One of the most iconic musical instruments in the history of popular music has been found after being missing for over half a century. Paul McCartney's 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which had been stolen from the back of a van in 1972, has been recovered, and Paul's fans were instrumental in tracking it down. "The Lost Bass Project," a group of McCartney fans, got on the case in 2018, eventually tracking down the thief and who he sold the instrument to. McCartney used the bass in hundreds of performances during The Beatles' tenure at the Cavern Club in Hamburg, and he played it during the recording of the bands first two albums.
Beginning in 2018, the fans were on the hunt for the legendary bass guitar, finally receiving the first lead last year. The group discovered that the bass was stolen from the Notting Hill area of London, and after identifying the thief, they found that he had sold the item to a pub owner. After receiving hundreds of potential leads from around the world, the group eventually connected with "someone living in a terraced house on the south coast of England" who realized that they’d had the bass in their attic for years. The group then retrieved the bass and made sure it got back to McCartney.
Sir Paul had played other basses of the same model, as pictured above from the 2005 Super Bowl Halftime Show. However, the historical significance of his original 1961 is undeniable.
A statement on McCartney's website read, "Following the launch of last year's Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved." (photo: Getty Images Source: EntertainmentWeekly)