I recovered my stolen Kline steel!

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 26 Nov 2002 6:22 pm

My steel was stolen late Friday night. Saturday at noon I went to the Berkeley flea market to look for it and I parked near a music store called The 5th String. After not finding it at the flea market I went into The 5th String to ask them to keep an eye out for it and gave them my phone number. On Sunday a man who sells vintage records at the flea market was approached by two men who asked him if he would like to buy this "thing". He bought it for $100 and took it to The 5th String to see if they knew who it belonged to because he knew it was probably stolen. The 5th string called me today and I paid the the good man who bought it his $100 back. That's all he wanted.
I'm very lucky that such a nice person ended up with it and that I have it back so soon.
Next wekend I'll see if I can recover the Pac-a-seat at the flea market. Who knows?
Thanks to everyone who sympathised and wished me luck. I love you guys and I love The Steel Guitar Forum!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, Don

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 26 Nov 2002 6:43 pm

That's great news Don, congratulations!

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 26 Nov 2002 6:59 pm

Happy Thanksgiving

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Jim Vogan Emmons Sd10
G.D. Walker Stereo Steel Combo
Bakelite Ric
Hilton volume pedal

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 26 Nov 2002 9:00 pm

Don, I'm really happy for you. If you have the email address of the super guy who helped you out, perhaps many of us could send him a "thank you". That sort of behavior needs to be recognized, especially considering that we are often bombarded with so much negative news.

steve

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 26 Nov 2002 9:47 pm

AMEN!! Perlowin's got a thread about somebody ripping off Susan Alcorn's stuff. Stealing is lowdown, but stealing somebody's musical instruments is the pits. This was a nice guy, who realized that such a low price meant rip-off. I've seen too many musicians buy stuff at a "cheap" price, knowing they were buying somebody's stolen livelihood. So let's help each other out, and give thanks for recovered stuff![This message was edited by Stephen Gambrell on 26 November 2002 at 09:52 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Nov 2002 12:14 am

I love happy endings.

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 27 Nov 2002 3:33 am

Don

We are all very happy for you.In a world where the news reporters often report the bad, we forget there are good people like the record man.This is a Thanksgiving story.Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 27 Nov 2002 5:50 am

I hope Susan's story has as happy an ending...

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 27 Nov 2002 6:05 am

GREAT NEWS !! It really makes my day. We work hard for our toys and they ain't cheap either. KUDOS to the gent for being helpful !!.

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JUST 'CAUSE I STEEL, DON'T MAKE ME A THIEF

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 27 Nov 2002 2:37 pm

Way to go!...Congrats...

John Hawkins · Post by **John Hawkins** » 27 Nov 2002 3:38 pm

Don,
I am very happy for you ! I have not had that
terrible feeling to look at the place you last saw your Steel and NOTHING was there.

I play out a lot and have been paying insurance coverage for all the Steel and it's components for years . I hope I never have to collect the insurance coverage on my stuff . There are somethings you just cannot replace .

Congratulations on you recovery !!!

John

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 27 Nov 2002 6:52 pm

Congrats on getting your steel back Don. As Dave said, I hope Susan's story has as happy an ending.

I think there is no punishment severe enough for instrument thieves. Life in solitatry confinement is too good for those low lifes.

Pat Jenkins · Post by **Pat Jenkins** » 28 Nov 2002 3:45 am

Just out of curiousity, what about the guys who "stole the steel"? Were they apprehended? Sounds like time for a good tar and feathering. Pat

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 28 Nov 2002 4:24 am

I'm happy for your good fortune.

My one-week old Standel Custom amp and Fender 1000 were burglarized from the bandstand of the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City on Christmas day 1964...I'm still looking for 'em (the #&*%@+#@ that did it) but my hope is faltering!

www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 29 November 2002 at 04:14 AM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 28 Nov 2002 5:20 am

Good news indeed Don !
aside from Tar + Feathers, makin' them jokers swallow a steel bar should be good medicine. (and that's mild compared to what i really think)

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Steel what?

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 28 Nov 2002 12:33 pm

Thanks everyone. As for the thieves, at first I thought I'd just let it go and not go after them but a few of my friends have pointed out that maybe I'd help to recover other people's things if I busted these guys. The man who bought the guitar said he had seen them around the flea market before so this coming weekend I'll see what I can do. I'll be there looking for my other stuff anyway.
Last weekend when I was searching for my guitar at the flea market I had the strangest feeling. Everybody I saw looked like a thief to me and I wondered how much of the merchandise there was stolen. The world seemed so sleasy to me at that moment. I was angry. Don't let this happen to you. Watch your stuff.

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 28 Nov 2002 1:38 pm

Hang in there Gene!

Don McClellan · Post by **Don McClellan** » 28 Nov 2002 8:19 pm

I, too, hope Susan Alcorn get's her Steel back. That would be fantastic.
Before I got mine back, I was told by a pawn shop owner that there's little chance the stuff would turn up at a pawn shop because pawn shops have to report everything they buy to the police to see if it's stolen. But, a guitar store owner told me the pawn shop people are often crooks who take an item that they know is stolen, not report it to the cops and sell it anyway. This guitar shop owner advised me to search the pawn shops by just slowly browsing around and asking to look at the guitars and other instruments until the person is convinced you're not looking for a specific guitar. Then they'll either offer it to you or you can ask as an "after thought" if they have any steel guitars around.
I'm so glad I didn't have to do that. But maybe Susan should.

Larry Jamieson · Post by **Larry Jamieson** » 28 Nov 2002 9:04 pm

Great news to hear you got your axe back. Does the flea market have any security cameras connected to a VCR? Maybe the guy who bought your steel could review the tape and point out the low down SOB's to the police...

Bob Shilling · Post by **Bob Shilling** » 2 Dec 2002 9:43 am

Larry, the flea market is held weekedns in the Ashby St. BART station parking lot. I wouldn't be surprised if they DID have video cams there, but they may not run them on weekends.

Don, I'm glad you got the axe back. The 5th String folks are pretty good. I'll be down there early Saturday morning to see if i can find a cheap pak-a-seat. (Just kidding, I already have one

)

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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic"