Recovered: Zakk Wylde's Stolen Pelham Blue Bullseye Les Paul Custom Guitar Found in Chicago Pawn Shop
Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde got some good news over the weekend. His Pelham Blue Bullseye Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar — which was stolen March 14 from his tour bus in Chicago — has been found.
The guitar, which was valued at $10,000, turned up in a Chicago pawn shop called Royal Pawn (on South Clark Street). The store was the setting of truTV’s Hardcore Pawn: Chicago reality TV show.
The Chicago Tribune reports that a man came into the store to sell the guitar on March 24. The shop had been alerted about the theft immediately after it happened, said Randy Cohen, who owns the store with his brother Wayne.
"I forgot about (the alert)," Cohen said. "That happens every day. To be honest, I can't remember (expletive)."
But the seller's information was recorded as part of the transaction and the guitar's serial number and description was entered into an online database accessible by law enforcement across the country. The guitar then sat in storage at the shop for the 30-day period required under Chicago ordinance, Cohen added.
Cohen said an employee originally paid around $50 for the guitar. But as the brothers took a closer look, they said they started to realize the guitar might be more valuable.
"I said you know what, let's get this thing checked out," Wayne Cohen said.
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A Chicago police spokesman confirmed that detectives recovered the guitar Friday. Police were at the pawnshop Saturday to retrieve information about the seller.
"All I need to know is that it was found," said Wylde's manager, Blasko, told the Tribute. "That's good news."
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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