The Fender "Strat"
It's probably no coincidence that more than $11,000 worth of pricey guitars have been taken in a string of separate thefts in several North Jersey towns.
If the names Fender, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Martin sound familiar, then you know these aren't everyday git-boxes.
Which only means that some F-holes have created a black market for the attractive axes.
Police have seen a progression, as nearly a dozen of the guitars have recently been swiped during break-ins and home invasions in New Jersey.
In one case, a group of masked machine heads beat victims during a homoe invasion, then made off with a Schecter Diamond series, a Gretsch Tennessee Rose and a Gretsch Black Falcon- with a combined value of $7,000.
In another incident, three electric guitars, a 1961 Martin and two Ibanez bass guitars were taken.
On Tuesday, two Union County towns reported a double whammy -- guitar thefts within hours of one another.
To this point, investigators haven't gotten much feedback and aren't sure how long the machine heads can sustain their crime spree.
They're hoping to catch a break online, where the thieves may be trying to strum up business.
Fender's popular Stratocaster has become a frequent target.
Developed in the 1940s as the first solid-bodied amplified guitar, the "Strat" has been credited with helping to create rock and roll. It's a sexy, curved instrument that looks as good as it sounds.
Eric Clapton loved the Strat. Jimi Hendrix turned it upside-down and played his licks left-handed.
A list of other talents have called it their own: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Sting, Elvis Costello, Pete Townsend, John Mayer, Jeff Beck and legendary sideman James Burton, among others.
One of Clapton's black Strats sold for nearly a million dollars during an auction in 2004.
Comments