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Call it a pipe dream, but I am hoping to locate the exact guitar that was stolen from my apartment in Boston way back in 1980.
It is a wine-red Gibson ES-345-TD thinline semi-hollowbody, serial number 70418082.
This guitar was purchased new in 1978, and is for all practical purposes a factory stock ES-345, with gold plated hardware, dual humbucking pickups, Varitone rotary switch, stereo output jack, tune-o-matic bridge with metal string saddles, a trapeze tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard with dual parallelogram pearl inlays, etc.
The instrument was labeled a Factory Second, probably due to some flaws in the finish, visible as several discolored streaks running adjacent to the strings just below the tailpiece (near the controls). The word "SECOND" was stamped on the back of the headstock, just below the serial number.
The gold plated tuning machines were slightly more substantial than the stock pearl-handled tuners used by Gibson at that time; these more closely resembled Schaller machines. (I've always assumed the upgraded tuning machines were added to compensate for the Factory Second status of the instrument.)
I'm not positive, but if memory serves the adhesive paper Gibson identification label, normally visible through the upper F-hole (and visible in the pic below), was subsequently removed (by me).
As a stock 1978 ES-345-TD, I assume this instrument is hardly a desirable collector's item. It does, however, hold significant sentimental value to me. (If you must know, it was a high school graduation present from my father. Boo-hoo!) After all these years I am finally in a position where I can afford to buy it back from its current owner at fair market value.
I will ask no self-incriminating questions. I will not seek any legal action. I would simply like to re-acquire the guitar which was stolen from me many years ago, and which means a lot to me. If you currently are in possession of this instrument, please consider selling it back to me. If you have any information as to the whereabouts of this guitar, please let me know.
I would greatly appreciate it, you'd be fulfilling a 45-year-old fantasy of mine, and you'd be supplying some good karma for the universe. Thanks. PM me if you have info.
Picture of 17-year-old me with that guitar the day I got it in 1978:
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04-08-2025 05:45 PM
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Good luck to you. My first “real” guitar that I saved up for was a mid-70’s walnut 335. I wish I still had it for nostalgia.
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OP, All the best in your quest!
WS, I had a late 70s walnut 335!
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Good luck and that’s a great pic
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Please be careful of scammers who may contact you with news of your guitar.
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What's old is new because to me that picture looks shockingly modern
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To the OP: Good luck, a longshot indeed.
Guitars are like girlfriends. Long after they have left our lives, we wonder what has become of them. I suspect that with the ravages of time, if we were reunited with long lost guitars (or girlfriends) there might be some disappointments.
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Just a suggestion, but sometimes the dream of getting back together is just that. Totally get the concept and I’ve had some great guitars in the past, that would be nice to acquire again.
The good news is there are a plethora of great used ES-345 guitars available. As well as say Eastman copies that are an unbelievable deal,if that’s the style guitar you want again.
I do wish you luck in finding your guitar !
FS - REDUCED Gibson 2002 ES-345 Mono/Stereo Varitone $1950 Shipped | The Gear Page
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Now in 2025 I would disagree with that.
Originally Posted by Bob_Ross
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Whoa that is a nice one. Originally Posted by jads57
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I wonder everyday about what happened to my old guitars, cars and girlfriends. Well, I know about some of the girls, but not the ones I really wish I knew about. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
With all the above, probably best to remember them as they were many years ago. I might be disappointed if I came across them today.
And yes the best solution to all the above is to get something similar or even better.
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Ah the age old advice that my father gave me way back when "Plenty more fish in the sea son" And my single uncle told me "Why pay for the cow when you can get the milk for free" Took a while for me to figure out what he meant by that.
Originally Posted by jads57
Last edited by Fear the Reaper; 04-10-2025 at 10:46 AM.
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.......An old Boss of mine once said - Originally Posted by Fear the Reaper
" Why pay for the milk when a cow is free ? ".....
At the time I was getting a lifetime's education working at a restaurant / bar .........
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No, I get the OP’s wish for his original guitar back. I just have been through so many guitars,way over 400-500 over 50 years.
And what I loved back when I was 17,is different from my needs nowadays.
So I’m just saying it doesn’t always turn out to be the answer. And it sure is fun thinking of those memories for sure!
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8-10 average a year for 50 years? that's crazy Originally Posted by jads57
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Must be the Who cover band he was in: guitar demolition is mandatory. Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Jeez Doc, now you got me wondering about some of my old cars and motorcycles. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Fortunately I haven't been bitten by the motorcycle bug...yet. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Jeez Doc, now you got me wondering about some of my old cars and motorcycles.
There's a cool shop in a tiny burg about an hour away that has an incredible collection of vintage cycles. There's a black '50s Vincent I lusted after. $69K. A bit pricey for an impulse buy.
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If you haven't been a motorcycle rider since your youth (I have been riding since I was 16), don't start now. The average motorcycle rider goes down three times (I have been down exactly three times and the last time almost killed me). Being middle aged (or older) means slower reflexes, diminished vision and hearing, more brittle bones and a longer healing time in general (but you already know all of that). Motorcycles are a young person's passion and unless one has years of experience, they are, IMO, an older person's folly. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Ahh yes, the Vincent Black Shadow. My little town had a Motorcycle mechanic that owned a Black Shadow and a Black Prince (basically the same bike with "touring" equipment). He passed away and the heirs did quite well from the legacy. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
Fortunately I haven't been bitten by the motorcycle bug...yet.
There's a cool shop in a tiny burg about an hour away that has an incredible collection of vintage cycles. There's a black '50s Vincent I lusted after. $69K. A bit pricey for an impulse buy.
I would tend to agree with SS, even though we are in different motorcycle type tribes. My Dad (RIP) got me started on Ducati in my teens, we campaigned a 250 on the local track. Did OK, however the Hondas and Yamahas were faster and more reliable. I learned to ride sportbikes on Angeles Crest highway which was local to us. First thing I bought with money I saved from playing on the road was a Ducati Bevel 900SS. Worth a fortune now.
I've been down several times, the last one being caused by hitting a cow (open range) in our local mountains. I turned 69 y.o. yesterday and can still feel the long term damage from the accident. However it didn't stop me from rapid Ducati riding in the twisties, I was just out burning a wheel on my Birthday yesterday.
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When I was flying EMS helicopters, we picked up a fair number of motorcycle riders. Almost all were middle-aged Harley riders, none wearing helmets. We had a younger guy have a spectacular spill on the interstate right beside our base, fully leathered and with a helmet, and he walked away. The older Harley riders all had brain injuries, some died after we got them the the trauma center, some lived on, most with serious disabilities. I rode a motorcycle back when I was young and stupid, but the cars kept trying to kill me and I smartened up and sold it.
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Sold my BMW R850 at 47 and bought a Mazda Miata. Open top and fun in the twisting turns. Oh and the good looking blonde next to me!
Originally Posted by sgosnell
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A Miata is something every car aficionado should own at least once in their lives. It’s like the ES175 of cars. Originally Posted by Fear the Reaper
I had 2, and in fact just gave up my ‘21 RF GT last year. Nothing is more fun in the warm weather months, or heck even down to the 30’s. Heated seats, a bitchin’ HVAC and a decent jacket and scarf will go a long way toward making cold weather enjoyable. (Though summer tires don’t like it below 30 degrees.)
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I agree completely, especially in urban areas in the northeastern US. I started on a Bridgestone 90 when I was 18 and went up through the usual ranks (Yamaha 250, BMW 250, Triumph 650, Kawasaki Mach 3, etc) until my last bike. I was intrigued by the Yamaha RZ350 and bought one when I was in my late 40s. It was the last bike I rode regularly, because traffic was getting crazier and drivers were ever more hostile towards motorcyclists. The last bike I bought was a a Honda CBR500R, and I gave it to my son when I stopped riding completely about 20 years ago. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
He’s smarter than I was. After a few years on the CBR, he went to a Harley for a few more before he stopped riding completely at least 10 years ago. And after some very nice cars (Mini, Miata, STI, ‘vette, M3, etc), he now drives a killer pickup.
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The traffic here on the Central California coast has gotten as bad and as angry as the traffic in the Northeast. It has caused me to ride the two-wheelers much less. It is not fun when you are playing a constant game of survival against distracted, angry humans. The older we get, the more dangerous life becomes. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
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