A British mother of two has been awarded a six-figure cash prize as a thank you for reuniting Paul McCartney with his favorite Hefner bass guitar.
Kathy Guest discovered McCartney's Hefner 500/1 bass guitar, worth an estimated £10 million ($12.6 million), in her attic earlier this year.
Her late husband was one of a series of people to have owned the instrument since it was stolen in 1972.
The Hefner has been hailed as “the most important bass guitar in history” thanks to its role in creating the Beatles' formative hits, and its discovery was first reported in February.
Included in the early singles. love me do and she loves you However, in 1972 it was stolen from a van in Notting Hill, London.
It was later revealed that the thief had sold it to the pub's landlord for a small fee – “a lot of money and a few free pints”. Later, Guest's late husband inherited the instrument from her brother, which led to Kathy's discovery of the bass.
When I googled the instrument for more information, I discovered it belonged to a legendary Liverpool man who was later said to have handed over a six-figure reward to a guest for his miraculous find. There is.
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Last year, with experts at Hofner Baths, guitar world Contributor Nick Wass teamed up with two investigative journalists to launch “The Lost Bass Project.”
Wass, who was dedicated to finding out the whereabouts of McCartney's beloved bass, said at the time: There have been rumors over the years, but this is just a rumor. ”
He added that his last known whereabouts were on January 21, 1969, days before the band's rooftop performance at Apple's headquarters on Savile Row in London. Few would have expected the discovery to occur under such modest circumstances.
McCartney purchased the violin bass for £30 while in Hamburg in 1961, when the band was doing a three-month residency at the city's Top Ten Club.
As detailed previously, bass player, Hefner was purchased from the city's prestigious Steinway Music House. The instrument's shape was appealing to McCartney, who is left-handed, because it didn't look odd when played upside down.
Fast forward to 2024, and The Lost Bass Project promotion allowed guests to connect the dots between the attic-dwelling bass and its prominent former owner.
Wass posted on the project's website: “Guest contacted Paul McCartney's company, who subsequently returned the bass. The search is over – Paul has finally recovered his stolen bass! ”
Paul McCartney's estate and Guest have since agreed an undisclosed fee, which Guest said will “not change” her lifestyle.
“They have now agreed a contract and the family has been paid a very large gratuity.” Sun I will report. “Sir Paul would also like to express his gratitude to Cathy and her family.”
However, this isn't about the first guitar reunion of 2024. His custom 1981 Les Paul was returned to its rightful owner 27 years after it disappeared in February.
guitar world I hope this story won't be the last this year.
