# Stolen: Ernie ball music man jp7 prototype from namm booth



## mystix (Jan 22, 2015)

This just posted on their Facebook page and forum by Sterling Ball

jp 15 7 string proto stolen from namm booth
Ok some lowlife decid.ed to steal the jp 15 7 string proto from the booth. If you see anyone for the next 4 months that isn't john Petrucci. W one of these they either stole it or bought a stolen guitar

Here are some pics


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## Adam Of Angels (Jan 22, 2015)

How does that happen?


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## Alex Kenivel (Jan 22, 2015)

What a steal!


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## guitaardvark (Jan 22, 2015)

Goddamn ninjas at namm again.


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## rifftrauma (Jan 22, 2015)

Seriously?


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## Captain Butterscotch (Jan 22, 2015)

Adam Of Angels said:


> How does that happen?



Seriously, how does this actually happen?


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## Michael T (Jan 22, 2015)




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## downburst82 (Jan 22, 2015)

Nice of Sterling to let the thief know how long to wait before trying to shift it...


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## Electric Wizard (Jan 22, 2015)

If anything NAMM setup day seems like the best time to steal a guitar. You could probably walk right up to it and take it off the rack and nobody would bat an eye.


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## jamesfarrell (Jan 22, 2015)

LOL @ this thread. If it were some Joe bag of doughnuts on here that got their axe stolen, I'd feel bad. 

But if you are clever enough to take a guitar off the wall at a namm booth and get away with it, you deserve the guitar


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## MatthewK (Jan 23, 2015)

Whoever stole that has some balls.


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## pushpull7 (Jan 23, 2015)

I hope it's not the guy whose huge reflection is in the chrome neck plate.


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## RustInPeace (Jan 23, 2015)

I think they caught him?

Edit: can't be, this one looks like a les Paul on closer look. Sorry!


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## BornToLooze (Jan 23, 2015)

MatthewK said:


> Whoever stole that has some balls.



Well we know he at least has 1.


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## MattThePenguin (Jan 23, 2015)

As much of a shame that this is, this thread is hilarious


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## FretsOnFyre (Jan 23, 2015)

MatthewK said:


> Whoever stole that has some balls.


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## Overtone (Jan 23, 2015)

This is a dramatic turn of events...


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## electriceye (Jan 23, 2015)

Overtone said:


> This is a dramatic turn of events...



I see what you did there!


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## Duraesu (Jan 23, 2015)

so... is that easy to steal a prototype from the EB booth and walk away like nothing happened? Sure there are witnesses? security cam footage? lol


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## asher (Jan 23, 2015)

_velkan said:


> so... is that easy to steal a prototype from the EB booth and walk away like nothing happened? Sure there are witnesses? security cam footage? lol



Bring empty case. Place it somewhere else.

Walk around like you're setting stuff up. Take guitar.

Stick in own case.

Walk out door.

???

Profit....?


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## Duraesu (Jan 23, 2015)

asher said:


> Bring empty case. Place it somewhere else.
> 
> Walk around like you're setting stuff up. Take guitar.
> 
> ...



With so many people walking around? you have to put the case on the floor, open it, take the guitar and everything... Maybe, MAYBE with a soft gig bag! 

Is there no security at the doors, checking in and out?


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## Jake (Jan 23, 2015)

So the person who stole it not only managed to be allowed at NAMM but then managed to get away with it with nobody seeing? No security footage? Nothing? Wow...


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## asher (Jan 23, 2015)

_velkan said:


> With so many people walking around? you have to put the case on the floor, open it, take the guitar and everything... Maybe, MAYBE with a soft gig bag!
> 
> Is there no security at the doors, checking in and out?



If everyone's going in and out with tons of cases because all the vendors are in the process of setting up? I doubt it.

It's scarily easy to look like you know what you're doing.


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## stradfire (Jan 23, 2015)

Yeah but what the ....'s he gonna do with with it? It's a recognizable guitar... He can't parade around with it, perform with it, record a video with it, sell it...

On the other hand, that absolutely awesome that this years JP will be that shape. The Majesty is just so... 

What a fatal tragedy. It's such a beautiful guitar... she's lost, not forgotten. Only a matter of time before it pops up again.

EDIT:: All it takes is a clipboard and a confident wave to get into virtually any building.


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## ElysianGuitars (Jan 23, 2015)

stradfire said:


> Yeah but what the ....'s he gonna do with with it? It's a recognizable guitar... He can't parade around with it, perform with it, record a video with it, sell it...
> 
> On the other hand, that absolutely awesome that this years JP will be that shape. The Majesty is just so...
> 
> ...



Honestly, it's only going to be recognizable to a very very small percentage of people...


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## stradfire (Jan 23, 2015)

Can I just say slightly off topic that with how many signature guitars JP has, now with that new line of Artisan Majestys... he may as well be his own guitar company...

...and then maybe I'd finally buy one cuz it wouldn't technically be a signature, right?...

no...

carry on.


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 23, 2015)

As sad as this thread is...it's pure comic gold.

I hope they catch that prick.


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## lemeker (Jan 23, 2015)

The fact someone would do this is sad, just sad. I hope they find the guy and chop his nuts off, grind em up and feed them back to him.


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## xwmucradiox (Jan 23, 2015)

Typically unless you are an artist you cant just walk in and out of NAMM with an instrument. The show is specifically set up so its not a retail sales environment and people arent supposed to be going in and out with guitars.


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## narad (Jan 23, 2015)

Did they ever catch the guy that stole the Teuffel last year?


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## totalnewb (Jan 23, 2015)

xwmucradiox said:


> Typically unless you are an artist you cant just walk in and out of NAMM with an instrument. The show is specifically set up so its not a retail sales environment and people arent supposed to be going in and out with guitars.



I've seen some "sold" signs on some of the guitars on some youtube channels of the NAMM event, and some of those youtube channels seem to have had setup day access to NAMM. Not sure what the deal is there.


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## stradfire (Jan 23, 2015)

I think that's when someone orders a custom guitar, say, from Strandberg, and then Ola asks to hold on to it to show it off at NAMM.


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## totalnewb (Jan 23, 2015)

stradfire said:


> I think that's when someone orders a custom guitar, say, from Strandberg, and then Ola asks to hold on to it to show it off at NAMM.



That would make sense.


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## totalnewb (Jan 23, 2015)

Just a thought, but perhaps this person scouted before, and saw the way people were handling instruments at this particular NAMM, beforehand. Seems like a typical ( semi-intelligent) theif mo.


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## Jason2112 (Jan 23, 2015)

I'm waiting for the NGD, now THAT would take *balls*.


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## SeditiousDissent (Jan 23, 2015)

Jason2112 said:


> I'm waiting for the NGD, now THAT would take *balls*.




Well, MemphisHawk must have balls of "steal." 

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/288146-ngd-ebmm-jp15-7-string.html

Disclaimer: Clearly, that thread is in *no way* serious. 

*edit for disclaimer


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## Lorcan Ward (Jan 23, 2015)

narad said:


> Did they ever catch the guy that stole the Teuffel last year?



I was thinking about that this morning. I never heard anything more after.


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## OmegaSlayer (Jan 23, 2015)

I call Asher responsible for any future steal at next NAMMs


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## asher (Jan 23, 2015)

OmegaSlayer said:


> I call Asher responsible for any future steal at next NAMMs



Shit. Maybe I should go to the next one, so that when it inevitably happens, at least I'll have something for it!


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## Jacksonluvr636 (Jan 23, 2015)

Insurance scam written all over this.

How many of you have ever gone to a NAMM show.

How many of you have ever gone to a NAMM show with a bag or any item on your way out?

How many of you have ever gone to a NAMM show with a bag or any item on your way out without it being checked by security?


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## asher (Jan 23, 2015)

I doubt they're hurting such they're going to insurance scam off their new JP model, which is easily their biggest seller and hype maker.


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## xwmucradiox (Jan 23, 2015)

totalnewb said:


> I've seen some "sold" signs on some of the guitars on some youtube channels of the NAMM event, and some of those youtube channels seem to have had setup day access to NAMM. Not sure what the deal is there.



That means the guitar is sold to a dealer and you cant touch it any more in most cases. That doesn't mean someone paid for it and is leaving with it that day. Basically, NAMM isn't a guitar show and you cant just go and buy things for immediate delivery.


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## Zado (Jan 23, 2015)

I really don't remember last time I head about a stolen guitar that actually got back to the legit owner,so it's very likely gone.It's sad,but at least it didn't happen to a player that saved his money for years just to afford the purchase


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## Esp Griffyn (Jan 23, 2015)

Jacksonluvr636 said:


> Insurance scam written all over this.
> 
> How many of you have ever gone to a NAMM show.
> 
> ...



Yes, a big company like EBMM would definitely make a fraudulent insurance claim on a single guitar. As long as they get a few thousand dollars (minus the excess on the policy) it's all good, corporate reputation, shareholder confidence and stock market value be damned.


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## Andromalia (Jan 23, 2015)

Jacksonluvr636 said:


> Insurance scam written all over this.
> 
> How many of you have ever gone to a NAMM show.
> 
> ...




Well, not NAMM but I've worked on other same scale shows in France, and during the setup days, just everybody has his hands full of expo gear. Stands don't build up by themselves. I have had countless occasions to palm stuff, taking a computer screen from here to there, grabbing a laptop etc. Once the guitar is in a case it's just the 5671367816th guitar case security sees during the day.


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## Zado (Jan 23, 2015)

Andromalia said:


> Well, not NAMM but I've worked on other same scale shows in France, and during the setup days, just everybody has his hands full of expo gear. Stands don't build up by themselves. I have had countless occasions to palm stuff, taking a computer screen from here to there, grabbing a laptop etc. Once the guitar is in a case it's just the 5671367816th guitar case security sees during the day.



Mmmm gotta find my place in Messe this year then









Just kiddin,they're Deutsch,they'd be cutting my hand in no sec


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## bostjan (Jan 23, 2015)

I also cannot see how this could have happened.

I'd imagine it'd be just as easy to steal the gavel from a courthouse as it would be to steal a not-yet-released JP EBMM sig guitar from NAMM.


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## Blasphemer (Jan 23, 2015)

BornToLooze said:


> Well we know he at least has 1.


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## totalnewb (Jan 23, 2015)

*mod edit: save the soapbox for P&CE*


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## Watty (Jan 23, 2015)

lemeker said:


> The fact someone would do this is sad, just sad. I hope they find the guy and chop his nuts off, grind em up and feed them back to him.



Are you serious right now?!

Glad we don't live in a world where you make the rules...even the Ayatollah is saying "yeah, we don't .... with that guy, he's crazy."


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## pushpull7 (Jan 24, 2015)

Wha?


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## Hollowway (Jan 24, 2015)

jamesfarrell said:


> LOL @ this thread. If it were some Joe bag of doughnuts on here that got their axe stolen, I'd feel bad.
> 
> But if you are clever enough to take a guitar off the wall at a namm booth and get away with it, you deserve the guitar



Joking, I hope. Someone may have lost their job over it. And if the guy got away with it he's pretty much guaranteed to steal something else - perhaps from Joe bag of doughnuts. 

Stealing a guitar from the show is ballsy, but it's not as if he gof past a laser alarm and dropped from the ceiling on wires.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 24, 2015)

Jake said:


> So the person who stole it not only managed to be allowed at NAMM but then managed to get away with it with nobody seeing? No security footage? Nothing? Wow...



This shifty ninja was clever, that's for sure.


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## totalnewb (Jan 24, 2015)

Hollowway said:


> Joking, I hope. Someone may have lost their job over it. And if the guy got away with it he's pretty much guaranteed to steal something else - perhaps from Joe bag of doughnuts.
> 
> Stealing a guitar from the show is ballsy, but it's not as if he gof past a laser alarm and dropped from the ceiling on wires.



There are a lot of clever thieves that steal really well guarded things from places you wouldn't think could be stolen from.

-Edit-, those thieves usually don't steal from the same places as petty thieves. But yeah, they -probably- would steal again.


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## Matt_D_ (Jan 24, 2015)

is it just me or...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkCYFd2TRQg

is the dude doing this demo using it...

(this is the 6 string, not the 7, still i was like "HEY IVE SEEN THAT BEFORE")


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## Vrollin (Jan 24, 2015)

Insurance scam? Really? Get real, I don't think a company like Ernie Ball is so desperate for cash that they would have one, yes one, guitar stolen just to make a claim.....


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## max3000 (Jan 24, 2015)

Don't they have a crapton of cameras over there? There's no way someone could get away with that in a large convention hall.


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## Rawkmann (Jan 24, 2015)

I immediately thought of this video



If they were able to pull this off I have no doubt someone could have easily walked out with that JP. Seems like a pretty loose environment overall, I suspect it just takes one person with the balls to grab an instrument and bolt.


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## Slunk Dragon (Jan 25, 2015)

Maybe Bernie stole it, that fool's probably still doing lowlife sh!t, anyways.


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## Thorerges (Jan 25, 2015)

Man, this sucks. Well, maybe they should tag these guitars with the same security tags that clothing stores use.


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## pushpull7 (Jan 25, 2015)

One things for sure, prices just went up


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## ibanice (Jan 25, 2015)

Matt_D_ said:


> is it just me or...
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkCYFd2TRQg
> 
> ...



Well now we know what Bugera has copied this time


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## Zado (Jan 25, 2015)

Is this the very same on or just the Petrucci's personal?






Also,what happened to the guy himself?


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## Yianni54 (Jan 25, 2015)

Jake said:


> So the person who stole it not only managed to be allowed at NAMM but then managed to get away with it with nobody seeing? No security footage? Nothing? Wow...




Unless it was an inside job!!!


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## Andromalia (Jan 25, 2015)

Zado said:


> Also,what happened to the guy himself?



Steroids ?


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## Musiscience (Jan 25, 2015)

Zado said:


> Is this the very same on or just the Petrucci's personal?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Petrucci is looking more and more like a pirate. I hope next year he brings the eyepatch back into fashion and release a signature Rhum.


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## jemfloral (Jan 25, 2015)

Zado said:


> Is this the very same on or just the Petrucci's personal?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's the 6-stringer. The 7 was stolen.


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## Skyblue (Jan 25, 2015)

From my experience*, it's rather easy to steal a guitar from such a place, especially if it's as hectic as people here describe it to be. 
As for security cameras- it's usually enough to simply wear a hat or a hoodie and be aware of where the cameras are and you're good to go... 

Sad to hear such things happen. 

*I'm not, nor I was, a thief  but during my army service I did security tests of sorts, in different bases, and you'd be amazed at how easy it is to simply walk into an army base and walk out with a gun, and no one says a thing.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 25, 2015)

Yianni54 said:


> Unless it was an inside job!!!



JP15 7 conspiracy theories: Mohamed Atta did it! He left his business card in the EBMM booth!


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## stradfire (Jan 25, 2015)

Hollowway said:


> Joking, I hope. Someone may have lost their job over it. And if the guy got away with it he's pretty much guaranteed to steal something else - perhaps from Joe bag of doughnuts.
> 
> Stealing a guitar from the show is ballsy, but it's not as if he gof past a laser alarm and dropped from the ceiling on wires.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 25, 2015)

stradfire said:


>




Wait... what was the point we were discussing again?


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## Ambit (Jan 25, 2015)

That blows lol


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## michblanch (Jan 26, 2015)

The NAMM show get hectic. 
Years back one of Jacksons employees sold a Jackson prototype that was built for Randy before he died. 
Grover walked back into the booth and asked where Randy's guitar was and the employee told him he sold it. 

There was a great article about the guitar a few years ago in GW.


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## totalnewb (Jan 26, 2015)

michblanch said:


> The NAMM show get hectic.
> Years back one of Jacksons employees sold a Jackson prototype that was built for Randy before he died.
> Grover walked back into the booth and asked where Randy's guitar was and the employee told him he sold it.
> 
> There was a great article about the guitar a few years ago in GW.



What happened to the employee? lol


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## michblanch (Jan 26, 2015)

The guitar sold was a white RR or Concorde. 
It was hand built by Grover and was supposed to be given to RR before his death. 

Not sure what happened to the employee who sold it. But the guilt must have been unbearable. That is a horrible mistake. 

Sean Clegg is the owner of the guitar and has had it since he was a teenager. 

Below is correspondence regarding the guitar. 

-----------------------------
"Thanks for writing back. The Randy connection was confirmed to myself
and GUITAR WORLD magazine by Grover Jackson himself. Randy and Grover
designed the black Jackson shown in all of Randy's last
concert photos, and were making the white one I own when Randy
died. Grover Jackson also gave an interview in 1984 where he explained
how he "lost" Randy's guitar at the NAMM show. So there /is/ a
verifiable Randy connection. And provenance available from Grover
Jackson himself. He also told me "of all the guitars I ever made...
this is the one I wish I had in a glass case on display" Frankly, this
guitar was his highest achievement... and made and finished with the
love and reverence of a man who just lost a very dear friend. Tim
Wilson helped me get in touch with Grover and knows about this guitar,
so that's a bit confusing. As for Delores, perhaps Grover didn't tell
her. In any case, if and when I sell it, there will be written
provenance from Grover Jackson himself.

As for your price,
Grover himself wants to buy it back, and mentioned 20- 30 k
Guitar World thinks its worth much more.
I think its the best Jackson guitar ever made.

Thanks again for your interest."


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## Jason2112 (Feb 4, 2015)

^ interesting story. Kind of a douchey thing to do hanging on to that guitar knowing full well it was hand-built for Randy and never intended to be sold.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 4, 2015)

Jason2112 said:


> ^ interesting story. Kind of a douchey thing to do hanging on to that guitar knowing full well it was hand-built for Randy and never intended to be sold.



Eh. If I remember right, the thing ended up in a music store, sold to them used. Sean Clegg bought it from the store, which he worked at, and has held onto it for what, 30+ years? 

Yeah, major d-bag right there. 

Anyways, slightly off topic but relevant to Randy and kinda interesting too: pretty sure Vinnie Vincent was the first to have an RR model after Randy's death, which was originally in a nice gold flake as seen in the Rock in Rio live video from 1983 with Kiss, some of their last make up [pre reunion that is] shows before they took off the makeup and did the Lick it Up tour with Vinnie while finding a replacement. By this time, he'd had it refinished in a salmon pink color and had supposedly tried a bunch of different pickups in it as well as some preamps/boosters and it's not entirely what he had in it.


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## RevDrucifer (Feb 5, 2015)

As chaotic as NAMM is, there's security checking EVERYTHING at the main entrances to every hall. They check through swag bags and everything, purses, all that stuff. 

My guess is the guy walked it right out through the vendor loading doors. They're in the back of the exhibit room on the main floor and pretty much unattended. I caught KG from Tenacious D walking out one and got to say hi real quick, right at one of the doors. I'm sure there's security out back, but it's mainly shipping crates and parking lot.


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## protest (Feb 5, 2015)

RustInPeace said:


> I think they caught him?
> 
> Edit: can't be, this one looks like a les Paul on closer look. Sorry!



I'm not going to lie, that looks like my local the Sam Ash...

...Which is where one of the guitar managers said a dude stole a Les Paul during the Christmas shopping season by sticking the neck down his pants and covering the top with a coat. They caught him on his 2nd attempt.


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## Solodini (Feb 6, 2015)

RevDrucifer said:


> As chaotic as NAMM is, there's security checking EVERYTHING at the main entrances to every hall. They check through swag bags and everything, purses, all that stuff.
> 
> My guess is the guy walked it right out through the vendor loading doors. They're in the back of the exhibit room on the main floor and pretty much unattended. I caught KG from Tenacious D walking out one and got to say hi real quick, right at one of the doors. I'm sure there's security out back, but it's mainly shipping crates and parking lot.


 
No they don't. Adrian Legg was demonstrating and made a point of posting his unchecked gear security forms which security staff are meant to check and sign when anyone leaves the hall with any gear. 4 days, unchecked.


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## JustinG60 (Feb 6, 2015)

interesting...













sooooooo... my question is, did anyone check Petrucci's stuff to make sure it's not accidentally in his collection?


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## btbg (Feb 6, 2015)

xwmucradiox said:


> Basically, NAMM isn't a guitar show and you cant just go and buy things for immediate delivery.



Unless you're S7G.


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## Andromalia (Feb 6, 2015)

JustinG60 said:


> sooooooo... my question is, did anyone check Petrucci's stuff to make sure it's not accidentally in his collection?



There hasn't been enough time since NAMM to check his entire collection.


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## Overtone (Feb 6, 2015)

Holy beard


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## electriceye (Feb 11, 2015)

Maybe he hid it IN his beard!!! BUSTED!


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## Sephiroth952 (Feb 11, 2015)

JustinG60 said:


> Beard of Doom



Wow, the majesty looks way better without the shovel inlay. That guitar is damn pretty.


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## 3074326 (Feb 11, 2015)

protest said:


> I'm not going to lie, that looks like my local the Sam Ash...
> 
> ...Which is where one of the guitar managers said a dude stole a Les Paul during the Christmas shopping season by sticking the neck down his pants and covering the top with a coat. They caught him on his 2nd attempt.



That picture has been around for a while. Doesn't mean it's not your local Sam Ash, but that is probably not that specific holiday thief. Haha

I've seen the headstock down the pants trick too. It looks ridiculous and unless nobody in the shop is paying attention, it should never work. 

What I have seen is trench coats with guitar hooks in the sides. The guitars just kind of hang in there. As long as the person isn't moving very fast, totally doable. It would still take a pretty impressive amount of nobody paying attention, but it's better than the guitar down the pants trick. 

The most effective is the "**** it" method of grabbing the guitar and literally running out. They at least get out of the store before getting caught by security cameras inside and outside. 

I'm not a thief. Worked in the business for years.


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## fantasyl (Feb 12, 2015)

it's sad to know the thief wasn't identified and at least caught on camera, but I'd install a mini bike gps alarm on most precious prototypes / guitars....a friend recovered a stolen bike this way...it should be not that difficult to get the guitar back / track its position.


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## Eclipse (Feb 12, 2015)

guitaardvark said:


> Goddamn ninjas at namm again.



Made me lel in theory class and get in trouble thanks.


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