How's THIS for "once in a lifetime"?

Some people here have heard me talk about an Ibanez Roadstar (my pride and joy) which was stolen from me back in '87 (ok ... ok ... some may call it an obsession ... Lady Spasm did ... till now!).

Was browsing on ebay two weeks ago (as we do) .... and what did I stumble across? ... in my hometown?

Only my very own guitar (100% convinced of it, cause I recognised the serial no, which I committed to memory years ago)!

Reported it to the police ... and then went through a huge charade of trying to find the original sales invoice ... which I'd kept all this time for sentimentality's sake and found again only last July while packing stuff for the move to Scotland ... but couldn't find it this time ... must have been lost in the move (DOH!)

So I couldn't PROVE that I'm the original (legal) owner ... and therefore the police couldn't help me to recover it.

I've had to buy back my own guitar ... and severely bite my tongue ... cos I didn't want to be prosecuted for assault and for theft of my own property (can give you the address if you like, "big P" ... j/k!!!)

Right now it's in residence at a friend's home, less than one mile from where it was being sold from. Didn't dare speak about it publically till now, so as not to jinx everything and lose it all over again.

Got another 2 weeks to wait, till another friend comes up to Scotland to visit, before I can get my hands on it again.

Have a look at the pics ... look at the corrosion on the gold plating!!!

Look what they've done to my baby!!!

Oh well ... time to try and find an electro-plating company to restore it to it's proper glory.

Can hardly contain meself ... my baby's coming home!!!

Nice one Riff me old mate!!! :)Take it you sent big Steve to pick it up.

Nice one Riff me old mate!!! :)T
Love it Dave there's a story harking back to the '80's so you hark back to Big J's 80's nickname :lol: If I recall correctly he wern't too fond of it either.

Love it Dave there's a story harking back to the '80's so you hark back to Big J's 80's nickname :lol: If I recall correctly he wern't too fond of it either.

:lol: I can live with it Big P .... still better than "Freddie"

:lol: I can live with it Big P .... still better than "Freddie"
Quality :lol:

Glad you got it back big J...but it's a bit on the pink side isn't it:lol: Are we going to be harking back to leg warmers to match!!

Nice one John, Steve had told me this last week but I was waiting for you to anounce it. If only I could do the same with an Aria bass I lost in Bradford. Oh well! :woot:

Glad you got it back big J...but it's a bit on the pink side isn't it:lol: Are we going to be harking back to leg warmers to match!!

Already got the knitting machine working overtime!

Already got the knitting machine working overtime!

:lol: More quality :)

Well thats good news John,
I didnt know you never liked the nickname years ago?:maddance:

Well thats good news John,
I didnt know you never liked the nickname years ago?:maddance:

Cheers Steve.

We-ell ... it seemed to come (originally) as a derogatory ... at least that's how I perceived it (or maybe I was just a paranoid kid) ... but what the hell .... it's a lo-ong time ago since anyone called me it, so why not 'Riff' Carter, eh? :tard:

Im pleased that its found its way back to you mate , i would be sick as a dog aswell if i had lost or had that little beauty nicked :chucks:

[QUOTE=Captain Spasm;96782]Cheers Steve.

We-ell ... it seemed to come (originally) as a derogatory ... QUOTE]
Thats nicknames, you love em or hate em.

Cheers Steve.

We-ell ... it seemed to come (originally) as a derogatory ... at least that's how I perceived it (or maybe I was just a paranoid kid) ... but what the hell .... it's a lo-ong time ago since anyone called me it, so why not 'Riff' Carter, eh? :tard:
As I remember it Big J it was Todd who started calling you Riff. I think he wanted it to be perceived as derogatory. (it wasn't though)
Anyway knowing how his sad mind worked, it was probably borne out of nothing more than pure jealousy.
For a start you where younger than him and you had more ability and scope in your playing than he did.
You gotta remember Todd was very methodical, he couldn't improvise at all. If he couldn't compete with someone, or someone was better than him, he ridiculed them. After we played boro Town Hall I had to save him from a good kicking off of Mick Tucker, that was all because of his big mouth. The fucker even got Davey Little's back up once, and that lad was very easy going.

Garry Todd. A wanker of the highest order!

"I hope your looking in Gaz"

As I remember it Big J it was Todd who started calling you Riff. I think he wanted it to be perceived as derogatory. (it wasn't though)
Anyway knowing how his sad mind worked, it was probably borne out of nothing more than pure jealousy.
For a start you where younger than him and you had more ability and scope in your playing than he did.
You gotta remember Todd was very methodical, he couldn't improvise at all. If he couldn't compete with someone, or someone was better than him he ridiculed them. After we played boro Town Hall I had to save him from a good kicking off of Mick Tucker, that was all because of his big mouth.
The fucker even got Davey Little's back up once, and that lad was very easy going. Garry Todd. A wanker of the highest order!

"I hope your looking in Gaz"

Yeh, you're right Big P ... it was GT, now I come to think about it. Kinda hurts when you're raw & vulnerable to begin with ... and people you like and respect (yes, I did back then) poke fun at you out of malice ... and when others latch on to it too ... well ....

Still ... I'm all growed up now & grew a thicker skin ... and still taking the tablets :tard:

Glad you got your guitar back mate, look forward to hearing it once restored to its former glory :D Sometimes its a pity that when you get older (and wiser?) it is not worth the consequences of taking the obvious actions :chucks: :maddance:

Hey John,

This story kinda tugged at my heart strings http://img90.exs.cx/img90/2365/k1ocray.gif

That's a nice looking guitar with lot's of memories for you. Don't let it go again now, ok?! Very happy for you. Sucks you had to buy it again but look at it this way at least you got it back.

Enjoy!

Nice to hear you are getting back something that meant so much to you Captain.She will clean up nicley and i hope the guy who stole it in the first place rot's in hell for such an evil act.:maddance:

Is it the same person who had stolen it from you to begin with? or has it gone through a couple of people?

Or at this point does it matter.

Park

Congrats mate. Glad that you got it back and I hope that it still brings back the same feelings when you play it, once you've got it all tidied up.

:thumb:

Is it the same person who had stolen it from you to begin with? or has it gone through a couple of people?

Or at this point does it matter.

Park

The seller claimed (when asked anonymously through ebay) that he'd owned it from new ... and that it was bought from the very same music shop that mine was bought from ... but that it was bought in '83 .... two years before that range was introduced ... and the year of manufacture of this guitar in particular ... as confirmed by the serial no. ... so how does THAT work out then? err-rr :headscratch:

But like you say ... does it really matter now? At least it's mine again now ...

Btw ... this one's EXTRA special ... since I part-exchanged both my Ibanez flame-top Destroyer (same as yours, Park) AND a Gordon-Smith for it! ... then to have it stolen less than 18 months later was devastating ... especially since it wasn't insured and I could then only afford a crappy Hohner ST Scorpion to replace it with for the next 15 years (black Jackson lookalike .... 'nice' .... but not a patch on my RS-525).


Cheers Park

(And you too Mondy!)

Looks like Mondola has a photo of the thief in action:maddance:

Damn, I love a happy ending!! Glad you got her back Cap'n, I know the feeling. Had a security guard at hotel in Houston Texas nick my Strat years ago. I found it 2 days later, about 3 miles away at a music store where he sold it for cash and used his driver's license for i.d. LOL!!!!! The head of security went to the store with me, paid the store owner the 3 bills he shelled out for it [no bill of sale] and I got my baby back. The head of security was also a Houston cop and warned the owner to be watch himself. Needless to day I never let my guitars out of my sight while the road after that.
Can't wait to here some new posts from you when you get her back!!

That's fantastic John, superb looking axe and love the colour. Does'nt look like they molested her too much. If the seller is the thief as well, don't know how you held your tongue (or your fists for that matter!) but glad you got it back in one piece. Get some mates to smash up the dudes car, get a bit of pay back LOL (that's what I'd do to the little f'ker)

That's fantastic John, superb looking axe and love the colour. Does'nt look like they molested her too much. If the seller is the thief as well, don't know how you held your tongue (or your fists for that matter!) but glad you got it back in one piece. Get some mates to smash up the dudes car, get a bit of pay back LOL (that's what I'd do to the little f'ker)

Cheers Justin. The colour was ALWAYS gorgeous ... "Purple Haze" it's called ... metallic flake pink/purple, which changes hue depending on the angle you view it from. It's simply STUNNING under stage lights. Those pics don't do it full justice.

I never got to gig with it myself, but I did loan it to one of Wah's later replacements in "Black Rose" for one gig in '86 ... a young lad (then) ... name of Pat 'O' Neill' ... nephew of Mick Tucker (formerly of "Tank"), so I can say it with conviction, having been in the audience that night. :)

Looks like Mondola has a photo of the thief in action:maddance:

:lol:

Get 'im boys !!!

The seller claimed (when asked anonymously through ebay) that he'd owned it from new ... and that it was bought from the very same music shop that mine was bought from ... but that it was bought in '83 .... two years before that range was introduced ... and the year of manufacture of this guitar in particular ... as confirmed by the serial no. ... so how does THAT work out then? err-rr :headscratch:

But like you say ... does it really matter now? At least it's mine again now ...

Btw ... this one's EXTRA special ... since I part-exchanged both my Ibanez flame-top Destroyer (same as yours, Park) AND a Gordon-Smith for it! ... then to have it stolen less than 18 months later was devastating ... especially since it wasn't insured and I could then only afford a crappy Hohner ST Scorpion to replace it with for the next 15 years (black Jackson lookalike .... 'nice' .... but not a patch on my RS-525).




Cheers Park

(And you too Mondy!)




Hey Captain, as painfull a memory as it is and i honestly hope it never happens to me or you again......do you mind me asking what the circumstances were surounding the actual theft of the guitar?.

I am assuming it was maybe left unguarded while you guy's were packing up late after a gig or was left onstage during a 20 min break.

the only reason i ask is that their maybe a lesson for us all to learn about how it was stolen.

thanks, and again congrats on getting her back!!

Park

Hey Captain, as painfull a memory as it is and i honestly hope it never happens to me or you again......do you mind me asking what the circumstances were surounding the actual theft of the guitar?.

I am assuming it was maybe left unguarded while you guy's were packing up late after a gig or was left onstage during a 20 min break.

the only reason i ask is that their maybe a lesson for us all to learn about how it was stolen.

thanks, and again congrats on getting her back!!

Park

n/p Park,

My band and I went to a pub/club to unwind with our wives after a rehearsal. The guitar was in the boot (trunk) of my car ... and the car was quite simply stolen from where it was parked ... probably just by "joy-riders".

When the car was found abandoned, two days later, the guitar wasn't with it.

Just one of 'those things' ...

What a good ending to a long period of dismay. :thumb:
I am happy for you. Now if only I could recoup the old original 74 Marshall I had as a kid. There is hope! Thanks for posting the good news! :rock: