Even if you make a report, do you have to have the serial number of what was stolen to prove it was yours if it was found in a pawn shop?
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old band lost my guitar. advice?
- Thread starter JamesGoodall
- Start date
Even if you make a report, do you have to have the serial number of what was stolen to prove it was yours if it was found in a pawn shop?
Sadly, I know what it's like to have one's gear stolen by a drug addict. In this case it happened to be the woman I loved, my own partner.
I filed a police report, since I had receipts with serial numbers for alot of the stuff, and (faced with the prospect of going to jail) she finally admitted that she had a drug problem and she went into rehab. I wound up dropping the police report and buying some of my own gear back from the pawn shop. Not much fun.
Tragically, the drug addiction regained control of her--and I buried her nine months ago. Drugs can make honest, kind, generous people turn into lying, uncaring thieves and they can kill.
My advice? If you have a receipt or something with a serial number, file a police report and then try to forget about ever seeing it again. Maybe you will get lucky but highly unlikely. Then write off the money you have lost... as a tuition fee to the college of life.
I filed a police report, since I had receipts with serial numbers for alot of the stuff, and (faced with the prospect of going to jail) she finally admitted that she had a drug problem and she went into rehab. I wound up dropping the police report and buying some of my own gear back from the pawn shop. Not much fun.
Tragically, the drug addiction regained control of her--and I buried her nine months ago. Drugs can make honest, kind, generous people turn into lying, uncaring thieves and they can kill.
My advice? If you have a receipt or something with a serial number, file a police report and then try to forget about ever seeing it again. Maybe you will get lucky but highly unlikely. Then write off the money you have lost... as a tuition fee to the college of life.
You may have a chance with the police or sheriff, since you were using a shared space. I would call them, tell them what happened, and ask for their assistance (when you are in town) getting your gear back from them. You live in a society of laws, and law officers are there to help law-abiding citizens deal with lawbreakers. Why not at least ask for help?
No need to speculate that it's gone, just say they won't let you in and you want to pick up your things. If you show up with a uniform and they can't produce your gear, let them explain to the officer what happened to it. At that time you can file a complaint if it's warranted, let the officer guide you. Try to get some kind of report, you may be able to use that in a potential insurance claim.
If there happens to be a strange aroma coming from the practice space when you and the officer arrive, well, karma's a bitch.
I would not just write it off. Someone steals my stuff, I want it or its value back one way or the other. It's easy to lay down and chalk it up to experience, but it's more satisfying to be restored.
Good luck.
No need to speculate that it's gone, just say they won't let you in and you want to pick up your things. If you show up with a uniform and they can't produce your gear, let them explain to the officer what happened to it. At that time you can file a complaint if it's warranted, let the officer guide you. Try to get some kind of report, you may be able to use that in a potential insurance claim.
If there happens to be a strange aroma coming from the practice space when you and the officer arrive, well, karma's a bitch.
I would not just write it off. Someone steals my stuff, I want it or its value back one way or the other. It's easy to lay down and chalk it up to experience, but it's more satisfying to be restored.
Good luck.
I like that idea.
If his being a student who lives an hour away with no car doesnt make it more trouble than its worth, Id like to see something like that happen.
uOpt said:
How on earth is it "tricky" or "risky" to file a police report?
Stop being a doormat and do everything in your power to get back your gear! What the hell, I know I wouldn't be on TB "discussing" it!
P.S. don't loan your gear to drug addicts. Do you really need to be told this?
Sorry to hear about this, but I'm not sure you're going to get anything more out of the situation than some valuable experience. The choices you made in this situation just had "disaster" written all over them in ten foot high letters, to be honest.
Sup with the devil and you need a long spoon. Choose your friends and band mates carefully, because **** sticks.
Sup with the devil and you need a long spoon. Choose your friends and band mates carefully, because **** sticks.
I really wish you the best of luck my friend. I am a person who has been blessed with a lot of musical gear and my friends and band mates are not. They always ask me if I would loan them guitar and bass gear. They think I'm a stingy dick because I always tell them no. I wouldn't even loan them a vacant hardshell case. They feed me the same line...."come on Mike, you know me, you know I would take care of it....etc..." it may not be that I don't trust them, however there are a couple of friends that I don't trust one word that comes out of their mouths, but more of the fact that while my gear is in their possession, something could happen like a house fire for example, or that someone could steal it from them. I know it makes me sound like a selfish dick, but I worked very hard for each and every piece of gear that I have and in my current financial situation, much of it is irreplaceable. I do wish you the very best in your situation.
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I think what I'm going to do is head over this saturday, politely ask if they have any Idea where my bass could be, not assuming yet that it's stolen (though that is very likely the case) and if they don't have it, I'll ask around at local pawn shops and if nothing turns up, I'l take the few hours out of my life to file a claim in court and hope for the best. I know he wouldn't have the money to pay me, should I win, but he has a substantial amount of gear that can be auctioned off by the court.
I know my gear was only worth $400 had I decided to sell it, but I wasn't, and to replace it new would cost me over $1000. I liken it to if someone were to borrow your car, return it with $1000 worth of damage to it, and refused to do anything in recompense. I'll let you all know what happens, and hopefully it all plays out in my favor.
I know now to never loan by gear to anybody who has or had substance abuse issues. Or really to anybody for more than one night for a gig.
I know my gear was only worth $400 had I decided to sell it, but I wasn't, and to replace it new would cost me over $1000. I liken it to if someone were to borrow your car, return it with $1000 worth of damage to it, and refused to do anything in recompense. I'll let you all know what happens, and hopefully it all plays out in my favor.
I know now to never loan by gear to anybody who has or had substance abuse issues. Or really to anybody for more than one night for a gig.
There's really nothing you can do, but if it were me.
I would give them an ultimatum of when you want the equipment back. If it doesn't turn up, simply report it to the police (but give no warning of this to the idiots). At best the police might turn up your guitar, at worst it will scare the shissen out of them, especially if they have drugs on them. You will also have a police report incase it turns up later.
tl;dr forget the money, focus on causing them problems.
I would give them an ultimatum of when you want the equipment back. If it doesn't turn up, simply report it to the police (but give no warning of this to the idiots). At best the police might turn up your guitar, at worst it will scare the shissen out of them, especially if they have drugs on them. You will also have a police report incase it turns up later.
tl;dr forget the money, focus on causing them problems.
I really hope that you can get your gear back. It sucks when gear is stolen. However, I do have to agree with some of the other posters in that there's not much you can do. Filing a police report slightly increases the chance of you picking it up, but it's generally pretty difficult to find items that have been pawned.
Do you have any connections with the music scene in your local area? There's been several local bands here who have had their gear taken, and word-of-mouth through local music networks seems to be helpful for the.
Do you have any connections with the music scene in your local area? There's been several local bands here who have had their gear taken, and word-of-mouth through local music networks seems to be helpful for the.
How about if they don't have it, tell them OK but you need a guitar, or other gear worth the same as what yours was.
Go with a buddy or two so you don't feel intimidated.
Go with a buddy or two so you don't feel intimidated.
The police don't always require a serial number. At least here they don't. They put out a list of stolen goods on a weekly basis, I believe, and then let you know if there's a hit. If there are any distinguishing marks on your instruments (stickers, scratches, custom finishes) that will help. I'm sure you also have a picture.
I had an iPod lifted from my car a few years ago an it had a broken screen, so they could distinguish it. When they caught the guy they called me and I told them it was mine and all that. Even though I got it back, the thief was required to pay restitution for all the things he ha stolen (100+ break ins in a little over a year), and that included paying me enough to buy a new iPod.
I had an iPod lifted from my car a few years ago an it had a broken screen, so they could distinguish it. When they caught the guy they called me and I told them it was mine and all that. Even though I got it back, the thief was required to pay restitution for all the things he ha stolen (100+ break ins in a little over a year), and that included paying me enough to buy a new iPod.
^ Great story. I don't understand all the advice to lick your wounds, do nothing, and get over it. Also don't understand OP's reluctance to involve the police.... 
- Jun 3, 2009
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- Bassgearu, Music Industry Consulting and Sales. Tech 21, NBE Corp, Sonosphere.
Here is what most should take away from this:
1. If someone can't fund even their own guitar, they aren't a guitarist. I don't care how "good" they may be. If you don't own at least your own guitar, you aren't in my band.
2. Never loan equipment to people you know are druggies. I'm guessing since you didn't leave the band you are a druggie yourself, or at least you enjoy being around drugs. Would you have lent them your car, house or girlfriend? Your guitar should be, not matter how expensive or cheap it is, on the same level as your car, house or wife.
3. I would show up at their next show or rehearsal. If you guitar is there (I'm guessing they still have it and the bass and use it, otherwise they would have nothing to play) and take it back. What are they gonna do, call the police?
And, as the other poster said, if they "lost" it, then they sold it for something, or traded it for something. This is a lesson learned. If someone kicks you out of a band, IMMEDIATELY go and retrieve ALL of your personal gear.
I feel for ya, but sometimes we have to realize that what we surround ourselves with is not what we want to believe it to be, but what it really is.
And, as a point of reference, I do not know ANY successful band that started as druggies. After you start hitting it bigger drugs always seem to find there way around, but no one starts as an addict and gets big. You should have seen how much energy and talent Steven Tyler had in the very beginning. Only some years later did they become heroin idiots.
1. If someone can't fund even their own guitar, they aren't a guitarist. I don't care how "good" they may be. If you don't own at least your own guitar, you aren't in my band.
2. Never loan equipment to people you know are druggies. I'm guessing since you didn't leave the band you are a druggie yourself, or at least you enjoy being around drugs. Would you have lent them your car, house or girlfriend? Your guitar should be, not matter how expensive or cheap it is, on the same level as your car, house or wife.
3. I would show up at their next show or rehearsal. If you guitar is there (I'm guessing they still have it and the bass and use it, otherwise they would have nothing to play) and take it back. What are they gonna do, call the police?
And, as the other poster said, if they "lost" it, then they sold it for something, or traded it for something. This is a lesson learned. If someone kicks you out of a band, IMMEDIATELY go and retrieve ALL of your personal gear.
I feel for ya, but sometimes we have to realize that what we surround ourselves with is not what we want to believe it to be, but what it really is.
And, as a point of reference, I do not know ANY successful band that started as druggies. After you start hitting it bigger drugs always seem to find there way around, but no one starts as an addict and gets big. You should have seen how much energy and talent Steven Tyler had in the very beginning. Only some years later did they become heroin idiots.
Get a train if you don't have a car. They've stolen your gear. The idea about turning up with police with you is great if the fuzz will do that.
As everyone else has said, an addict is an addict first and your friend second.
Good luck!
As everyone else has said, an addict is an addict first and your friend second.
Good luck!
Depending on the locale, if you file a police report with the serial number, then the number will go into a database. Long ago, I recovered a microwave that had been stolen from my house, because a pawnshop had a policy of faxing serial numbers to the police before putting anything out for sale.
Been there, done that. Here's what I did:
Told the guy I needed the guitar back, or $200. (What I had in the guitar, though that would not have replaced it. FWIW a Ibanez roadstar 2, with some cool pickups)
Got the other guys to try and help me, but, guess what? they were having similar issues.
Okay, scumbag got one more call, one more chance to make it right.
Then I called his parole officer (yep, turns out he had one of those) and laid the whole situation out. He didn't like that at all. Then I called his landlord, (he owed money there) his girlfriend, (burnt that bridge, too) and anybody else I knew that he might play with.
The cops were not interested, because this was basically a loan gone bad.
Never got the guitar back, and this loser is probably in jail somewhere. Live and learn.
Told the guy I needed the guitar back, or $200. (What I had in the guitar, though that would not have replaced it. FWIW a Ibanez roadstar 2, with some cool pickups)
Got the other guys to try and help me, but, guess what? they were having similar issues.
Okay, scumbag got one more call, one more chance to make it right.
Then I called his parole officer (yep, turns out he had one of those) and laid the whole situation out. He didn't like that at all. Then I called his landlord, (he owed money there) his girlfriend, (burnt that bridge, too) and anybody else I knew that he might play with.
The cops were not interested, because this was basically a loan gone bad.
Never got the guitar back, and this loser is probably in jail somewhere. Live and learn.
Don't announce the fact that you're going there to retrieve your gear. If they've got it at the rehearsal space, you don't want to give these skells an opportunity to hide the evidence. And if you can, bring someone with you as "backup". Someone you trust, of course, who can keep an eye on things. Going into a situation like this just a little bit prepared can keep it from escalating into something ugly.
Obviously there's been a lesson learned here, and it sucks. But you can move forward with the knowledge that there are some people you can trust, and others that aren't to be trusted.
First, forget about your money and your guitar. You are NEVER going to see either. Now I'm not saying you should do this, but what if someone found out what nights they practiced and called the cops to tell them about this guy that was dealing out of his band's practice space and the cops showed up and he was holding drugs?
