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BC lower mainlanders - heads up re stolen gear


Gilliangirl

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http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/msg/2449158332.html

 

 

To the people who stole my Les Paul

Date: 2011-06-18, 8:19PM

To the people who stole most of my stuff out of my studio on June 5, including my main guitar of 43 years, let me tell you about it.

 

It's a very altered, but very real 1953 Gibson Les Paul Model - Serial # 3 0621 (stamped on the back of the headstock)

 

This is not a gold-top. In the 1950's, it was refitted with an ABR-1 bridge and stop tailpiece, and then refinished, all by Gibson. The green colour in the picture, (especially on the rear half of the body where the light reflection is less), is accurate. It's one of the lightest Gibson Les Pauls, and the only one of its' colour, that I've ever seen.

 

I've made many other changes to this guitar in favour of playability:

--changed the P-90's to humbuckers

--had the neck thinned and it, the back and the sides were refinished

--when it was refinished, the serial # was stamped in

--replaced worn out machine heads with gold Gibson ones

--added brass switch ring, jack plate, and rear cavity covers that were made for me by my now-deceased brother-in-law

--added a truss rod cover with "Les Paul" on it

--installed strap-locks (for obvious reasons)

--there will be traces of violin bow resin in and under various parts. It is the best guitar ever for bowing.

 

This is a one-of-a-kind instrument in so many ways. It is completely recognizable, down to every screw on it.

 

I've been in the music business all my life, and have a large list of friends and contacts. With the help of countless amazing people, many who I don't even know, http://web.me.com/outgolfing/Equipment (which details what you took) has been sent across Canada and around the world to more people - musicians, music stores, pawn shops, studios, rehearsal rooms, and other musically related businesses - than I ever imagined possible. It's been passed around since you broke in, and is continually going out to more people. In fact, I'd bet people reading this will pass the link on to others if they already haven't. This will continue unendingly until I find my guitars and other equipment. My green Les Paul is already one of the most recognizable instruments in Canada, I can guarantee you that.

 

Here's your scenario:

--No collector will want this instrument because it's not even close to original.

--No legitimate business will buy it from you.

--Any creep who would knowingly buy a stolen guitar will give you a pittance for it.

--If you keep it for yourself, you'll never be able to play anywhere with it, and it will tie you to the crime and to all of the other stolen equipment for as long as you have it.

--You didn't even take the case.

 

It's my most personal possession, and I have always planned for my son to have it one day. By the way, the other Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier head you took was his.

 

It's not of much value to you, but to me, I can't buy another Les Paul like it because another one doesn't exist.. Here's a thought:

 

Have some decency and redeem some karma. Bring my guitar back. You've ****ed my studio up and stolen a life-time collection of my ****. You stole my guitar rig, which was MY sound that I've spent years achieving.

 

You haven't ripped off a money making business. You've ripped off my life and my spirit immeasurably by taking away the tools of the pursuit of my passion. I've worked extremely hard for my whole life to earn my right to do so, and you took it all away in an hour or two. You've also ripped off my son, now, and in the future. I don't have the money to replace the gear, so it's just gone.

 

Just give it back - NO QUESTIONS ASKED. PLEASE

 

Maurice

(604) 943-6160

(604) 816-8987 cel

 

 

 

 

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Karen, over the years, I've had perhaps 30 guitars stolen......It will never happen again....

 

The last person who stole a guitar from me, well, he'll never play guitar again..not with his hands...

 

Thieves are the worst, no matter what they steal.................Good post...

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I also posted about this on facebook... I found it in another forum I frequent. Again, I apologise for not checking the day's posts to see if anyone else mentioned it before I reposted this same topic in a new thread.

 

The last guy that stole music gear from me had to drastically change his daily routine. I literally stalked him for 6 months. It all started when the police told me to "go talk to him and see if he'll give your stuff back." Well after they told me this every few days for 2 weeks, I told them if they didn't find him before me he would turn up dead and they'd have to explain to the judge at my murder trial that they, rather than arrest the guy, decided to send the very angry victim out on the streets to "GO Talk to him!"

 

In a nutshell, after they realized me finding the thief before they did meant more paperwork and a more serious crime that would simply be avoided by arresting someone for a theft charge; I got my amp back, the thief never got charged with the theft bu was charged in relation to other warrants and got a slap on the wrist.

 

Then I stalked him for the next 6 months after... the guy could not go anywhere without either finding I was there, or discovering I was expected to arrive there soon. For about a year after I stopped stalking him, I hear he was afraid to go out in his yard without checking out all the house's windows to make sure I wasn't lurking around for my chance to give him the beating he deserved. He even had to stop haning out at all his hangouts.

 

When I finally did catch up with him totally by chance, I was hanging out with a guy who turned out to be his cousin and unknown to me, my amp thief moved into the house next door... and for some reason his cats lived at his cousin's house. I came around the corner to find him scooping he cat box and put a steel toed combat boot right up his @ss so hard he completely fell into the litter box.

 

To this day, he see's me somewhere and hides. >:D

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The worst part is he neglected to insure any of the items, which is pretty dumb if you ask me; however hopefully the people who stole the guitar realize they will not be able to sell it to any reputable person, plus the majority of the pawn shops have already been alerted and would be REAL stupid to purchase it with the intent to resell.

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The guy was very smart to put up an ad on craigslist. wonder if he thought to do the same for kijiji.

 

Most people would not buy a stolen guitar knowingly. and like the guy said, somebody that would will not pay you anything near it's true value.

 

I noticed after posting this on facebook last night that there was aleady someone on my friends list that had reposted the link. It's only a matter of time before this guy's craigslist ad goes viral and it becomes the most famous Les Paul in North America and it will be worthless to sell (besides the fact it's heavily modified) and too much of a liability for the thieves to keep for themselves.

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Thieves like this are NOT rocket scientists.

 

Trust me, if it was a rocket scientist then he/she would be the first one to get caught. Yes, we are brainiacs but we have less common sense than Homer Simpson trying to figure out a quick way to dump a silo of pig poop...

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