MEANGENE
Gone Gear
Hopefully not many of you have had to deal
with this, and hopefully you never will, but
there comes a time when a select group of
us find ourselves the victims of gear theft.
For me, it was a first, even though I have
been actively playing live since I was 15
years old.
he was momentarily busy, so I sat down with
a friend of mine and struck up a conversation. A few minutes later I remembered that I
had left my truck unlocked. Heading outside,
I looked into the back of my truck, only to
find an empty space where my brand new
Ovation 12-string guitar had been. I had
bought it only three weeks earlier, and had
been digging the expansive acoustic tones
it produced. A USA model 2751 LX- 4 from
Lightning Joe’s Guitar Heaven, I had scouted
out about a dozen various makes before settling on serial number #593993. The silver
lining was that they left my Martin Jumbo
– I would have been even more heartbroken
had my trusty six-shooter taken flight.
you directly for any shipping damage, accidental damage or theft, but if you already
have a renter’s or homeowner’s policy, a
simple phone call to your agent will answer
any questions you may have about the need
for specialized insurance.
On this particular night I was called up at the
last minute, due to the originally slated act
canceling because of car troubles. I jumped
at the opportunity, as I don’t mind earning
an extra $100 for a gig just a few blocks from
home – three to four hours of music and my
gas tank is filled back up. I had played the
place numerous times and felt very comfortable performing there. I travel pretty light,
toting my acoustic amp/PA, a Martin Jumbo
and a 12-string Ovation, along with mics,
stands and all of my other performance gear,
so it was really no problem to help out at the
last second.
Following the gig, I loaded up my gear into
my parked truck, only feet from the main
entry. I walked back inside to pick up my
payment from the bartender, but
it seemed that
Instead of heading home for some much-
needed shuteye, I found myself waiting
around for another hour to file a police
report. I soon realized that I had potentially
four avenues for recovering my stolen instru-
ment: insurance coverage on the credit card
used to buy the instrument, my homeowner’s
insurance, my auto insurance and my busi-
ness insurance. I quickly found out that my
auto policy was limited to what is actually
attached to the vehicle, and my homeown-
er’s policy had a $1000 deductible for a
claim – the purchase price was
only $1299, and I reasoned that it
wasn’t worth kicking the beehive
for a measly $299. My credit card
company refused to comment on
If the purchase would be covered,
and said that the process would
require a variety of documents to
be sent back and forth if it was to
be pursued. I finally received a posi-
tive response from The Hartford, my
business insurance company, and they
informed me that I could file a claim
for off-the-premises property with a
$250 deductible.
Of course, sometimes you just have to take
your guitar’s safety into your own hands
– I often install small microchips into the
instruments we build, known as RFIDs
(Radio Frequency Identification Device).
This process embeds a serial number inside
the object and can only be identified with a
special scanner. They basically add proof of
ownership that can be helpful without your
presence. See snagg.com for more information; kits are available through stewmac.com.
Technology has advanced so much within the
last few years – cell phones can be traced to
locations and everything is becoming increasingly wireless – that it will be interesting to
see what advances in personal security take
place. Perhaps it will be possible one day
for your stolen guitar to call you and tell you
where it’s at.
Insuring your gear its well worth the
homework – you’ll find out how much
coverage you currently have, as well as
how much coverage you need, so that
you won’t have to keep making payments
on an instrument you no longer have.
Companies like Clarion Associates Inc.
specialize in musical instrument protection
(call 1-800-VIVALDI for a quote), and you
can also find insurance through retailers like
Musician’s Friend. These companies will pay
So make sure you take the steps to protect
your gear – keep receipts of your gear purchases on file, submit any warranty information to the manufacturer and take the extra
second to lock up your vehicle, even if you’re
only going to be gone for “a few minutes.” If
you have nice gear that isn’t easily replaced,
you may want to consider contacting a
dedicated instrument insurance agency for a
quote, and keep records and photographs of
the instrument on file – if nothing else, these
will make it easier to create a flier to plaster
around town. If you do become the victim of
gear theft, make sure to file a police report
as soon as possible. Notify all of the music
stores and pawnshops in the area, and check
eBay and Craig’s List to see if it has been
listed. If you’re lucky, perhaps that wayward
bird will find its way home.
Gene Baker
Any questions or comments visit
finetunedinstruments.com
meangene.org
b3gene@verizon.net
Fine Tuned Instruments LLC,
home of his “b3” instruments.
