As most of you may have already seen on the Music Sumo Facebook Page, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ guitars were reported stolen from Culver Studios in Southern California on Thursday April 12th while at rehearsals for their up coming tour. The guitars were Petty’s blond 1967 maple 12-string Rickenbacker and his Gibson SGTVJunior, Mike Campbell‘s blue Dusenberg, Ron Blair‘s Fender Broadcaster, and Scott Thurston‘s 1967 Epiphone Sheridan. Collectively, the guitars were said to be worth around $100,000. On their website, the band offered a “no questions asked” $7,500 reward for information leading to the return of the instruments.
Police Chief Don Pedersen said a break in the case came when a 51 year old security guard from the Culver Studios named, Daryl Emmette Washington, pawned one of the guitars at a Hollywood pawn shop for only $250. While I am sure that Tom Petty and the boys are glad to get their instruments back, a message seeking comment from the band’s publicist, Jim Merlis, was not immediately returned.
Have a good tour, guys!
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