Stolen Melodeons

Subject: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,squeezy
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 01:38 PM

Hi there everyone,

Last night, 2 of my melodeons were stolen from the car in Oxford, - a lesson to be learnt by all here! No matter how late you get back from a gig ... no matter how tired or busy you are GET THEM INDOORS!

Anyway here are the details. If anyone is offered these instruments please get in touch through the John Spiers & Jon Boden website or phone the police, the crime reference number is BM9101120/04.

1) Oakwood Model 7 in D/G - Light maple/sycamore wood finish with black/red bellows and white diamond motif on bellows. 21 black treble buttons, 8 black bass buttons. 2 bass stops and a coupler behind the fingerboard. Velcro stuck on both sides to attach mics to. This is a very rare model and quite distinctive - it was in a hard black case with red piping and Saltarelle written on the front and the case was lined with a fake leopard-skin material.

2) Saltarelle Irish Bouebe in C/F - light cherry wood, 23 treble/8 bass buttons (white) One bass stop. Again velcro on both sides - this one was in a maroon/black rucksack. Quite unusual in this key.

3) An aluminium flight case (small - about the size of a lunchbox) containing 3 x AKG c416 gooseneck microphones, 1 x Audio Technica ATM87R boundary (flat) microphone and some spare velcro.

Thanks for reading.

Squeezy

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 02:41 PM

Jon get yourself down to any secondhand places around the area. We had our instruments stolen a few years back and both my melodeon and Geoff's banjo turned up withing a couple of days at two different secondhand shops. The police were less than useless but the shopkeepers were brilliant - one rang every pub that he found flyers for and asked if they knew someone who played a banjo with a duck on and got Geoffs parents phone number, the other knew we were looking so when they arrived he got the melodeon and then rang the police within seconds but they still haven't arrived 5 years on!! They each bought the instruments for £20 which we gladly reimbursed although they didn't ask for it. Of course the police then wanted to do them for receiving but we told them that would not be fair as without their efforts we might never have seen them again.
Good luck with getting yours back.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 03:07 PM

Jon I will pass the word round this side, though what the Ducks say is
the favourite option.Secondhand shops are your most likely bet.Best of luck getting your gear back anyway.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 03:26 PM

Which Oxford?

There are more than a few in the world...

Best of luck to ya Squeezy!

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,Rich A
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:02 PM

'The' Oxford. In Oxfordshire!

Really sorry to hear about that, John.
Hope they turn up soon.

Rich Arrowsmith

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,The Vulgar Boatman
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:05 PM

Leaving aside the question of why anyone would want to steal a melodeon...
I've passed the details to a mate of mine in the South-east who plays melodeon, frequents sessions, clubs and dances and happens to work for Kent police so will put the word round. It may help.

Banjo

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,Shortfingers
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:34 PM

Hope they're not offered to the Music Room, John...

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,Shortfingers
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:37 PM

Sorry, John, just couldn't resist it.

And if they are, you should be in a good position to get a deal?

Best of luck - insurance? I know a good co if you don't already have cover.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 05:39 PM

Hope they *are*. Then at least Squeezy will get 'em back.
I've got all the music dealers in the Portobello market on the alert...

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 06:00 PM

A quality Oakwood was offered for sale yesterday in this thread.

Not yours, I presume?

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,Rich A
Date: 13 Jan 04 - 07:13 PM

That one really is Will's. He's been trying to sell it for a couple of weeks.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: stevethesqueeze
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 06:54 AM

my advice is to get checking ebay straightaway.

I sell melodeons and such on there and I realize just how easy it would be to sell a nicked one.

the galotta one row I have on there now is not nicked its my daughters!!

stevethesqueeze

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 07:16 AM

Sorry to hear the news Squeezy as lead musician for the Topsy and Tim Bendy Balloon Rapper Team, I shall keep my ears to the ground of any sightings in South Yorks. By the way will be in touch shortly (via your agent) to book you two for the Sheffield Folk Fest in October

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 07:57 AM

Do melodeons usually have serial numners, possibly inside? I know my old Lachenal concertina does.

Would be worth checking and recording them in future.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: stevethesqueeze
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 08:10 AM

pavane

It is a source of amazement to me that the big makers like Castagnari dont put numbers in their machines. I always add on myself and then photgraph the thing for my own records

stevethesqueeze

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,m'grath of altcar
Date: 14 Jan 04 - 10:49 AM

My lovely hohner 3 row c/f/g with a dented grill was stolen by an stolen by an obese box player from Lancaster. i wouldnt mind but he played a castagnari.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 05:06 AM

They don't have serial numbers but they are unique. Squeezy is best placed to say how, but he mentioned the Oakwood has some wood filler where the pins were incorrectly placed. He'd welcome any correspondence for clarification if it helps get them back.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 09:26 AM

I'm just off the phone from Martin at Oakwood instruments.
They are indeed 'unique' - less than 20 model 7's ever made he said.
But, sadly, they don't have serial numbers.
Rest assured, there are many now keeping eyes and ears open.
Hope a 'result' comes soon! Duncan McFarlane.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: Sonnet
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 10:14 AM

John...Just wanted to say how sorry I was to hear about the theft, and hope you get your instruments back soon.

Regards,
Jay (Mum of Rachael McShane, cellist)

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,squeezy
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 05:01 PM

Thanks for everyone's concern and efforts in alerting the folk community. Unfortunately no news as yet, I'm not sure there will be but fortunately they were insured for being in the car. Martyn & Ian at Oakwood have kindly offered to lend me the prototype model 7 until such time as a new one can be built (provided I measure things when he needs them). Things like this are rubbish but do show you how nice people can be. And it will force me to learn to play in C on a D/G at short notice which is probably good for me.

Cheers

Squeezy

PS - Jay, thanks, the first BellowHead rehearsal was a resounding success! We got a passable demo done and the photos look really good. Despite the bad news things are really exciting at the moment.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 05:27 PM

Glad that it has worked out (somewhat) OK.

Do learn that leaving expensive instruments in a car is a rather dim thing to do.

Ask Michael McGoldrick...

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,squeezy
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 05:36 PM

hmmmmm. Please don't make me beat myself up any more! I think I have been punished enough.

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,jennifer
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 07:07 AM

Dear Squeezy
Don't beat yourself up. I have some small idea how you feel after I failed to count the chickens in one night and my two favourites met with a fox.
Hope you get your melodeons back.
Jennifer

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,Arne Langsetmo
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 10:29 PM

A friend of mine had a frightening experience similar to yours.
He left a melodeon in his car, and came out to find the passenger
side car window smashed. He rushed to his car, and to his horror,
looked inside and found ....













.... ten melodeons there (a bright spot in all this gloom, they
were different keys).

Cheers,

                            -- Arne Langsetmo

Subject: RE: Stolen Melodeons
From: GUEST,squeezeboxhp
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 10:35 AM

open the box up and write your details inside on the reed block then at least if and when it gets a repair someone may check up with the number.

hope you get it back though another box is not the same feel