By Claire Cameron
A US band playing T in the Park had a 2,000 guitar stolen from their hotel.
The unusual guitar stands out in a crowd.
Californian rockers Le Blonde Dames were horrified to discover the custom-made instrument had been stolen while they were staying at Edinburgh’s upmarket Radisson Blu on Friday night.
But a quick-witted music store owner saved the day after the dim-witted
“neds’ responsible for the theft tried to sell the guitar the following morning.
The carbon fibre, custom-made Handle guitar, belonging to guitarist Chris Garcia, had been wrapped in bin bags by the thieves.
The manager of Mev Taylor, who asked not to be named, said he had only seen the guitar in magazines but never with his own eyes.
He said:
“When I took the guitar out the bin bags I didn’t expect that! It was just two little neds trying to sell it at a ridiculously low price – they had no idea what they had.
“There is no way they could have owned it – it’s far too valuable. “
He added:
“I just put it back in the bag and told them to get out of the shop. They said they would go to another music store. I got on the phone to the police.”
It is understood the thieves dropped the guitar and ran off when the police approached them.
The store manager added:
“The police came back with the guitar in hand asking me to identify it. I told them all about the boys in the shop and what kind of guitar it was. “
A police spokesman hailed the manger’s actions as
“intuitive’ and of great
“integrity.”
She added:
“The band were very disappointed to have been targeted while visiting the country for T in The Park and we are delighted to have been able to recover the guitar and return it to them while they are still in Britain. “
It is understood the guitar and Garcia have been reunited for gigs the band are playing in London.
The culprits have not been traced and police have asked anyone with information to come forward.
