Sir Paul McCartney's stolen £10million guitar found in odd place after 50 years
Sir Paul McCartney has been reunited with the beloved bass guitar - thought to be worth £10 million now - that was stolen more than 50 years ago.
The Beatles legend was famously pictured with his Hofner 500/1 'violin' bass guitar during rehearsals the day before the band's first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show at CBS's Studio 50 in New York City on February 8, 1964.
It was the guitar he played in the band’s early days and performed on stage with at Liverpool’s Cavern Club over 250 times. He continued to play “the bass that powered Beatlemania”, which he reportedly bought in 1961 for just £30, until it was stolen from the back of a van in London’s Notting Hill in October 1972, two years before the band officially broke up.
Last year, an appeal to get back the bass guitar – which he recorded The Beatles hits Twist, She Loves You and Love Me Do on - was launched by The Lost Bass Project. The organisation were able to trace the guitar had been sold to a pub landlord called Ronald Guest, who ran the Admiral Blake in London’s Ladbroke Grove.
Sir Paul McCartney playing his beloved bass guitar in the early years of The Beatles (Michael Ochs Archives)
Student Ruaidhri Guest discovered it in his loft 50 years later and has now returned it to a 'thrilled' Sir Paul (Twitter)After the story received publicity around the world, the bass guitar was eventually discovered gathering dust in a loft in Hastings. An update on The Loss Bass Project website said: “Someone living in a terraced house on the south coast remembered an old bass guitar that was in their attic. They got this out and realised just what they had. Within days it was back with Paul McCartney. The search was over – Paul had his stolen bass back at last!”
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Film student Ruaidrhi Guest later came forward to say it was him who discovered the missing guitar. The 21-year-old claimed it was part of an inheritance he had received. Posting on social media, he shared: “To my friends and family, I inherited this item which has been returned to Paul McCartney. Share the news.”
The guitar is said to be in need of some repairs to make it playable again, but it is thought this can be easily done. Sir Paul, 81, said in a statement to The Mirror he was “incredibly grateful” to have it back in his possession.
His rep said: “Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass Project, Paul’s 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Hofner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved.”
It is thought Sir Paul will likely offer a reward for the return of his beloved bass. A source told The Sun: “Sir Paul is absolutely thrilled. It is an unbelievable turn of events and he is over the moon to be reunited with it. It was always close to his heart, and was known as his favourite instrument – so it is great that it has got back to where it once belonged.
“It shows there are some great people in the world as someone could have tried to sell it or cash in on it. It’s wonderful that he has got it back at this time of his life, and Sir Paul will want to keep it for the rest of his days.”
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