Paul McCartney Mourns Höfner, Maker Of His Iconic Bass

Ever since the early Beatles days, Paul McCartney's signature instrument has been the Höfner 5001 violin bass guitar. In 1961, an 18-year-old McCartney bought the instrument in Hamburg for £30. That was McCartney's primary instrument for the Beatles' entire run. His bass was stolen in 1972, and it was returned to him more than 50 years later after someone found it in an attic. Now, the German manufacturer Höfner is going out of business, and McCartney has given the company a fond ...