A Few Custom Guitar Were Stolen

[thegarehanman]

Hey guys, on friday afternoon my house was broken into and robbed. Among other things, 3 guitars that I built were stolen. In total the guitars represent around $7500 in materials and nearly 500 hours of labor. They were important to me because of all the guitars I've built, these three represented the first guitar I built, the first acoustic I built, and what I considered to be the best electric I've built.

If you see any of these for sale online or just pictures posted anywhere, please notify me immediately. I'm located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My phone number is 919-600-0405 and my email is rgareh1@gmail.com

Ironically, although I've built around 10 guitars, I now own none of them.

Below are thumbnails of each. I would really appreciate it if you would copy/paste this to any other guitar forums you visit so that more people can see this. It would mean a lot to me.

Edited January 18, 2009 by thegarehanman

[thegarehanman]

Edited January 18, 2009 by thegarehanman

[thegarehanman]

~russ

Edited January 18, 2009 by thegarehanman

[Rick500]

Having had a guitar stolen myself, I understand how it feels...

Consider it posted in the other guitar forums I'm part of.

Hope this person is found and gets what's coming to him.

Not much worse than a thief... Grr...

http://forums.carvinmuseum.com/viewtopic.php?p=252245#252245

Edited January 18, 2009 by Rick500

[anderekel]

Oh man, I'm really sorry to hear that. I wish I had the time, I'd scour ebay constantly for ya. I really hope you're able to recover them.

[chops1983]

That sucks matey! They are brilliant one of a kind guitar so i hope that works in your favour! Goodluck and i hope the **** that stole them gets hit by a truck!

[marksound]

Sorry to hear that Russ. I'll pass it on.

[Xanthus]

I'm selling a few items on ebay now, Russ, and I'll keep an eye out for them.

::EDIT::

Just had a thought. If only the guitars were stolen, the thief must have been either a person of discriminating taste, or who knew you built guitars and knows the value of such instruments. I take it you didn't really keep your business a secret? I'm just trying to think if there was maybe anyone you knew who expressed interest in the value of the pieces. Maybe someone who has seen your shop before. Not trying to induce paranoia, just trying to help.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Xanthus

[thegarehanman]

I'm selling a few items on ebay now, Russ, and I'll keep an eye out for them.

::EDIT::

Just had a thought. If only the guitars were stolen, the thief must have been either a person of discriminating taste, or who knew you built guitars and knows the value of such instruments. I take it you didn't really keep your business a secret? I'm just trying to think if there was maybe anyone you knew who expressed interest in the value of the pieces. Maybe someone who has seen your shop before. Not trying to induce paranoia, just trying to help.

That's doubtful. I do not build guitars for anyone but myself anymore, and it's been that way for more than a year. Only my closest friends know I build guitars...I don't make it a point to let everyone know. My house was broken into about 3 months prior and a lap top was stolen. This time a playstation was stolen along with the guitars. I suspect it was the same people both times since the police never caught them the first time.

I seriously doubt it was anyone who knew me. My neighborhood has gone down the toilet in recent years. About half a mile away is an apartment complex littered with up and coming criminals, apparently. This has been the last straw and I'll be selling the house soon.

In the mean time, I was considering using an old computer, some webcams, and a little knowledge of Matlab programming to set up some motion-detecting cameras pointed at all entereances to my house that stream video to the web (and subsequently save the video) when motion is detected. That would be a fine way to get a good look at their faces if they did it again. Anyhow, the real answer is just to move, and I"m working on that.

thanks guys,

russ

[low end fuzz]

that sucks!!;

we got our buddies stolen gear back a while ago;

we did the ebay checks and all that stuff too;

what got them back was, we handed out 'lost' flyers to all the bars that had bands we knew of, w/ our phone#

told them just to keep it behind the bar somewhere, on the odd chance it comes thru the the door; sure enough 5 or somtin months later we got a call about a band that played there, the law went to their jam spot and found both guitars and the head! lucky

good luck.

[Southpa]

I know the feeling. A number of years ago I had my first project stolen from my truck on Xmas day! If you dig around in the archives you can get the details. I got the guitar back 4 months later by very slim odds. I wouldn't have been so fortunate had I not first stamped my name on the wood inside the control cavity and recorded the theft online at a very prominent website shortly after the theft. The guitar changed hands about 3 times before it was owned by an honest, good samaritan. The guy was a tinkerer and had never seen the design before (definitely a unique instrument) and he opened it up to look inside, saw my name and did a Google search and found the post I made at the Stolen Guitar Database WITH links to pictures and contact info. He promptly emailed me and we got together. He wanted to be reimbursed for the money he paid and I happily gave him the $200. Yeah, it was a bit of an insult, I mean, A LOUSY TWO HUNDRED dollars!? Thats ok, if it was $2000 I would have told him to keep it! Anyway, I'm just saying miracles DO happen, especially if you can increase the odds a little beforehand.

I also visited all the pawn shops in the area and supplied pictures, description(s) and contact info. If the thief shows up with the guitar, their policy is to offer the least amount of money possible and then contact YOU. If you want your guitar(s) back then you have to reimburse the pawn shop. They WILL NOT try to detain or apprehend the perp, they don't want trouble in their shop. And they WILL NOT call the police after the sale because the police will seize the guitar as evidence and the pawn shop is out the money. So that is another option. Its good to get the word out to as many places/people as possible.

[Rick500]

I was fortunate to get back the guitar that was stolen from me (not built by me; it was a Carvin DC127) seven years later, when I saw it on eBay, and the seller was a great guy and sent it back to me. Wouldn't let me send him any money other than the shipping cost.

[Xanthus]

Any pawn shops around you? You could have someone peek around there, but I don't know if such a pricy item could be sold at a shop.

[CrazyManAndy]

I'm sorry to hear that! I'll keep a weather eye open!

CMA

[jmrentis]

That's terrible Russ, man those are some of the most impressive works you've done as you said, plus you're first. Definitely the three you don't want to get stolen or lost. That rising sun tang top was such a killer rig and that acoustic was just amazing. I remember when you posted that, so many cool features on it. I really hope you are able to recover them somehow, just keep up the hope because it does happen, seen it at OLF where a bunch of stuff was stolen and they got them back eventually. As suggested already ebay, pawn shops, but also check your local Craigslist, even though it'd be dumb because it'd be a local sale, sometimes they try that method and don't use a picture or even do. Definitely worth it to keep an eye there if you can as well. Keep us posted on any news or progress in your search and good to see you around my friend. Talk with you later. Jason

[Walmslap]

Man that's really too bad. I've had a couple things stolen from me, it was just expensive stuff though, not anything with sweat equity. I've been able to mentally write the loss off pretty quick, but I can't shake the feeling of wanting to curb-stomp the mofo. I hope you manage to kick that feeling, I haven't found it that pleasant.

If you do want to curb stomp a mofo (the phrase "curb stomp a mofo" is slang for "report the crime to the proper authorities") I wish you the best of luck and great deviousness.

[jmrentis]

You're right though Walmslap, its tough to rid yourself of that feeling of wanting to figure it out and get justice. In this case I'd just want the stuff even if I couldn't figure it out, but as you I've been jacked a couple times for mostly replaceable stuff, but it still drives me nuts even now. I've had my car stereo system stolen out of my car a couple times and once many other valuables were stolen at the same time like most of my fishing gear. I think the low end estimate was $3 or $4k between my fishing gear and system just for the one theft and actually a lot of my fishing gear wasn't replaceable in that it had a certain value to me that couldn't be found buying it new. The other time it was just the system and wasn't as bad, but still pretty bad loss.

I really hope the idiots who grabbed Russ' rigs are stupid and word gets out or they try to sell them. I think the one way the guy at OLF got his stuff back was by alerting the local pawn shops that these instruments were stolen and at some point the guitars were brought in and they were recovered, or at least most were and in ok condition. Just hope it works out that way. Sometimes people brag or try to show off what they stole or bought used, so lets hope that happens. Again, best of luck Russ, I really hope they make it back and if they do, you might want to store 'em in a gun safe or something until you're out of there. J

[crafty]

If they're the usual petty trash that I wind up representing, they've pawned or traded 'em for drugs. Ride around to all of the local shops, the shadier the better. If you find your stuff, call the police or sheriff and redeem your property. Don't be bullied into giving the pawn shop any money to get your stuff back. It's your property and they received it after it was stolen. The police will probably just take pictures of it and give it back to you anyway.

That's too bad about the Tang Top. I remember when you built it and that's probably my favorite one out of all you've done.

[vikingblood]

Sorry to hear that man I hate thieves. I hope you had them insured. You can't trust nobody today nobody not even family some of the time. I really hope you get them back.