Our friend and regular jammer, Kenn Sharples from up in Queensland has had 2 extremely valuable banjos stolen from his home in New Farm in Brisbane.
This happened 3 nights ago, while Kenn and Fay were asleep at their home. Kenn also lost a number of other valuable items including a computer. One of the banjos was his beloved Bellbird banjo (details below) and the second was a very rare 1918 Paragon 5-string banjo. Both banjos are very distinctive instruments.
Bellbird Banjo:
- Hemony Model, very dark mahogany stain
- Radiussed fingerboard, wider than standard neck
- Concentric rings on back of resonator
- Distinctive Bellbird shape peghead and inlays
- Bound headstock in ivoroid with pinstripe
- “Kenn Sharples” engraved clearly engraved on pearl truss rod cover.
We don’t have a specific description for the Paragon banjo at this stage but one is on the way. These are quite distinctive and thus will be difficult for the thieves to sell.
Please keep an eye out for these banjos, and notify us here if you see or hear of anything.
Sadly also for Kenn, his mother passed away the next day and he has had to head off to Rockhampton for the week. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy to Kenn and Fay for the passing of his mother.
Daniel Watkins’ De Gruchy dreadnought guitar has been taken from the festival he last played at over the January long weekend.
The following words from Daniel explain the loss.
I hope everyone has been enjoying their new year, taking it easy and enjoying some free time before its time to get busy again. Sadly, I have had a few setbacks since the start of 2010. the biggest setback was having my guitar lost (or stolen, though I hate to think that) at the Woodford folk Festival near Brisbane last week.
I first noticed my guitar was missing on Friday 1st January 2010. I was performing at the Duck and Shovel Stage the Day before and, to my knowledge was the last time i had used it. I believe I either put my guitar back in the instrument lockup next to the stage or left it backstage underneath a desk - Daniel Watkins.
The missing instrument is a De Gruchy dreadnought, made in August 2006 (written inside the guitar) and has a slightly elongated square headstock with Waverly tuners. It has herringbone inlay around the guitar body and sound hole. The guitar has a L.R. Baggs pickup inside it, abalone dots on bridge pins, rosewood back and sides, a spruce top (slight cracks in the finish) and is pictured below. (click to enlarge)
If any one believes they know anything about my guitar and its whereabouts, or knows people in the Australian Folk music scene who may be able to spread the word, your help would be very much appreciated.
We received news from our friends at the American and Old Timey Music Club in Western Australia about some stolen instruments.
The newsletter reads:
One of their members Greg had his house burgled and, among other things, they took his two prized banjos. So if you are out looking for a banjo, in WA or interstate please check the following.
The first one is a White Swallow banjo which, unfortunately, there is no picture of but, is a standard model with a dark brown neck and resonator, ebony fingerboard and black headstock with metal and an inlayed White Swallow emblem. The serial number is WS 512109834.
The next banjo (pictured above) is highly personalised. This banjo was completely made by Greg right down to his name on the peg head. Apart from the name at the top, Greg also put in some distinctive inlay on the finger board, including a mother-of-pearl molar. Greg the owner is a dentist.
Last month multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Clermont reported the theft of his guitar, a much loved Terada Acoustic.
It was stolen shortly after he had played a festival in South Australia, just south of Bordertown and was making his way back home. It appears that the local word of mouth has led to the identity of the culprit.
This morning Andrew has advised us that his greatly cherished Terada guitar has been located and is on its way home.
As of end of this week I will have it back in my hands. It was ‘returned’ last week near where it was stolen. Someone overheard someone who heard from someone and by local wind and pressures brought to bear, it has come home. Yay!
Andrew Clermont has reported that his guitar was stolen this month.
His guitar, a Terada Acoustic Guitar (pictured right) was stolen on Saturday morning early on the SA/VIC border just south of Bordertown so could be headed in either direction.
Identifying features include an AGA Phase 2 preamp/ pickup system installed, visible in on the top left of the picture above and it has chunky fingerboard inlays. it’s a Martin look alike with ‘Terada’ inlayed on the headstock. It was in a Maton (big imprint) case with a Dya Singh sticker along with a few others. It has a black guitar strap with a red patch and gold Chinese characters printed on it.
Please, please keep an eye out and spread the word as it is extremely rare, very identifiable by it’s headstock & preamp, and likely to turn up anywhere. I’ve had it all it’s 28years. Tragic but it’s happened, all the festival was in shock. I’m still in shock. This is the guitar I won all my Bluegrass Guitar Championships with in the 80′s, older than my children, bought by my family for me at the end of high school. It’s irreplaceable. I’m sure it will turn up, hope you can help, yours ever musically, Andrew Clermont Ph 0407753809.
Morgan Music, a music store in the Ozarks that recently was devastated from a fire, has had another round of bad luck. Their temporary space was broken into and several instruments were stolen. Be on the lookout for the following instruments.
- Gibson Bill Monroe Model Mandolin #17 of 200 (September 2, 1991)
- Bourgeois IBMA Brazilian Rosewood Vintage D #1 of 6 S/N 004725
- Gibson Black Jack Banjo (with copper flashing) S/N 75-0805-15 (This
- one belonged to a customer and was in for repair.)
- Fender American Stratocaster Plus Ash Body Natural Finish black pickguard
- Squier Mini Stratocaster S/N IC080129026.
The Northern California Bluegrass Society has listed the instruments on their National Missing & Stolen Instruments online service.
Read the full story Bluegrass Journal.com
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