It’s happened to far too many local musicians to count — leave an instrument unattended for too long, or leave it somewhere it shouldn’t be left in the first place, and it’s bound to get stolen.
That’s what happened to Josh Hancock of Unity Crayons, also known as Josh86 of Hawaii-based bands 86 List and Black Square. On Tuesday, he sent a message to friends and professional contacts describing what happened to his prized Gibson guitar (pictured at right).
“This morning I woke up to find my truck broken into and my Gibson Les Paul electric guitar stolen along with my gig bag full of cables and pedals,” he wrote. “I have had this guitar for nearly a decade and it was the ONE. It had been broken in half, and repaired, yet still played great, and I knew i would never find another like it.
“I have toured, recorded several albums, and played countless shows with it. It has tremendous sentimental value to me. I have used it in both my bands, Black Square and 86 List every week for 8 years or so.”
Hancock is offering a reward for the return of his prized instrument, a “brown sunburst” Les Paul manufactured in the late 1970s with two “very noticeable” steel pins in the back of the neck where repairs have been made. In addition, there are wear marks on the back of the guitar where his belt buckle rubs against it, and it was kept in a black SKB plastic case that was “covered in punk band stickers.”
Jason Genegabus 