LONDON: Paul McCartney, former member of Beatles, has expressed his gratitude after the legend was reunited with a bass guitar stolen 51 years ago.
He played the original Höfner bass throughout the Beatlemania decade, including at Hamburg’s Top Ten Club, and on early Beatles recordings at London’s Abbey Road studios.
The guitar was lost during the London “Get Back/Let It Be” recording in January 1969, but an investigation last year found that it was actually stolen in 1972.
According to a statement posted on the British musician’s official website Hofner and McCartney had authenticated the violin-shaped instrument and that the performer was incredibly grateful to all those involved”.
A guitar expert along with two journalists led the investigation to find the guitar.
McCartney bought the left-handed Höfner 500/1 for around £30 in Hamburg in 1961, during The Beatles’ four-month residency at the Top Ten Club.
It became unique after being overhauled in 1964, including with a complete paintjob in a three-part dark sunburst polyurethane finish.
According to the search team the guitar had been stolen in 1972 from a van in London’s Notting Hill neighbourhood and was then sold to a local pub owner.
The original thief had no information that he was stealing a piece of Beatlemania history.
