Members csm Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 As many are already aware, Eric Clapton's 'Beano' Les Paul, used with John Mayall and in the very early days of Cream, was stolen from a Cream rehearsal room in late 1966. Jeff Beck's Shapes Of Things/Truth Les Paul also went missing, probably sometime in 1969. Jimmy Page's original 3-pickup, Bigsby-loaded LP Custom was stolen from an airport on the one occasion he took it out on the road with Led Zeppelin. ALL of Keith Richards' guitars, including several LP Customs and Gibson/Martin acoustics, were cleaned out in France duing the making of Exile On Main Street. It was during this enforced re-stocking that he got into Telecasters. Lots of other guitar stars have sustained thefts of favourite instruments -- all but one of Buddy Guy's sunburst mapleboard 50s Strats come to mind -- so the question is this: Have these guitars had a wee makeover -- forged paperwork, re-inscribed serial numbers etc -- and re-entered the collectors' market under false colours? Who has them now? And do they know what they've got? Is it possible to relegitimise a famous and iconic stolen axe -- many of which were phortographed with their original owners countless times -- to the point where it can be innocently bought and sold? *Jean-Luc Picard voice* Gentlemen! Suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members clay sails Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I went and checked my stuff. I think I've got one of Buddy Guy's strats right here. Ignore the part that says "Squier II" -- I just put that sticker on to throw off the fuzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members voneville Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 The funny thing is that they are worth far more as celebrity owned instruments then as vintage instruments. Maybe they're sitting in private collections somewhere? Could you imagine getting a guitar at a pawnshop with a crap refinish and the numbers sanded off to find out that it's actually an iconic instrument. I'm guessing that there would be statue of limitations on stolen property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slideroni Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I like the stories of guitars that came back, like Neil Young's Blackie. There's at least one more, but I forget who... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted November 3, 2007 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2007 Have these guitars had a wee makeover -- forged paperwork, re-inscribed serial numbers etc -- and re-entered the collectors' market under false colours? I'm picturing a scenario where a small factory, maybe somewhere in Marseille, there's some spiney sweaty dude, removing Gibson decals and serials and replacing them with Gibsun decals and Made in China stickers:cool: Remember the Monty Python Yellow Peril? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 's mel gibson Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 As many are already aware, Eric Clapton's 'Beano' Les Paul, used with John Mayall and in the very early days of Cream, was stolen from a Cream rehearsal room in late 1966.Jeff Beck's Shapes Of Things/Truth Les Paul also went missing, probably sometime in 1969.Jimmy Page's original 3-pickup, Bigsby-loaded LP Custom was stolen from an airport on the one occasion he took it out on the road with Led Zeppelin.ALL of Keith Richards' guitars, including several LP Customs and Gibson/Martin acoustics, were cleaned out in France duing the making of Exile On Main Street. It was during this enforced re-stocking that he got into Telecasters.Lots of other guitar stars have sustained thefts of favourite instruments -- all but one of Buddy Guy's sunburst mapleboard 50s Strats come to mind -- so the question is this:Have these guitars had a wee makeover -- forged paperwork, re-inscribed serial numbers etc -- and re-entered the collectors' market under false colours?Who has them now? And do they know what they've got? Is it possible to relegitimise a famous and iconic stolen axe -- many of which were phortographed with their original owners countless times -- to the point where it can be innocently bought and sold?*Jean-Luc Picard voice*Gentlemen! Suggestions! I don't think it matters who you are or how rich and famous you are,...you want your stolen stuff back. McCartney had his Hofner Beatle Bass stolen. He's worth something like 1 1/2 Billion. I think he still wants his bass back. And the asshole who stole it,...his head on a stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unworthy Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I'm guessing that there would be statute of limitations on stolen property. Interesting topic. Yes, I suppose there would be a statute of limitations on simple stolen property, but one could never be sold as a celebrity guitar without provenance, just like artwork. The famous owner would have to attest to it's authenticity and would that even be possible after 40 years? Otherwise, wouldn't serious collectors just consider it a fraud? Just makes stealing a one-of-a-kind instrument even more stupid. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Le Blur Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 the guitarist from skynyrd once had his original LP stolen went back to a local bar a while after and found a picture of a guy playing his les paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soliloquy Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 Zakk Wylde got his guitar back after a year or more i think. he had it in his truck, and it supposedly fell out of the truck while on the road. zakk posted it up on his website saying that he really needs that back, as it was his first guitar, and has sentimental value to it, and he will pay big money for it. some kid saw the guitar in a pawn shop, and immediately knew it was zakks, so he bought it, and gave it to zakk, and supposedly the kid refused to take any money from zakk...or so the story goes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim gueguen Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 so the question is this:Have these guitars had a wee makeover -- forged paperwork, re-inscribed serial numbers etc -- and re-entered the collectors' market under false colours? Hardly. Remember these were stolen at a time when most folks won't have been particularly attentive to things like serial numbers. Besides, the thieves probably didn't have a clue who the guitars they were stealing belonged to. They would have sold them at the first opportunity to whoever would pay, with no clue they could sell them at a premium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BAXANDALL Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 Ryan Dahle of Limblifter/Age of Electric had his Les Paul stolen when he was in Age of Electric. He may not be famous to you but should be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCat Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 Hubert Sumlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bikehorn Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I think I heard about a long-stolen Vox teardrop bass being recently returned to Bill Wyman...it turned up in New Zealand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hoddy Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I was the proud owner of the sixth Hamer Sunburst made...sadly it was stolen from the stage in the early 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hoddy Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 On a somewhat related note...I read an article a couple of years ago...it seems that this fellow bought a brand new Corvette back in the 60's, he only had it a short while and then it was stolen...fast forward to a couple of years ago at a port on the east coast (can't remember the city) officials discover that a mint shape 60's Corvette destined for Europe (can't remember the country) was that one that was stolen from that man back in the 60's...they promptly got in touch with him and he was able to retrieve his car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 's mel gibson Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^And who ever had it took extremely good care of it.Yah! I read that too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikesr1963 Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 I have a difficult time believeing that all of this guitars were stolen with the thief have not idea who owned them. In some of these cases I believe there was a buyer for the item before it was taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RogerF Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 Speaking of a Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist, Ed King while a member of The Strawberry Alarm Clock back in 1968 and on tour with the Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield witnessed the theft of Stephen Stills' Les Paul. The good news is that Ed King, Neil Young and others ran after the thieves car, recovered the guitar, pulled the scumbags out of their car and "stomped on them for a while." Sweet Old School Street Justice! see - http://www.edking.net/arch6.html - for the whole story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hoddy Posted November 3, 2007 Members Share Posted November 3, 2007 Speaking of a Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist, Ed King while a member of The Strawberry Alarm Clock back in 1968 and on tour with the Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield witnessed the theft of Stephen Stills' Les Paul. The good news is that Ed King, Neil Young and others ran after the thieves car, recovered the guitar, pulled the scumbags out of their car and "stomped on them for a while." Sweet Old School Street Justice! see - http://www.edking.net/arch6.html - for the whole story! When Hippies Attack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitArtMan Posted November 4, 2007 Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 George Harrison's red Les Paul was stolen and later recovered.Billy Squires burst (a '58 I believe) was stollen. He still misses that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WoodenDuckMaker Posted November 4, 2007 Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 I wonder if Bob Marley, or Ziggy Marley went after Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, once he openly admitted to lifting Bob's twin reverb. Atleast the amp went on to be used in making a landmark album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members voneville Posted November 4, 2007 Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 I've read that Steve Jones nicked a lot of gear back in the day. He's also sold numerous guitars said to be the one he recorded Never Mind the Bollocks. Probably not the most honest person, but hey, that's punk rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted November 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 Steve's famous Pistols LP Custom -- the white one with the 'girlie' sticker -- originally belonged to Sylvain Sylvain from The New York Dolls. As the Dolls were breaking up under Malcolm McLaren's management (odd, that ...) MMcL proposed that Sylvain relocate to the UK, where Malc would put a band together for him. Syl gave Malcolm his Les Paul to bring to the UK for him ... ... and the guitar ended up with Steve. Meanwhile back in the States, Syl was sitting around in NYC wondering why he never heard from Malcolm again. Moral of the story: never entrust anything valuable to Malcolm McLaren. In the meantime, the original question was: what happened to those guitars? Are there innocent collector/musicians out there who got a great bargain from a mystery seller back in the day and now simply think they (legitimately) own a great guitar? Or is an international criminal mastermind sitting in an underground lair gazing at his glass-fronted guitar cabinet hissing, "Sooooooooo, Meester Clapton/Beck/Page/Reeechards .... you do not know what happened to your beloved Les Paul, but I DO ... heh heh heh. The ransom will be ... "ONE .... MEELLIOWN ...DOLLARRRRS ..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speed_Racer71 Posted November 4, 2007 Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 my '59 was stolen, i named her Sparkling Fence, if i ever find that sob who stole it ill tear him a new one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speed_Racer71 Posted November 4, 2007 Members Share Posted November 4, 2007 one of eric johnsons strats went missing for 24yrs and eric himself went into a music store and happened to see it. whoever posted the links to the eric j vids the other day, that story was one of them ah crap, forgot this was about lp's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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