Stolen instruments alert

Subject: RE: Stolen instruments alert
From: Pete peterson
Date: 08 Nov 99 - 05:27 PM

I'm sorry for your loss yet can't help laughing about them not taking the banjo. Even thieves have taste. (Yes, I am a banjo player. See other threads and now it's real)

Subject: RE: Stolen instruments alert
From: Tony Burns
Date: 08 Nov 99 - 11:27 AM

This is probably a good time to look at this site that tells you how to put labels inside your instruments.

Subject: RE: Stolen instruments alert
From: Áine
Date: 08 Nov 99 - 10:00 AM

Dear Helen,

I live in Arlington and would really like to help these folks out. Are they a local group, perhaps members of the Southwest Celtic Music Association?

Two places just off the top of my head I can think of where these instruments might turn up is (1) the huge 'flea market' or open market here in Arlington called Traders Village. There have been several stories in the paper lately about stolen articles turning up here for sale. (2) There is another 'flea market'/open market down in Canton, Texas that would be a possible place for spotting these instruments.

Both these places (I believe) are operated only at the weekend. If there are any other North Texas folks out there that might be going to these markets, or have friends/family that might be going, keep your eyes peeled.

Also, any of you folks up Denton way might spot them too, especially around the University -- watch the bulletin boards up there.

If these instruments are headed down to the Austin area (another place where they could be easily sold with no questions asked); well, that's out of my baliwick. But, if there's anyone from around Austin reading this thread, please let us know where the likely places down there are for spotting these instruments.

Here's hoping for the best, Áine

Subject: Stolen instruments alert
From: Helen
Date: 08 Nov 99 - 01:46 AM

Hi all,

This was a post in the e-mail harplist today, and I thought it might spread the word if I posted it here too. The instruments are dulcimers, an autoharp, a lap harp, and some other things. Let me know if you get any clues as to their whereabouts and I'll send it back through the harplist.

Helen

Subject: [Harplist] Alert - Stolen Instruments Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 17:04:52 -0500 List folks,

This morning the following message was posted by .... to our dulcimer list. The first part of the following message was his original message. Since one of the stolen instruments is a harp, I contacted him, and suggested that I post a description of that instrument along with his original message to the harplist.

Here's his message - at the end is is second message with the description of the harp:

Quoting message------------------

.... Today (Nov.6), sometime between 11:00 and 12:00 in north Arlington, TX, we had five instruments stolen out of our van. We had stopped at the Cracker Barrel on Hwy 360, north of I- 30 for breakfast on our way to do a demonstration of Dulcimers and other instruments for about 150 girl scouts. If you could, please watch out for the following instruments either in local music stores, pawn shops, or on E-bay.

1- Custom Mtn. Dulcimer Padauk body with Sitka Spruce top. Sound hole patterns include a dogwood blossom on each side of the lower bouts, with a cross on the right hand side of the upper bout. The head has a dogwood blossom carved on both sides.

1- Custom Mtn. Dulcimer, Walnut body with Cherry head, tail and fretboard. Sound hole patterns include a Celtic Cross soundhole with woodburned Celtic knotwork above and below on each of the lower bouts, with a circular Celtic pattern for the upper right hand sound hole. The head has a capital "T" from the book of Kells, surrounded by a ring of Celtic knotwork (all woodburned), on both sides.

Both mountain dulcimers were in a double side-by-side case, black cordura with tapestry front, and sheepskin lining.

1- Oscar Schmidt, 24 bar Autoharp, black body and top, in a blue cordura case.

1- Santa Rosa, maple mandolin in a black nylon case (one month old).

1- 3-octave Celtic Lap harp, gold fiberglass sound chamber, with maple arch and nylon strings.

This doesn't include the harmonicas, 4 pair of bones (2 pr. zebra wood, and 2 pr elk rib-bone) as well as tuners etc.

The only instruments that they did not take was a banjo, and a David's Dulcimer Grand HD.

The mandolin and autoharp wouldn't stand out, but there are no other mtn. dulcimers that will look like these two. If anyone in and around the Dallas-Ft. Worth area come across them (or if anyone finds them on an on-line auction), please let us know.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

........

------------- ............

The harp was a small lap harp, with a 3 octave range. The soundbox was gold painted fiberglass with stainless steel feet. The arch was made of maple. The instrument was strung with nylon strings, and had very small tuning pins (under 3/16") with no sharping levers. I do not know what brand it was, or where it originally came from, since we bought it used several years ago. I don't even know a good estimate of what the replacement cost would be.

Any assistance that you or your list members can provide would be greatly appreciated.