The woman who returned Paul McCartney‘s bass guitar to the singer after it was lost for over half a century says she hopes to get a reward.
Last week, it was announced that McCartney’s iconic Höfner bass guitar, which became a staple of his throughout The Beatles‘ entire career before being stolen in the early 1970s, had been returned to him after 51 years.
Now, single mother Cathy Guest has revealed to The Sun that she discovered the bass in her attic following the death of her husband, and believes that he had inherited it from his brother.
In the new interview, Guest stressed her precarious financial situation and said she has previously been offered a reward by McCartney’s team, which she hopes will still be the case.
“My husband inherited it when another family member died and he’d had it for years,” she said. “He had no idea where it came from. He was a keen musician and used to play all the guitars at home, including Paul’s bass. We both loved music and I still go to gigs every weekend.”
“I’ve still got the offer open with them and I’ve taken advice. It’s part of rock ‘n’ roll history and it’s not like they’re a small band.”
Last year, a campaign to find the instrument and reunite it with McCartney was launched by the Lost Bass Project organisation.
A student called Ruaidhri Guest then shared a photo of the instrument and claimed that he had inherited it.
He wrote on X/Twitter: “To my friends and family I inherited this item which has been returned to Paul McCartney. Share the news.”
A statement on McCartney’s website revealed that the guitar “has been authenticated by Höfner” and that the singer “is incredibly grateful to all those involved”.
Speaking to The Telegraph about the search for the instrument, Höfner’s Nick Wass said: “I’ve worked closely with Paul McCartney’s team over the years, and when I’ve met Paul we’ve talked about his first Höfner bass and where it could be today.
“Paul said to me, ‘Hey, because you’re from Höfner, couldn’t you help find my bass?’ And that’s what sparked this great hunt.”
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