Paul McCartney reunited with long-lost Hofner bass guitar

Paul McCartney was reunited with his favorite bass guitar after 50 years due to a group of British investigative journalists who launched a campaign to find the instrument. NBC's Savannah Sellers sat down with members of The Bass Project on how finding the guitar has been a dream since the campaign was launched in 2018.
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#PaulMcCartney #Guitar #TheBassProject

[@leokimvideo]

Just waiting for the 10 part Netflix drama about this Bass. We know it's coming.

[@MiguelFerreyraGuitar]

I probably would watch that.

[@geartweaker8518]

I'm thinking this bass has a resume like Forest Gump.

[@phatato]

@@MiguelFerreyraGuitar HAHA nuff said! Ditto

[@omnipop4936]

I'm there for it.

[@OfficerTurnip]

That would be cool

[@ronlokk]

At last some good news in this world. May the bass be with you.

[@EnergeticSpark63]

hey

[@nickmoloney9820]

Wow! When media can't spell bass

[@MrMjolnir69]

Or 'loose' that's everywhere.

[@Stefan-]

Spelling or pronouncing words correctly seems to be a lost art these days.

[@rodrigodelprat]

All your bass are belong to us.

[@Greenballoffire]

That's sad..

[@roberth1700]

Glad it was found in his lifetime

[@stockholm1752]

Good point. It would be kind of a non story if it was only recovered for the collectors’ market ($10 million). I hope the restoration goes well and he plays it again. In public, if he’s willing.

[@America395]

It got back to where it once belong😊

[@dianewilliams1125]

😊😊😊

[@Shaun.Stephens]

Yeah I thought they missed a trick there at the end. Obviously not Beatles fans (or 'base' players).

[@chazchuckyboyz4733]

Tomorrow I’ll miss you

[@dantana5774]

my children wouldn't get that "dad" joke, but in 1970 I was in a band and played a copy of that Hofner bass- couldn't afford a real Hofner

[@cactustree505]

McCartney Magic! Reunion of the Hofner bass with Paul is legend.

[@user-fu2mi1nd5l]

more like MAGICK for the son of the magician

[@erickleefeld4883]

This news segment kept mixing photos of Paul’s TWO different basses from that era, both the one that got stolen and the one he’s still had all this time. You can tell them apart by the different locations of the treble pickup (which didn’t make any difference for Paul, as he only ever used the neck pickup).

[@eugenemccool3579]

Considering that they, also, misspelled Bass, it’s not surprising that they showed more than the ‘61/Stolen Hofner. 😆

[@PandaThiefChannel]

Did he just switch it out sometimes? We know he plays the one that still has the setlist taped to the back, funny how this segment did not mention it *at all*

[@shaund.2273]

Did you notice that the bridge has been moved up to just below the pickups? I don't remember McCartney making that modification before it went missing.

[@erickleefeld4883]

​@@shaund.2273Exactly the way a musical illiterate would end up storing it in the attic!

[@user-fu2mi1nd5l]

Also photos of the two Paul's before his death and after as Billy

[@rachelthompson7487]

I’m so glad it’s found I know Paul must be really happy.

[@wantspizzadaily1316]

Bassed on a true story

[@skylarkeene773]

no really

[@guillermorocha6661]

It must be worth millions

[@HeywoodJeblomey]

At this point, PRICELESS!

[@stockholm1752]

Estimated at $10 million. By some expert, I suppose.

[@davidb2206]

Will it be another charity auction piece now?

[@rupe53]

@@davidb2206 it will be when he dies, right?

[@davidb2206]

@@rupe53 No, he has donated to charities every year.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

It was sh*tty of them to take/keep it all this time, but it's cool they came around to doing the right thing... Our first instruments are special, precious things; I'm so glad Paul could be reunited with his. And WELL-DONE SLEUTHS!!! Your commitment to nosiness is much appreciated by lots of us old musicians.

[@stepbro7850]

They probably didn't even know it was Paul mccartneys bass for a while lol

[@juju1896]

I doubt the thief even knew if it was sold so cheap in a pub.

[@randywilson944]

Reunited and it feels so good 🎶

[@broadcasttttable]

Clever!...lol.

[@napsahtava]

Half of the pictures in this piece actually show Paul with his later Höfner "base", the one that was not stolen.

[@kit4akat]

i guess you could say it got back to where it once belonged

[@johnsradios484]

It went missing in 1972 not after the Let It Be set.

[@profile2047]

1972 is after Let it Be (1969). I get what you’re getting at though.

[@IgnorancEnArrogance]

@@profile2047 1972 is also after Abbey Road, Pauls next two solo albums and the first wings album and singles. But they ignored all of that for some reason.

[@larryg.9187]

... Woooow ! ... I could just 'hear' the bass lines as I watched this clip 🎼 🎵 🎸 🎶 🎹 🎺 🎷 🎶 ...

[@America395]

Wow,!thats awesome news😊 that bass is legendary,thats the one he used for the get back footage!

[@charlesjirkovsky14]

I’m glad to see from the chyron that Sir Paul got his “base” back.

[@nintony2994]

I've been a fan for sometime to know a lot about The Beatles History. So when this popped up in my Twitter Feed I was just shocked. (The good kind of shocked) Never have I thought this Bass would ever come back to Paul in his Lifetime. But it Did, and I'm super happy for him :)

[@MashaT22]

I can’t wait to hear him play it again, and whether it’s been cared for all this time or needs restoration.

[@djizzah]

what a guitar what a band

[@richardsemuta1089]

As a musician, I'm loving this story. Congratulations Sir Paul!

[@America395]

Once there was a way to get back homeward,first good news in a long time

[@TOASTERBOI_2004]

Glad to hear it, congrats Macca

[@tatteryt]

toaster_boi spotted‼️

[@TOASTERBOI_2004]

@@tatteryt Mhm

[@user-vo7wr7es2p]

At one concert, Paul (solo) - opened & introduced his instruments, & which hits had been written ❤ on each one. Aamazzing, & fun - 🎉 😊 . . . good carma, a!! around, Thx! (piano, elec hallow body . . . 🎼 )

[@rob9340]

Sounds like a great story or tale.

[@67beatlefreak]

Yay! That’s awesome!

[@Askryllix]

Great he got it back! here's to hoping he goes on tour with it

[@scribbybibby694]

Can’t wait for some new tunes! Hopefully it’ll inspire him to write something!

[@user-ty9ho4ct4k]

I lost a sax downtown in San Francisco circa 2012. Lemme know if you see it

[@91dodgespiritrt]

Ha, ha! I like that sarcasm! Good luck in finding it. Hopefully it won't take over 50 years to recover it.

[@erivers71]

Wow the greatest bass in musical history....great work folks! Thanks for getting that bass back to Sir Paul, this is huge news! I'm a bass player so yeah, this is huge!

[@Edward1312]

If you are wondering why they are so sure its the right guitar its because it was a rare model to begin with (unusual in that it had the bridge and neck Pick up so close together and both positioned near the neck) and had to be special ordered by McCartney when he was in Hamburg because he wanted a left hand version, so its not difficult to identify.

[@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306]

Paul would know. Old instruments have like a personality. When you think of how many gigs he played using it.... it's like an extension of himself. It's just amazing he got it back. And that it hasn't been modified or damaged.

[@Edward1312]

It needs some minor repair especially to the bridge and hasn't been played for many years, it was left in a loft and abandoned for a very longtime.

[@vanrose9857]

Thanks, NBC News for letting us know about the recovery of this long lost “base.”

[@broadcasttttable]

One of the most iconic instruments in rock n' roll history. I remember seeing the Beatles' tribute band, the Fab Four. Their attention to detail included a Hofner replica of the one-of-a-kind bass.

[@user-rj3gw4km2t]

Good on you Paul

[@PirateRadioPodcasts]

EXCELLENT!

[@spockboy]

Well done!

[@walterevans2118]

LOVELY news …Happy Paul’s got it back.

[@yellyman5483]

This is just as amazing as if someone had found Jimi Hendrix lost fender guitar, or the first guitar Elvis ever played. I`so happy for Paul that is has been returned to him after all these years.

[@sunsetsuperman74]

I'm glad Paul got his bass back😁

[@jaramillochris7702]

NBC news have wonderful editors. Tomorrow they'll be airing a story on my favorite instrument the alto sacks.

[@tatteryt]

i hope they share a story about the ukalele!

[@jsullivan2112]

Very gritty tone

[@glenngarofano]

PART OF HISTORY.

[@thatswhatusdovesdo]

It came back 2 u ❤

[@craigofadelaide4960]

i never knew it was lost in the first place!!

[@kingstumble]

I have a Hofner bass---albeit a much newer model but the design has hardly changed in 60+ years. It has a different playing experience to any other bass and is very idiosyncratic but it really sounds like no other. Delighted it's reunited with its rightful owner.

[@JustinCase-ld4ih]

My grandma had it all the time

[@michaelfranklin4276]

Talk about timing. It was 60 years ago this month that guitar made history in America with "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Right on Sir Paul, you southpaw.

[@mjanovec]

The bass played on the Ed Sullivan Show was his 1963 Hofner, the one he still plays in concert to this day. After late 1963, the 1961 Hofner (the one later stolen) was relegated to being his backup bass and only briefly appeared again for the Revolution video and rehearsal sessions in the Let It Be film. The 1963 Hofner is probably on more Beatles recordings than the 1961 is.

[@420thebass]

Welcome home 🏡

[@Aiden819]

I love bass

[@jeffforbes8488]

Get back to where you once belonged! ❤‍🩹

[@boredtemplar]

You would think that a network as big as NBC would know the difference between "base" and "bass"

[@JosephMcKenna-he7ps]

Fantastic

[@micolsen9824]

Nice ribbon & bow moment.

[@indyanna1423]

Good News ❤

[@RoSaWa386-33]

HOORAY.

[@quayevano]

They found the rebel base! Lol.

[@dianewilliams1125]

😅😅😅

[@ciaronsmith4995]

Bass is the greatest instrument in the world.

[@julianaylor4351]

Good when you get a precious lost item back. ❤

[@TheScepticalThinker]

Finally!!

[@peterlewis3715]

Heart warming story for Beatle People❤. Someone should do an hour long tv story about this facinating story, perhaps combine Pauls recovered BASS story with John Lennon's recovered Gibson guitar , it woukd be a ratings monster as there are many Beatles ' fans of all ages. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah❤❤❤

[@rafbass]

Nice BASE, I must say

[@erneliaoquickel547]

WOW!

[@connyradesson2631]

Nice story , Nice end .

[@aaronvicente5028]

*YES*

[@user-ms5ed6kd2j]

How cool was that?!

[@pat5882]

10 miles from Paul. Guitars, cars or any vintage collectibles, the best stuff is usually right under your nose.

[@Randydaudt]

NBC Nightly News might want to learn how to spell Bass.

[@TheAnderson41011]

Can’t believe they found the base 🤑🔥

[@oojudg3oo]

Well when was it found? Just recently? The pickups are close to the neck, and the Hofner logo is designed different on the old bass he lost. It looks like the one in the pics where the E string is pulled over off the bridge saddle. Well... let's hear what Paul says while its sitting in his lap.

[@ErikPortland]

Base?

[@rupe53]

I want to know why a new channel always has the closed caption on a 10 second delay. It's not rocket science!

[@kenthhogstrom3722]

The Höfner bass was an earlier model.He had a later model later.The difference is where the pickups is placed on the guitar.I dont know the year of making it.Round 60 maybee!

[@BobKnight-mm2ze]

Is Paul rich? Yes. Is Paul famous for being a musical pioneer? Yes. Is he knighted? Yes. But, he's still a guy from Liverpool who just wanted his bass back. With all the ups and downs of his life, I'm glad for him. Thanks to the team, and the general spirit of working together--a sentiment I hope extends beyond this circumstance.

[@Xxxxxrrr6464]

Great

[@misterfunnybones]

Definitely a unique base instrument especially considering the fact it's even spelled differently than other bass guitars.😜

[@stefankrause5138]

suddenly he is whole the man he used to be

[@eddieonmelrose]

News of the day!

[@daveowenmusic1749]

I noticed they spelled bass as base.

[@chuckshipley9917]

It's time to return Clapton's Beeno burst.

[@Carlparishhonda]

It's amazing how NBC NEWS misspelled bass. It's not Hofner Base. It's Hofner Bass.

[@veramae4098]

Someone walked off with a Stradivarius violin once, after a performance. When the thief died his wife turned it in. It was in terrible condition, as the thief had been afraid to have it professionally cleaned and turned for decades. But that was taken care of.

[@dianewilliams1125]

Neat story thanks!😊😊😊

[@angelainamarie9656]

You know it's really interesting the same happened to whoever lifted the original model of the starship Enterprise it ended up in some storage unit all crunched up. It's really sad that people feel entitled to take these One of a kind things that they can't possibly sell or use themselves without immediately being arrested and just end up squirreling it away in some dingy corner until they die it's just beyond pathetic. Some of these objects people have been looking for my entire life.

[@agcacustoms2852]

I think that story the guy spray painted it black to “disguise” it so it wouldn’t be recognized. But was later fully restored, I believe it to be the same violin since not many were made or remain.

[@dianewilliams1125]

@@angelainamarie9656 The Original Enterprise model was stored at Paramount studios after many years on display then crated and put in their storage. Within the last few years a team of restorers have work meticulously bringing it back to 60s production use. Right down to exact paint and wiring. It is now in the Boeing museum of flight. Your thinking of the Gallelio shuttle. That Original prop was actual size and yes it was showed at fairs and store openings after it was purchased at an auction, it eventually ended up in a backyard carport of some kind when it was finally found. I don't know if it's been restored of even if it could be. Yes I'm a 66 yr old women who loves all of Sci fy!

[@JohnSutton-ij1hz]

Hey!! Paul McCartney got his old bass back, Doncaster then Sussex thats where its been

[@user-ww5wk9ll6h]

BASS !

[@benw4409]

The fact that a Doctor Who fan was the one who returned it is hilarious given there's an episode about the Beatles coming up this year.

[@Greenballoffire]

I honestly can't wait!! I didn't watch last season, though.

[@joeseabreeze]

I wonder if he'll start playing it again during shows

[@mistahcoughdrop]

All your bass is ours.

[@dummie4guitars]

Höfner 500/1 (Violin Bass)

[@singularity4043]

Can Paul help Robbie krieger of the doors find his fabled SG?

[@user-wc5yi3nl9l]

Paul had two Hofners. Most of the world saw the 2nd bass, the one that wasn't stolen. The photos in this article show both basses.

[@mullhollandmace7271]

Billy Shears

[@user-fu2mi1nd5l]

Ole billy gonna play his role right to the end

[@MarkArandjus]

0:54 Wow now! That bass is indeed a legendary instrument, but the most important bass guitar in the history of popular music, responsible for even more hits than the Beatles, is James Jamerson's funk machine, which is still missing.

[@notintohandles]

A much improved outro.

[@PookBidault]

Sorry. Base?

[@bobrunge7594]

Heard it was in pretty bad shape. The guy who bought it from the jerk that stole it died. His brother then took possession and he died. His sister kept it in the attic. Now you mean to tell me 50 years has gone by and she never heard it mentioned McCartney’s bass was missing. Strange people…

[@broadcasttttable]

Never knew Paul playing bass was a matter of need not choice. Great anecdote

[@jsullivan2112]

Yeah Stuart left and John and George were basically like "well don't look at me". haha! So Paul flipped Stuart's bass around and used that until the lefty that he ordered arrived in Hamburg.

[@ungmd21]

Is this the bass on early recordings like I SAW HER STANDING THERE and I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND and SHE LOVES YOU ?

[@tatteryt]

i didn't believe it at first when my friend told me it was found. glad to see paul was reunited with his "base" lol

[@Greenballoffire]

haha it's so hilarious that they spelled it "base". But yeah I'm definitely glad he got it back.

[@Johnny7051MC]

Ok, I’m probably gonna get slammed for saying this but here goes. Obviously, this Hofner Bass plays a significant role in Beatles history and R&R for that matter. It’s a fantastic find and am glad Paul finally got it back. But having said that, only six figures?? That’s it?? If I was a multigozillionaire like McCartney, I would’ve definitely given them a life changing reward! No question! Oh well, something’s better than nothing I guess.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Maybe the person who " found it " actually stole it 50 years ago . 🎸🤫

[@trashpandaprivatetab2845]

They misspelled bass in the video as base