No way!
I am getting my stolen Status S2 classic bass back. The story is so absurd I have to share.
Back in may 2007, I went to my local music shop and saw it. A second hand, genuine status! I played it for about half an hour, and after wiping the drool from my chin, enquired about the price. It had £999 on it, but I was told I could get it for £750!! I went home, gathered every piece of equipment that I had gathering dust and traded them in. I walked away from the shop feeling unbelievable pleased!
The bass is a work of art, in my opinion. Walnut for the tone block, ash wings. Graphite neck, headless (natch). It played like a dream and sounded awesome. 18v active pickups - so hot you can almost hear the sizzling!
I was playing in a semipro cover band a the time. In june 2007 I played a gig, and a foolishly left my bass unattended for a grand total of two minutes. (I was helping the drummer with his stuff into the car). Came back to the stage.....couldnt see my bass. Immediately ran outside, only to be caught in the throng of people leaving the pub at closing time! So it took ages to get out the pub. Eventually got onto the street and was greet with about 2 dozen people carrying guitar cases. It was a "blues bonanza" weekend and every pub in the city had bands on. There were people carrying guitars everywhere!!! Talk about a needle in a haystack! Flagged down a copper and reported my beloved bass stolen. I'd had it about about a month. Understandably, I was well pissed off!
The police pulled cctv footage, but to no effect. I heard nothing back and I slowly gave up hope. I was checking ebay daily and touring the second hand shops, but nothing. Months then years passed.......
Randomly, last week, I put in "status" into ebay. I do this from time to time..just in case. And there it was. My bass, I was certain of it. It looked the same, and was being sold in the city it had been stolen in. It was too much of a coincidence! I looked at the listing again. A serial number was there. I still had the original warranty card with the serial number on it. They matched!
I almost did a little jig.
I contacted the police, who obtained a warrant to seize the bass and they got it on friday. I now live 500 miles away, so my friend has picked it up and is going to post it to me.
However, this is where the absurdity begins.
When the policeman phoned on friday to tell me they had got my bass back he (very sheepishly) explained how the ebay seller had got hold of it.
Get this. He BOUGHT IT FROM THE POLICE!!! They had sold it at a police auction in 2007. Someone had handed the bass in to the lost property department and the idiot manning the desk hadnt bothered to check it against the lost/stolen goods list. It was merely registered as "a guitar in a black case". So it was not collected from the lost property department (unsurprisingly!) and therefore it was auctioned off after 6 months.
It's nice to see the police aren't letting the "thick as two short planks" stereotype down.
I should be angry, but I find it more absurd and funny. What actually is making me angry is the thought of the poor guy who bought it legitimately from the police getting the police turn up at his house with a search warrant. I hope he takes them to court, frankly.
Anyway, that's my story. I had to share! I'm getting my status back. WooHoo
please make a movie about it
