Search launched for Paul McCartney’s first bass guitar that disappeared half a century ago

The instrument bought by the Beatle for £30 could now be worth millions

The search for the first Höfner bass, once played by Paul McCartney, has begun. The project of the German manufacturer The Lost Bass Project launched a “hunt” for the Beatles star’s favorite instrument.

Back in the pre-Beatlemania years, a young Paul McCartney bought his “beloved” Höfner electric bass guitar for just £30 at Hamburg’s Steinway Musikhaus, writes The Guardian.

Now, the German instrument maker has launched a search called The Lost Bass Project, inviting anyone to share information about the whereabouts of the guitar, which was last seen before the band broke up over 50 years ago.

“For about £30 I found this Hefner bass violin instrument,” McCarney, 81, said. “And for me, since I was left-handed, it looked less stupid because she was left-handed. I got into this business. And as soon as I bought her, I fell in love with her.”

From the Top Ten club in Hamburg in 1961 to the band’s first Abbey Road recordings, the bass used from 1961 to 1963 is featured on Love Me Do, She Loves You and Twist and Shout.

“Isn’t that enough alone to get that bass back?” says Nick Wass, who spent 12 years as Höfner’s marketing manager and electric guitar designer.

The campaign shared photos of the original bass as well as information on how to trace the instrument from when it was bought to when it disappeared, and how to sort out rumors and fakes.

“I know, because I talked to him about it, that Paul would be so happy – thrilled – if this bass could come back to him,” said Wass, who has been searching for the bass with the TV producer, who previously led BBC investigations. and Channel 4.

“While no one really knows what happened to the bass, it is very likely that it was stolen. To this day, it remains a mystery, says Nick Wass. – But someone somewhere knows what happened to this guitar and where it is now. This information would be available if only the right person made a statement.”

“I’ve had a Hefner since I started, but that old one is still my favorite,” McCartney said in 1966.

According to the project, in 1963 John Lennon’s guitar, on which the song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was written, disappeared during the band’s Christmas concert in Finsbury Park. She later resurfaced 51 years later and was sold at auction for a whopping £1.9m ($2.4m), The Guardian notes.

So the hunt for Sir Paul’s old bass, in addition to sentimental significance, has quite a material one.