This past summer I decided to embark on a journey to try and reacquire a guitar that I parted ways with about twenty years ago. I know that this is may seem like an impossible task, and maybe it is. I have heard all of the idioms. This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, like searching for a ghost, like finding a grain of sand in the desert. These all may be true, but I am willing to go on this journey and see where it leads.
My first order of business was to come up with a plan of action. I reached out to a local guitar aficionado named Jack who is the owner and operator of Jack’s Guitarcheology, LLC. Located outside of Nashville in Lebanon Tennessee, Jack specializes in what he refers to as “weirdo” and “specialty guitars” vintage to modern. I stumbled upon Jack’s Instagram and not only enjoyed viewing his work, but also the stories he was sharing about instruments that he owned from from his personal collection that had sentimental meaning. From these posts Jack seemed like someone who may understand my plight of reconnecting with a long lost guitar and may be able to give me some tips and tricks of the trade. Boy did he ever.
I must preface this by saying I have not been a customer of Jack’s shop yet. As much as I’m champing at the bit to check it out, because of the chaos of life I have not been able to make the short 45 minute trip from my town to the shop. Jack did not hesitate when replying to my email that came from not only a non-customer, but a stranger who was admittedly asking a pretty out there question. “How can I track down a guitar that I sold almost 20 years ago?”
Jack laid out a game plan for me to beging my journey:
1. Set up a search in Reverb for Richie Sambora Fender Strats in Lake Placid Blue. This would allow me to be notified when one popped up on the site.
2. Check all the ones that had been up for sale online past and present.
3. Contact music stores in the area it was sold.
4. SOCIAL MEDIA
5. Contact the place where I sold it to see if they could provide any information of where it may have ended up. “Chasing the thread” as Jack called it.
With this invaluable advice I put on my best Columbo trench coat, lit a cigar, and started my guitar cold case investigation. Be sure to check out Jack’s work at Jack’s Guitarcheology in Lebanon, TN or online at his website or socials.
Help Me Find My Guitar 