Paul McCartney commiserates after Höfner, maker of his bass, files for bankruptcy

Paul McCartney has reacted to the news that the German company Höfner, known for making guitars and basses, has filed for bankruptcy.

McCartney, a longtime user of the Höfner 500/1 violin bass, posted on Instagram that he was “sad to see Höfner go out of business.”

“They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties. I have loved it ever since,” he wrote, next to a black-and-white photo of him holding one of the company's basses. “It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy.”

Finally, McCartney noted, “So, commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”

McCartney’s original Höfner bass was returned to him in 2024 after being missing for 50 years. He purchased the bass in Hamburg, Germany, in 1961 and used it to write such Beatles classics as “Love Me Do” and “She Loves You.”

After it was returned to McCartney, he played it for the first time at his December 2024 concert at London’s 02 Arena, the same show where he reunited with his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

In September, it was announced that the story of how the bass was found will be the subject of the new documentary The Beatle and the Bass, with McCartney appearing in the flick. So far there's no word on where or when the film will be released.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.