Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TOOELE — A man is asking for help to locate a guitar with significant sentimental value that was recently stolen from his garage.
Eric Erickson noticed the guitar, a 1983 Gibson ES-347, was missing Thursday. He has been working with the Tooele Police Department to try and find the guitar, which he uses to play in his band.
“That guitar is really kind of a part of me,” Erickson said. “It’s been with me for a long, long time. My wife who passed away bought it for me back in 1983 and its not only valuable, but sentimental.”
The guitar was stolen with its foot and effects pedals, plus cords, Erikson said. He believes he may know who has taken it, but does not know if the guitar has been pawned or sold since that time. A second guitar in the garage, which is where the band practices and stores its equipment, was left untouched.
Related Story
Dozens of guitars stolen over Christmas holiday
A Salt Lake City music shop fell victim to a real holiday scrooge: Thousands of dollars in inventory was cleaned out by thieves on Christmas Day.He said the guitar is in good condition and the model is becoming popular with collectors. Unfortunately, he doesn't know the serial number of his guitar.
Erickson has been playing the guitar for more than 50 years and is currently a member of The Old Man Garage Band.
“I’ve been playing in bands for most of my life,” he said. “We have four of us old farts who go out and play. We do it whenever anybody will book us and enjoy playing."
The Old Man Garage Band came into existence eight years ago at the suggestion of Erickson's late wife. She was good friends with a drummer and requested that if anything happen to her, he would try to get Erickson involved with playing the guitar again. After she passed away, they formed the band.
Now, Erickson plays with the band in addition to working a job with regular hours. Erickson recently recovered from prostate cancer, which strained his family's finances, so the band has helped provide a second source of income.
“The music has been with me — it has been a part of my life, so this really kind of hits low," he said.
Anyone with information about the location of the guitar can contact the Tooele Police Department by calling 435-882-8900 or submitting a tip online.
