Mazer describes it as follows:

“Description: Deering 5-string banjo, GDL model, walnut neck and resonator. The word “Mazertone” is inlaid at the 21st fret.

The banjo is in a worn Deering case with some stickers on it. The case handle has been replaced with bungee cords.

Reward offered for safe return – no questions asked! Please call Dan Mazer at 202-489-3028.”

Bob offers detailed descriptions of the two instruments:

Monteleone Grand Artist No. 63, heavy wear on top on scroll and lower bout (naturally distressed by 28 years of playing). The finish is partially worn down to bare wood in these areas. No pickguard. Most of finish worn off the back of the neck. Housed in a green Pegasus case with green velvet lining. Label inside signed “John Monteleone” with serial number 63 written in blue ink.

2005 John Sullivan custom F. John did not put his name on the peghead, but it is stamped on the truss rod cover. No finish on neck. It is signed on the inside back “John Sullivan 2005.” Abbreviated pickguard. Has a double torch inlay on the headstock. Housed in a cream colored Pegasus case with green velvet lining.

Here are some photos he provided.

He has offered a reward of $1,000 to anyone who can help him retrieve these prized mandolins, and can be reached by phone (505-379-1732) or email.

As we reported on 7/26, Randy and the band regretfully neglected to take the instruments from the van into their hotel rooms after performing at the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival, as they were normally accustomed to doing. They were dog tired and had planned to only sleep a few hours before returning to Nashville the next morning.

The theft was reported to the local Obetz, OH police who were unable to collect any fingerprints or forensic evidence from the vehicle. Kohrs’ fiddler and road manager Ashley Brown spread word about the theft far and wide, with hopes that these highly distinctive instruments might be easily recognizable when offered on the secondary market.

On July 31, three of Randy’s resophonic guitars were sold to pawn shops in nearby Columbus. Obetz detectives quickly located the seller, who was not involved in the actual theft, but was able to provide police with information that led to the apprehension of the thieves.

Brown tells us that…

“They learned through this suspect, however, that the next to be sold were the two missing violins and pawn shops in the area were put on alert.

Two days later, a third pawn shop contacted the police as men were attempting to sell the anticipated instruments and stalled them until law enforcement arrived. This ultimately lead to the discovery of the majority of the remaining stolen items.

Special thanks go out to all the detectives involved:  Franklin County Det. Jeff Reed, and the Columbus Police Department’s Det. Ron Turner, Det. J.B. Summers, Det. Steve Nate, and Det. Robert Hoffman.”

Police are not prepared to release the names of the suspects until they are formally charges, sometime this next week. Six counts of 4th degree felony are anticipated in this case.

Their personal effects and a GPS unit were not recovered, but Brown and Kohrs both expressed great relief and satisfaction at having the tools of their trade returned unharmed. Ashley said that one of her fiddles was still in tune!

As any insurance agent will tell you, it is crucially important to have multiple photos of any valuable musical instruments – along with serial numbers – in a safe place should this unfortunate occasion arise.

Hats off to all involved in bringing this case to such a quick and gratifying conclusion.

On Saturday night (7/25), after performing on the show, the band headed for the Sleep Inn in nearby Obetz, OH. Dog-tired and only expecting to sleep for a few hours, they chose not to unload the van before heading in for some rest, as was their common practice. Sometime between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m., thieves broke into their travel van and stole almost everything inside.

Ashley Brown, fiddler and media liaison for The Randy Kohrs Band, tells us that the total value of the gear taken has been estimated at over $50,000.

“This hotel is one that the artists are put up in for the festival and the parking lot was full of band vans and trailers, many containing musical gear. Ours was the only one broken into, though a construction company’s work truck parked next to us was also hit. The Obetz police were called and a detective processed the van.  Because it was such a high dollar amount, it’s considered grand theft. Unfortunately, there were no security cameras at the hotel.”

Ashley provided a list of the instruments and equipment stolen from their vehicle:

• Scheerhorn L-Body Resonator guitar #547
• Amistar Randy Kohrs Model tri-cone resonator
• Meredith all blonde, tongue-oiled maple resonator guitar
• Mike Long D-18 style acoustic guitar
• Custom Cedar Creek Case for the Meredith ‚Äì black alligator, inside is purple, has “Custom Built for Randy Kohrs” plate
• Two white Calton Cases with Randy’s name on them, both had red interiors
• Cedar Creek case for the acoustic Mike Long Guitar
• Forrest Craig (Texas-based luthier) Violin with L.R. Baggs pickup
• Strad copy violin, roughly 1880’s, the tag inside not exactly accurate
• A double violin case, the attached strap doesn’t match ‚Äì it’s maroon and gray with gold hardware.
• Upright acoustic King Bass, white with black trim, red tailpiece, rare
• 2 Warwick 2 10″ speaker cabinets
• Silver waterproof helicopter case with cables and a Shure wireless system
• 3 Stage Ninja brand quarter inch cables
• Fishman Dreadnought Aura, Fishman resophonic Aura, Fishman Reverb, Fishman Chorus, Fishman Delay, Boosta Grande Boost pedal, 2 Radial DI’s, Radial Tone Bone Pre-Amp, Hilton Optical volume pedal, 2 Peterson Strobe Stomp Tuners (one had Ashley B. written on the front of it in black marker)
• George Lawrence cables Tool Kit with extra cords and assorted tools
• All guitars have Fishman pick-ups installed

Photos of many of these instruments can be seen on the Randy Kohrs web site, and Ted Lehmann, who was at the MACC shooting photos of the show, also posted a few shots on his site.

Anyone with information about any of this stolen equipment is urged to contact Ashley Brown by email, or to call the Obetz Police Department at 614-491-3211.

Colby is seeking any information that may lead to the recovery of the instrument. Here’s his description of the guitar.

It was a black CA Bluegrass Standard, white inlay around the sound hole, Waverly tuners, Fishman aura pickup, and a small chip on the head near the letters CA. It was inside a black dreadnaught TKL type case made by CA with CA on the case. There is no serial number that we can find yet, but the makers have been informed.

If anyone sees this instrument or has information concerning it, please contact Colby immediately.

Here’s a clip of Colby playing the guitar with Next Best Thing.

Kayla Ray, plays fiddle and mandolin with the bluegrass band “Exception To The Rule“. The day after her 17th birthday, our car was broken into while playing two concerts in the Dublin, GA area. A black canvas double violin case was stolen containing Kayla’s two antique ornate fiddles. She is heartbroken!

Kayla’s mother sent along a few photos and a flyer they are using to alert people. They are offering a $1000 reward for the return of these instruments. Hopefully the bluegrass community can rally and help this young musician recover her instruments without the need for a cash pay out.

Download a high resolution PDF of the flyer.

The guitar should be easily identifiable by its serial number. The other instruments will not be so easy to identify. But if you have any information that might lead to the recovery of these instruments, please contact Jesse at the email address below.

UPDATE (1:43PM EST): We’ve received photos of the fiddle and mandolin.

Hello friends, Shad Cobb of the John Cowan Band has suffered the loss of four instruments today. Shad has taken the news as only he could and is saddened by the loss but thankful and comforted by all the friends who have reached out to him today.

Sometime in the afternoon of Monday, May 4th, unknown thieves kicked in the back door of his little cabin home in the hood and made off with the following instruments. We would appreciate any help anyone could give in locating them. Unfortunately, we only have a serial number for one of the instruments and limited info on the fiddle and banjo. If you see these instruments for sale anywhere please contact me, Jesse Cobb at: mandocobb@hotmail.com.

1). Nashville Guitar Company. D size, mahogany guitar, very light colored wood on the top. serial# 03115. There is some finger wear near the bottom of the strings from posting fingers.

2). Approximately, four year old Bart Rider open back banjo. Shad thinks it was modeled after a White Lady banjo, with no distinguishing marks other than some wear on the head. Shad is trying to contact the builder get the serial number.

3). 7-8 year old Fairfax Abraham fiddle, with a Guarneri (spl?) label inside. The fiddle has a LR Baggs pickup installed and a bit of finish wear by the top of the fingerboard.

4). ‘98-’99 Ratliff F model mandolin. I used to own this one, it has major pick wear on the top, near the scroll. The fingerboard extension has been cutoff and there is a mark on the top where my saw slipped. There is also a repaired crack in the top f-hole. Dark sunburst finish.

Program director Raymond McLain has distributed this notice:

One of our students had a distressing experience this morning. Her car, containing her upright bass was stolen as she was parked in Kingsport, Tennessee.

The following is a description of the instrument:

The bass is a 1946 American Standard. There is some patchwork on the bottom back. There is a new bridge on the bass, with the initials G.H. directly behind the D string. The neck on the bass is also new. On the back of the bass it says Cleveland Ohio. The bass was also in a black case, and the bottom had a red, blue, and white cloth wrapped around it.

If anyone has knowledge of this instrument, please contact:

Raymond McLain, Director
Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Program
East Tennessee State University
mclain@etsu.edu
423-439-7072

Let’s hope this one turns up as well. If not, perhaps someone with a spare bass can help this young lady continue her study of bluegrass.

This is a somewhat unusual instrument. It’s a Knilling Thinline Jazz Bass. It looks much the same as any other upright bass, only much thinner.

The store where I bought it has a number on the Bass of 67188. I am not sure if that is the model number or the Serial number. It has some dings around the bottom edge of the back of the bass and some nicks on the Scroll. It also was equipped with a Realist pickup.

The bass was in a gig bag case when it was stolen.

Here are a couple photos of Bryan playing the instrument to give you an idea of what it looks like and where some of the dings he’s talking about are located.

Here’s a happy ending to a story we reported just after IBMA. Chris Harris, mandolinist with Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice, realized that someone had taken his Steffey model mandolin from the Renaissance Hotel in the wee hours of the morning following the IBMA Awards Show.

Brance posted information about the stolen instrument on October 6, and yesterday we received news that the mandolin had been identified by a Nashville music store, and will soon be back in Chris’ hands.

Here’s a note we received yesterday from Clay Rigdon:

“I am the store manager of Sam Ash Music in Nashville, TN. I came in contact with an item that was stolen from an individual at the recent IBMA convention. I wanted you to know that, because of a blog that was posted on your site, we were able to start the process of getting it back into the hands of it’s rightful owner.”

Great news all around, and hats off to Clay and Sam Ash Nashville for the due diligence. If you are a Nashville-based musician, please make a point to thank Clay for his work in returning Chris’ mandolin.

Chris Harris, who plays mandolin with Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice, is reporting that someone stole his Gibson Adam Steffey Model mandolin Friday morning around 5AM. The instrument was stolen from the 18th floor of the Nashville Renaissance Hotel.

The mandolin is a limited edition, number 29 of 50.

Chris has the Bill of Sale, Certificate of Authenticity, and has filed a police report with the Nashville authorities. The instrument is not only expensive, it carries a great deal of sentimental value as well.

If anyone has any information or spots this instrument for sale, please contact Chris immediately at 336-613-6998.

The church was broken into and the two instruments were taken along with the sound system and various other items.

One is made into a 6 string soprano guitar and has a regular tailpiece and the other is tuned like the bottom four strings on a guitar and had a solid tailpiece.

If anyone has any information on these instruments, please contact Pastor Charles Bradshaw at 850-380-6000.

According to the owner of the banjo, it had been played for six US Presidents, including the current occupant of the Oval Office.

Folsom police ask anyone who recognizes the suspects to please call their Tip Line at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Hat tip to Rick Briggs for alerting us to this story.

Last week in Blacksburg, VA a 1994 Randy Wood F model mandolin with varnish finish, fern inlay, and the fancy pearl tuners was stolen. The serial number of the instrument is 11294.

The owner is offering a reward for the return of the instrument and may be contacted via an online form on the Mandolin Cafe.

He shared a detailed description of the banjo.

The banjo is a 20’s TB-11. It has what is referred to as a “Diamond Flange”. It has a double cut headstock/flying eagle inlay and the player’s name on a pearl truss rod cover. Keith tuners and some other very definite marks on it. The headstock has been broken and re-glued and the neck was originally cut for a one piece flange. This banjo has side mounted brackets. The pot was turned a little too far down so there is a gap you can see from the outside between the ring and where it rests on the rim. The resonator looks to be brushed over with clear.

Terry asks that anyone who may have information on this banjo or its whereabouts please contact him by email.

It tells of how Jim Connor, then a member of The Kingston Trio, had his custom Vega banjo stolen after a show in 1971, only to have it restored to him when a former student spotted it on eBay. Especially encouraging is the reporting of eBay’s eager cooperation in halting the sale and establishing communication between the seller and Connor.

EBay stopped the sale of the instrument. With the help of the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office, Connor contacted New York City police.

The seller, who said that a relative had bought the banjo in a used-furniture store in Harlem, called Connor.

“He said, ‘If the instrument is really stolen, I want to cooperate,’” Connor said. Connor proved with pictures and affidavits that the instrument was his.

Connor ultimately purchased the banjo back, convinced that the current seller was in no way connected with the 35 year old theft in New York, and is delighted to be reunited with his old friend.

Read the full article on the Times Dispatch site.

The instruments that were stolen are:

Music Man Sting Ray Bass (black body)

Ibanez Acoustic guitar with La Bella Deep Talking Bass Strings

Earthwood Bass by Music Man/Ernie Ball. (Note: This instrument was given to me 6 days before it was stolen. The instrument was made for me by the original makers of the Earthwood bass at Music Man. Dan Norton and Ron Saul are very good friends and this was a gift. This instrument is priceless for many reasons. As you can see I like my acoustic bass instruments, strange as it is.)

Two amps were also stolen, here are the descriptions:

Hartke Kickback Bass Amp combo

Fender Combo Bass Amp

As you know all of these instruments can be replaced except the Earthwood Bass. The wood that was used to make this was wood that Dan Norton has had since the early 80’s. He had planned to build himself a bass but never did. He used his wood to make this instrument.

If you have any information about these instruments please contact john@jriddle.com or call 404-876-1988

I was in Portland, OR on 01-28-2006 when my Epiphone MB-250 banjo was stolen out of my car (along with a lot of other stuff including my Michael Burke pennywhistles (D & E) ). The banjo has a custom Celtic-themed head on it, setting it apart from the look of other banjos [see photo below ~ed]. The banjo was in a black Gold Tone case plastered with stickers. However, if the stickers have been peeled, the case still says “Gold Tone” on the outside and is very faded ’cause I tried to remove it. In the case is a Intellitouch tuner and a Levy’s brown leather strap. The banjo has a Shubb 5th String Capo and Fishman Rare Earth pickup mounted on it. The SN is: X96015538. Anyway, I’d appreciate any help or extra eyes out there. Thank you, thank you! Keep up the great work!

If anyone has any information about this instrument please contact Jeremy immediately.
website: amadanusa.com
email: bauerje@lifetime.oregonstate.edu

Many of our readers may find the site useful, though it employs annoying pop up windows and banner ads with audio that some users may find disconcerting.

My instruments were recovered! Yeah!! I got them back yesterday,and am very thankful. Thought I’d send this news in, so you can share with all those that were keeping up with it. Was great to see you at IBMA. I appreciate all you & John are doing. Love the Blog!

Best,
Gena