The Lost Bass Project, a campaign to find Sir Paul McCartney’s missing iconic bass guitar, has received hundreds of responses from people around the world in just 24 hours. The instrument, which is considered a national treasure and a piece of modern social cultural history, has been missing for over 50 years. According to Nick Wass from Hofner, the brand that manufactured the bass, McCartney has approached them about finding the instrument and his office is being kept updated by the group.
The project is being led by husband and wife team Scott and Naomi Jones, who are using their expertise in investigations to track down the missing bass. They have been overwhelmed by the number of emails they have received, with many people coming forward with information that could potentially lead to the bass being found.
The bass, which was purchased by McCartney in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961 for £30, was used during his time with The Beatles and is considered to be the first bass guitar he owned. It is described as being left-handed, with a three-part sunburst color, two pickups mounted in one solid block of black wood, and a removed mother of pearl pick guard.
Sir Paul McCartney (Via Sir Paul McCartney/Twitter)
The Lost Bass Project has already identified two leads that they believe are worth further investigation, with one of the leads coming from a person who has connections to the UK and America. Mr. Jones expressed his confidence that they will eventually find the bass, saying that “it’s a much stronger feeling you’ve got about a piece of evidence like that if it’s being effectively supported by totally independent and unconnected people.”
The project has received widespread support, with many people expressing their admiration for McCartney and The Beatles. If the Lost Bass Project is successful in finding the instrument, it will be returned to Sir Paul McCartney.
The bass’s significance goes beyond its monetary value, according to Mr. Jones. “It’s very rare that we’re not seeing (Sir Paul) playing (one of) his old Hofners,” he said. “What’s uber special about this one, the one that’s gone missing was (it’s) the first one… that’s the one that he bought in Hamburg, that’s the one he played in the clubs in Hamburg… (and) in Liverpool (and at) the first recordings at Abbey Road. That’s why it’s so important to him (Sir Paul) to see this thing again, to see this guitar again, because it was the first one.”
The team is also considering the possibility that the bass could be with someone who “innocently” owns it without realizing what they’ve got. They have pointed to the example of John Lennon’s acoustic guitar, which was stolen from a Beatles Christmas show in 1963 and later turned up in America 51 years later. If the Lost Bass Project is successful, they will return the instrument to Sir Paul McCartney.
