The bass disappeared in October 1972 when it was stolen from a van on a cold night, a theft that remarkably went unreported to police by McCartney himself. This oversight allowed the instrument to vanish completely, becoming a legendary missing artifact in music history as it remained hidden somewhere in England’s musically vibrant but occasionally notorious 1970s landscape.
One musician’s unreported loss became rock history’s greatest unsolved mystery for half a century.
After decades of speculation and fruitless searching, Höfner launched a formal global hunt for the missing bass in 2023, which ultimately led to its discovery in an attic in Suffolk, England. The bass, known for its distinctive violin-shaped hollow body and sunburst finish, had spent over 50 years away from its rightful owner before finally making its way back to McCartney in early 2024.
The rediscovery story has now become the subject of a feature-length documentary, “The Beatle and the Bass,” which chronicles not only the instrument’s remarkable journey but also the investigative work that led to its recovery.
The film explores McCartney’s emotional connection to the instrument that helped shape the Beatles’ distinctive sound as they evolved from Liverpool clubs to international stardom. The documentary also highlights how instrument recovery stories can create valuable sync licensing opportunities for musicians who compose soundtrack music for such films. The historic bass was originally purchased by McCartney in Hamburg, 1961 before it became one of the most iconic instruments in music history.
In a poetic moment of musical reconciliation, McCartney recently brought the recovered bass on stage during his Got Back Tour to perform, appropriately enough, “Get Back.” The bass is now estimated to be worth more than 12.5 million dollars, making it one of the most valuable instruments in the world.
The left-handed instrument, originally a custom modification since no official left-handed model existed in 1961, has now reclaimed its place not just in McCartney’s collection but in the broader tapestry of rock and roll history. Musicians featured in the documentary may receive royalties through performing rights organizations that collect and distribute payments for the public performance of their compositions.
