NCBS Stolen & Missing Instrument Information Page

This is the Northern California Bluegrass Society's national infomation page for stolen and missing musical instruments. This page can be used to announce the theft or other loss of musical instruments, updates on subsequent investigations, and news about the recovery of instruments. The forum is HTML-enabled, so that links may be added to other websites that contain pictures and other detailed information about the instruments. The NCBS does not warrant the accuracy of any information posted. Contact the source for details. Good luck to all!

NCBS Stolen & Missing Instrument Information Page
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Randy Kohrs Band -- Numerous Instruments Stolen, Columbus, OH

The Randy Kohrs Band has suffered a devastating loss when the band van was broken into and nearly everything stolen out of it this weekend following a performance at the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival near Columbus, OH. The estimated amount of loss at this point looks to be around $50,000 - $60,000, but as the reality of it all sinks in, we’re thinking of more stuff that was taken. It was stolen out of the Sleep Inn parking lot in Obetz, OH between 3:30am and 5:00am, estimated. This was probably the only time we’ve ever left our stuff in the van like that, and we only did so because we were going to be in the hotel only a short time before heading home. They ripped the lock completely out of the driver’s side door to get in. Luckily, the banjo player, Mike Sumner, was riding with his girlfriend and has his banjo in her car instead. Considering they had their apartment broken into a few months ago, we’re all thankful they weren’t dealing with this again. Oddly enough, none of the drums or related gear were stolen.

Here is the current list of missing items:

Scheerhorn L-Body Resonator guitar #547
Amistar Randy Kohrs Model tricone resonator
Meredith all blonde, tongue-oiled maple resonator guitar
Mike Long D-18 style acoustic guitar
*All guitars had fishman pick-ups
Custom Cedar Creek Case for the Meredith – black alligator, inside is purple, has “Custom Built for Randy Kohrs” plate
Two white Calton Cases with Randy’s name on them, both had red interiors
Cedar Creek case for the acoustic Mike Long Guitar

Forrest Craig (Texas-based luthier) Violin with L.R. Baggs pickup
Strad copy violin, roughly 1880’s, the tag inside not exactly accurate. Pictures can be seen on our website/pages.
A double violin case, the attached strap doesn’t match – it’s maroon and gray with gold hardware.

Upright acoustic King Bass, white with black trim, red tailpiece, rare
2 Warwick 2 10” speaker cabinets
Silver waterproof helicopter case with cables and a Shure wireless system

3 Stage Ninja brand quarter inch cables

Fishman Dreadnought Aura, Fishman resophonic Aura, Fishman Reverb, Fishman Chorus, Fishman Delay, Boosta Grande Boost pedal, 2 Radial DI’s, Radial Tone Bone Pre-Amp, Hilton Optical volume pedal, 2 Peterson Strobe Stomp Tuners (one had Ashley B. written on the front of it in black marker)

Tool Kit with extra cords and assorted tools.

We don’t want to discourage the thieves from attempting to sell anything as we’d love for them to be caught ASAP – the last thing we want is for the thieves to just throw them in a dumpster or ditch, never to be found. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you see fit. Please contact me if any of this is seen or you have any questions!

Thanks so much!

Ashley Brown
Publicity/Booking
2322 Foster Ave.
Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: 615-418-9636
Email: ashley@leftofcenterrecords.net
www.randykohrs.com
www.myspace.com/randykohrs
www.myspace.com/slackkeystudio

Re: Randy Kohrs Band -- Numerous Instruments Stolen, Columbus, OH

Pictures of the stolen instruments

Re: Randy Kohrs Band -- Numerous Instruments Stolen, Columbus, OH

The following list of instruments were stolen from the Nashville-based Randy Kohrs Band following a Saturday performance at the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival just outside of Columbus, OH. They were stolen out of the Sleep Inn parking lot in Obetz, OH on July 26, 2009, between 3:30am and 5:00am, estimated. We don’t want the thieves to know that most of this stuff is so traceable and/or recognizable as we want them to be caught soon trying to sell it, as you can understand, instead of them throwing it all in a ditch or dumpster and nobody ever finding them. Chances are, it’s been moved a good distance away, so we would truly appreciate this message being forwarded on, as well. The estimated total loss is over $50,000.

**Email me for pictures**

Please contact myself or Detective Jeff Reed of the Columbus Police Dept. at 614-462-3351 or jxreed@franklincountyohio.gov if you have any information.

While we’re still getting serial numbers for some of the gear, here is a detailed list of all the gear missing:

Scheerhorn L-Body Resonator guitar #547
Amistar Randy Kohrs Model tricone resonator – one-of-a-kind
Meredith all blonde, tongue-oiled maple resonator guitar #95
Mike Long D-18 style acoustic guitar #126
*All guitars had fishman pick-ups
Custom Cedar Creek Case for the Meredith – black alligator, inside is purple, has “Custom Built for Randy Kohrs” plate
Two white Calton Cases with Randy’s name on them, both had red interiors
Cedar Creek case for the acoustic Mike Long Guitar

Forrest Craig (Texas-based luthier) Violin with L.R. Baggs pickup
Antonio Solari-labeled Violin with Fishman Pick-up.
Bobelock Double violin case – the strap attached did not match, it is maroon and gray with gold hardware

Upright acoustic Road King Bass, white with black trim, red tailpiece, one-of-a-kind
2 Warwick 2 10” speaker cabinets
Silver waterproof helicopter case (you can’t even buy these!) with cables and a Shure wireless system

3 Stage Ninja brand quarter inch cables

Fishman Dreadnought Aura, Fishman resophonic Aura, Fishman Reverb, Fishman Chorus, Fishman Delay, Boosta Grande Boost pedal, 2 Radial DI’s, Radial Tone Bone Pre-Amp, Hilton Optical volume pedal, 2 Peterson Strobe Stomp Tuners (one had Ashley B. written on the front of it in black marker)

George Lawrence cables Tool Kit with extra cords and assorted tools.

Ashley Brown
Phone: 615-418-9636
Email: ashley@leftofcenterrecords.net

RECOVERED: Randy Kohrs Band -- Numerous Instruments Stolen, Columbus, OH

Wonderful news! The instruments and electronic gear stolen from Randy Kohrs and his band near Columbus, OH on July 25 have been recovered, and several men are in police custody.

As we reported on 7/26, Randy and the band regretfully neglected to take the instruments from the van into their hotel rooms after performing at the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival, as they were normally accustomed to doing. They were dog tired and had planned to only sleep a few hours before returning to Nashville the next morning.

The theft was reported to the local Obetz, OH police who were unable to collect any fingerprints or forensic evidence from the vehicle. Kohrs’ fiddler and road manager Ashley Brown spread word about the theft far and wide, with hopes that these highly distinctive instruments might be easily recognizable when offered on the secondary market.

On July 31, three of Randy’s resophonic guitars were sold to pawn shops in nearby Columbus. Obetz detectives quickly located the seller, who was not involved in the actual theft, but was able to provide police with information that led to the apprehension of the thieves.

Brown tells us that…

“They learned through this suspect, however, that the next to be sold were the two missing violins and pawn shops in the area were put on alert.

Two days later, a third pawn shop contacted the police as men were attempting to sell the anticipated instruments and stalled them until law enforcement arrived. This ultimately lead to the discovery of the majority of the remaining stolen items.

Special thanks go out to all the detectives involved: Franklin County Det. Jeff Reed, and the Columbus Police Department’s Det. Ron Turner, Det. J.B. Summers, Det. Steve Nate, and Det. Robert Hoffman.”

Police are not prepared to release the names of the suspects until they are formally charges, sometime this next week. Six counts of 4th degree felony are anticipated in this case.

Their personal effects and a GPS unit were not recovered, but Brown and Kohrs both expressed great relief and satisfaction at having the tools of their trade returned unharmed. Ashley said that one of her fiddles was still in tune!

As any insurance agent will tell you, it is crucially important to have multiple photos of any valuable musical instruments - along with serial numbers - in a safe place should this unfortunate occasion arise.

Hats off to all involved in bringing this case to such a quick and gratifying conclusion.