# Stolen Gibson Les Paul



## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

Just wanted to share my bad news, I guess I'm looking for sympathy and advice.
Got the guitar from my son's estate when he passed away a number of years ago. It was on indefinite loan to a friend. As i don't see the guy that often anymore I have been intermittently asking for it back in the past year.As mentioned on previous posts, i am not a player.
Buddy informed me this weekend that it was stolen from his house in Kitchener (crack neighbourhood)---3 yrs ago--It was a custom, unfortunately I do not have the serial number. Buddy said he contacted the police, guitar shops, and pawn shops 3 yrs. ago, but it hasn't surfaced.Guitar was painted pink metalflake, and had a bigsby pickup.Little did I know that it might disappear or i would have recorded serial # and pictures.Not insured by buddy or myself.DUH! Couldn't tell me about the theft until pushed because of sentimental value.?
Good lesson learned: pictures and insurance details from now on! Mind you, 
how does one go about replacing the un replaceable?

any advise appreciated.
regards
RIFF WRATH


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

What an effing cowardly prick. He was totally hoping that you'd just give him that guitar and he'd be off the hook.

I think you're really out of luck on this one unless it magically turns up in a pawn shop or something. Nothing you can do. Sorry to hear about this though.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I would be willing to lay money down that he still has it.


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I would be willing to lay money down that he still has it.


Yeah, or sold it and it wasn't stolen at all. Deceitful is as deceitful does.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

I would be willing to lay money down that he still has it. 


Yeah, or sold it and it wasn't stolen at all. Deceitful is as deceitful does.

I agree. He has been very deceitful... three years ago!!! Come on any respectful individual would have told you before that amount of time elapsed.
Because it is of sentimental value I would have told you right away as to give you the maximum advantage in trying to recover it. 

Thing is if it was legitimatly stolen there is nothing one can do about that and blame is not on that individual... it is very unfortunate and some risk is involved with this type of situation and for the most part yes the owner would be pissed off and dissapointed but it can happen and in fairness the owner has to assume some of the risk. It could have been stolen from the owners house. Whether "crack neighbourhood' or not.

Recorded the serial/model numbers and take some photos... bare minimum on all your precious belongings.

As for what you can do now... NOTHING... well not quite... I would set to work and exaust all my resoarces in an attempt to see whether your "buddy" is telling the truth. I would not let this end here.

Khing


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i agree, this is very suspicious.

-dh


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

Tell him you need a copy of the police report so you can try to file a claim on your homeowners insurance. If he doesn't have his copy, get the date so you can see if the police can turn it up for you.
That should prove whether it was stolen - the guy may have actually sold it.
And it is possible that you can file a claim.

Dollars however won't get back what you really lost though.


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## BHarris (Feb 11, 2006)

small claims court ...


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Police report is good, but beyond that anytime you hold something in your house for someone else, you have to have insurance for that item and care for that item, otherwise you are guilty of negligence. The civil legal test for it is quite simple, what would a reasonable person be expected to do in these cicumstances? His actions do not sound reasonable, therefore he is negligent. That is where you focus your small claims court claim..............


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## mrdylan (Apr 22, 2006)

First I am sorry to hear about your son it kinda hit home.

But Buddy is full o poop the police won't come and even file a report UNLESS you have insurance. I would ask for the report if it exists. Something like this happened to me but with a local Hawk Shop with a guitar I had in there on conisgnment we had no insurance at the time so the police wouldn't even come to out house or the store.

If you guitar was actually stolen he could very well have already made the claim under his own insurance.


Get that police report.


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## EL34POWER (Jan 16, 2007)

Ohhhh that pisses me off..... A nice 8" scull fracture may change his mind


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## powrshftr (Sep 8, 2006)

EL34POWER said:


> Ohhhh that pisses me off..... A nice 8" scull fracture may change his mind


I agree.If you have any close buddies who are not above going over there and beating his ass 'til their fists go numb,get on it.He is full of shit.
Sounds to me like he sold it or lost it to settle a drug debt.You'd be surprised how much more honest he'll be when his ****ing eyes are swelling shut and his kitchen floor is covered with his blood and piss.
Sorry if I sound a bit over the top on this,but the only language ****ing scumbags like that seem to speak fluently is P-A-I-N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for all the F-bombs.

Scott


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## Slidewinder (Apr 7, 2006)

I have to agree that he either sold it, which is typical of a scumbag, or still has it.
"If" he reported it to the police using his own name then they should have it on file, easy enough to check. the guy's a dirtbag plain and simple.

Not to make light of your friend's les paul at all, but I can really appreciate his situation. I had an early flying V stolen from me years ago and sold to a well know musician in my city. When I approached him a few years later after finding out he had bought it he said he had sold it. I know it was the same guitar because at a public jam he described it perfectly, even down to the small changes I'd made. He got really nervous even before I told him it was stolen from me and blurted out that he'd sold it right away. I took him at his word that it was sold.
Those of you that live in the Toronto area probably know him, or know of him because he's well know for hosting jams.
Now, years later I saw a recent picture on his website of him holding the guitar. Only thing different is is the pickgaurd but since there were only 350 made I know it's mine.
Now almost 30 years have passed since it was originally taken from me, and I figure I'm pretty much screwed in hoping for a return.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

You know, I don't think so. If you can identify the guitar with pictures or a serial number to the satisfaction of the police, you can still get it back. The statute of limitations on things like that only starts when you know where your property is. Actually, I don't think there is such a thing on stolen property.

Maybe approaching this guy with that information again will be enough to get it back. He may not want the publicity.


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## Slidewinder (Apr 7, 2006)

I reported it stolen when it was taken but I stupidly never wrote down the serial number. I photograph everything now.
Actually I phoned the police when I found out who had it. That was about 7 or 8 years after it was taken and they told me flat out that due to the amount of time gone by they couldn't really do anything. They did mention a statute of limitations and said it was too long. I even told them I knew who had purchased it.
I just figured that since he said he'd sold it there was no point in persuing it. I probably should have persued it.
I've thought about approaching him on it, but people that know him know what a p#*%k he can be and he avoided me like the plague at jams he hosts so my feeling is that he would just deny it at this point.


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## AllThumbs (Apr 8, 2007)

Sorry wrong posting are


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## sadowsky13 (Feb 26, 2007)

"But Buddy is full o poop the police won't come and even file a report UNLESS you have insurance."


Not true if you call the police to report a Break and enter they will attend. If something is stolen from let's say your car or garage they will sometimes take the report over the phone but they will still file a report. Regardless of if you have insurance or not. Sounds like whoever was given this advice may have got it from some guy at the desk who didn't want to send anyone.


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## sadowsky13 (Feb 26, 2007)

Slidewinder said:


> I reported it stolen when it was taken but I stupidly never wrote down the serial number. I photograph everything now.
> Actually I phoned the police when I found out who had it. That was about 7 or 8 years after it was taken and they told me flat out that due to the amount of time gone by they couldn't really do anything. They did mention a statute of limitations and said it was too long. I even told them I knew who had purchased it.
> 
> 
> ...


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## cougar2 (Mar 10, 2007)

*two guitars stolen*

These are guitars that I made for customers and were stolen after they have had them for some time. The first one was to be soled and he brought the guitar to River side music in Windsor Ontario. The guitar was in a glass case in the acoustic room and someone walked in with an empty case and opened the glass case stuck the guitar in it and then grabbed another guitar off the wall and put it in the glass case so no one would see it right away. Then they just walked out the door. 
The guitar is a Small Jumbo 6 string guitar. The make is a “Kwasnycia” serial #B53501101 
It is a Brazelion Rosewood back and sides with Koa binding, ebony finger board bridge and peg head overlay. It also had a cedar top and the finger board had hand cut doves in flight up the neck. The neck is a 5 peace laminated neck with rosewood center, maple and mahogany outer. It also had a bound headstock and a green abalone sound-hole center ring. The back was a dark chocolate brown with a Smokey orange swirl or butter fly on the back. 


The other guitar was in BC Canada and was taken (so I am told) to Washington by his son and it was left in the car. Some one broke into the car and stole the guitar. It also was a “Kwasnycia” and the serial # was 50597. This guitar was also a Small Jumbo and was an East Indian Rosewood back and sides, Sitka Spruce top, Maple bindings and Ebony finger board, bridge and Peg head overlay. The neck was also a 5 peace laminate and the finger board markers were also Doves in flight up the neck. There was also a florintine cutaway on the body and a Fishman on board pickup.

If anyone sees these guitars let me know.
Thanks Dennis


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## cougar2 (Mar 10, 2007)

OOP's!!!!! I should have started a new thread for this one, Sorry!


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## bRian (Jul 3, 2006)

I'd pay a visit to that local police station myself and explain the situation: #1. to see if it was indeed reported stolen and #2. if it wasn't maybe they could pay the guy a visit to see if he does in fact still have it. I'd also be canvassing the local pawn shops for the next while.


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