Wednesday, April 7, 2010

My Stolen Martin



If you all only knew how many songs I played to pay for that Martin guitar!
I'm really embarrassed to say that I can't find the serial number of the guitar.
My father would be rolling in his grave right now if he knew I didn't put this info in a folder!
Anyway here is a shot of me and the Martin shortly after I got it, taken outside of Eagle Bay behind the cabin of my friend and manager at the time Cathy Light.
I was able to afford it with my weekly gigs and other gigs at the Big Moose Inn up in the Adirondacks. I was making $175.00 a night plus tips playing for families and people dining at the Moose.
This was right before the big recession crash.
Knowing I was pulling in good money that season, I went to Big Apple Music in New Hartford and pursuit of owning a Martin.
I played several one day an found the one for me and put 500.00 down to lay it away. Mark Bollo owner of Big Apple said "Pamme just take the guitar and do your thing!" " I know you are good for the money!"
I've bought MANY guitars and music equipment over the years from Big Apple. So there I was with my dream Martin guitar! I had it payed off in like a month and a half! It was close to $1,500.00 bucks.
Equipped now with a Taylor guitar which I would open tune and the Martin for regular standard tuning songs and my strumstick...I had a sweet little show going mixing my original music with crowd pleasing folk covers I've learned in the 30 plus years I've been performing.
I've had several instruments stolen over the years. A lap dulcimer from Reading Pa, a Takemine from a Reny Fair outside of Chicago...An Alvarez Yairi from the Grand Union parking lot here in Hamilton...It leaves an emptiness in you from all the hours you put in to your instrument. But losing the Martin was the biggest disappointment of all. It was like OK! I finally got the Martin!...I don't ever need to buy another guitar in my life!
I had let my son Nick borrow the guitar as he is playing really well these days. He wanted to play the Barge Canal Coffee House for the open mic night.
It was stolen this past Friday night from the where he resides in the park next to Price Chopper.
My home owners insurance is gonna cover it. I'll pay the 250 dollar deductible.
I just hope whomever took it...really appreciates this instrument. I wrote all of my last CD, "Songs From Mountains East And West " on it...This guitar is full of stories from the Loomis Gang, Anne La Bastille, Noah John Rondeau, Grace Brown and Chester Gillette...Brookfield Horse Trails and the Nine Mile Swamp.
My Martin was a great friend I will never forget!
I'm crying as I write this!!!
If anyone knows who stole this guitar and could return it...Well, it would save me 250 bucks to the insurance company. I'd be very grateful as gigs are hard to come by in these hard times.
I would just be so happy to see that Martin again AND I wouldn't press charges. I'd make whomever took it do community work like picking up all the trash along the roadsides to start.