paul McCartney's bass guitar stolen 51 years ago has been found in an attic in Sussex. Tap below to read more: https://t.co/DmscmGXo3k
Paul McCartney's iconic 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass was stolen over 50 years ago, but dedicated fans have at long last found it, returning the instrument to the Beatle. https://t.co/OTiJZxNy95
Long-lost bass guitar returned to Paul McCartney after more than 50 years https://t.co/x8jEBCwQP8
"Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved": Amateur sleuths have located Paul McCartney's long-lost Höfner bass 50 years after it was stolen https://t.co/myQA5AEr88
.@PaulMcCartney's beloved Höfner bass has been returned after 54 years missing https://t.co/3usnhjxGKf
Paul McCartney's Long Lost Hofner Bass Has Been Returned: https://t.co/CyvyR8CcTE
Following the launch of last year's Lost Bass project, Paul McCartney's 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner. https://t.co/TqLt8LwmXK
Paul McCartney reunited with guitar stolen 51 years ago https://t.co/GQk0YGIT4u
Long-lost bass guitar returned to Paul McCartney after 54 years https://t.co/eKjjsjHLjX
The original Hofner bass that @PaulMcCartney owned, stolen from him in 1972, has been found and returned to him. https://t.co/wAhfjGiUiW
Yay! Paul McCartney’s bass has been recovered after 52 years! https://t.co/o9L8miMscu
“I thought the photos were lost,” Paul McCartney said. It was his archivist, Sarah Brown, who found 1,000 photographs the musician had taken over 12 weeks — from Dec. 7, 1963, to Feb. 21, 1964 — in the artist’s library. https://t.co/tWyZa8mzkj
They are now a collector’s trove — Paul McCartney’s own photos, shot 60 years ago, when the Beatles took Europe and America by storm: images of screaming fans (one carrying a live monkey); a girl in a yellow bikini; airport workers playing air guitar. https://t.co/tWyZa8m1uL