Bob Weir's 56 Tele - stolen?

Sacto Joe · May 6th, 2008, 04:47 PM

I work with Bob's brother and he told that the Tele from this story had been stolen a while back during a gig at the notorious Bohemian Grove:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...KGND5LCDD1.DTL

I can't find any info about it on the web anywhere. You'd think if a guitar of this value were stolen there'd be a big effort to find it. I wonder if it was a different guitar and my buddy is just confused? Doesn't seem likely.

Anyone hear about this?

edhead · May 6th, 2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacto Joe

I work with Bob's brother and he told that the Tele from this story had been stolen a while back during a gig at the notorious Bohemian Grove:

Bod Weir did a gig at the Bohemian Grove?

tightbidness · May 6th, 2008, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacto Joe

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...KGND5LCDD1.DTL

That is an amazing and heart-warming story. I pray that Tele was not stolen.

FirstBassman · May 6th, 2008, 06:08 PM

Great line from the SFGate article:

"The only Robert Weir I know plays guitar for the Grateful Dead," the colonel replied.

My feeling is that most if not all "stolen gear" stories never make it to press.
I don't know if it is because (a) it happens all too often, (b) no one cares or (c) the artists prefer to keep these kind of things quiet 'cause it's kinda embarrassing. Maybe a combination of all three.

Sometimes news of this stuff is spread "word of mouth" through the Internet and such so that potential buyers, pawn brokers etc. can "look out" for the "lost goods" like the time a couple of years ago when Derek Trucks Band van "disappeared." (It was Trucks' band, wasn't it?)

By the way, speaking of Weir and the Dead, the Dead Gear book is a fun read:

http://www.amazon.com/Grateful-Dead-...14938&sr= 1-1

Telehackster · May 6th, 2008, 07:16 PM

I, too, hope that Weir's Tele wasn't stolen. In his case, that particular guitar is far more than just a tool. Here's another article with a photo of the Tele.

Dennis68 · May 6th, 2008, 08:46 PM

I hope it's accounted for too. He's had alot of great guitars. His Ibanez Artist from some 30 years ago was another great guitar. But the Tele pictured there you can bet is my favorite! I hope he still has it!

RichardWitt · May 7th, 2008, 07:56 AM

Only picture I could find?

chabby · May 7th, 2008, 11:44 AM

Wow-I never knew any of this about Weir. He was really my only link to the GD. If he wasn't in the band I wouldnt have had much use for them. His singing was always right on to me and unique. He provided much relief to the nasally quality of Garcia's voice.

I remember when I was first turned onto the dead, the song's that got me were all sung by weir. Fortunately for me, the first GD LP I was exposed to was "American Beauty" which was also the most accessible LP they ever made. That LP never exposed me to how bad they could sound at times.

I remember playing one of their other LP's for my wife once and she asked me if they really knew how to play their instruments. I laughed. She said it just sounds like beginners noodling. I said, well, there are times when the so called "X-factor" isn't quite there, or is being searched for.

I always told her they had to be experienced live to understand what they are about, which is in part true. I will never forget the first show I went to at Seattle's Paramount theater. It was 1981 and Weir was friggin killer that night, but oddly he was playing an orange-ish strat all night. That era of the dead was unbelievable, with both D. & K. Godchaux still in the band. Donna's voice really complimented Weir's on his songs. There are some Garcia done vocals that I like - but not very many. There isn't one Weir vocal I don't like.

mudbean · May 7th, 2008, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chabby

I remember playing one of their other LP's for my wife once and she asked me if they really knew how to play their instruments. I laughed. She said it just sounds like beginners noodling. I said, well, there are times when the so called "X-factor" isn't quite there, or is being searched for.

Hmm, Live Dead, maybe? Yeah, that one gets a bit noodly. I think it's safe to say that any of the Dead's studio releases (esp starting with AOXOMOXOA) are excellent examples of their sublime skill at playing their instruments, and writing songs, too.

mud

Red Square · May 7th, 2008, 01:13 PM

Side One of Live Dead (Dark Star) should be mandatory listening for any guitarist. It is a stunning and groundbreaking interplay of rhythm and solo guitar. And the bass playing is just berzerk.
Sorry to have gotten off track here.

Robsocal · May 7th, 2008, 01:20 PM

I've been a Weir fan for a long time. I have noticed that he has been playing an old 335, as well as his blue Modulus. I haven't seen him play a Tele in some time. I wondered what might have happened to it. As I recall, he mentioned in an interview that he did not tour with the real vintage Tele. He apparently had a custom reissue made for him, and he kept the real Tele he got from his Dad safe. If he played a set at Bohemian Grove, he might have taken the real one with him as that location is not so far from his home town.

That would be a low down dirty shame if it was taken. Bob's a great player, and a really good guy.

FirstBassman · May 7th, 2008, 02:01 PM

To continue being off-track here for a moment .

Quote:

Hmm, Live Dead, maybe? Yeah, that one gets a bit noodly.

Just to set the record straight Live Dead is one of the ten greatest albums or so of all time. All time. Ever. I don’t hear any noodling at all.

Quote:

Side One of Live Dead (Dark Star) should be mandatory listening for any guitarist. It is a stunning and groundbreaking interplay of rhythm and solo guitar. And the bass playing is just berzerk.

Absolutely! With one added edit – Sides Two and Three (St. Stephen – The Eleven – Turn On Your Lovelight) are friggin’ fantastic also.

tightbidness · May 7th, 2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Square

Side One of Live Dead (Dark Star) should be mandatory listening for any guitarist. It is a stunning and groundbreaking interplay of rhythm and solo guitar. And the bass playing is just berzerk.
Sorry to have gotten off track here.

Definitely. It's also an incredibly pure and well-recorded album. I'm not familiar with his more recent playing, but back in the day Bob Weir had a wonderfully unique style of rhythm guitar, very interactive with interesting chord voicings.

mudbean · May 7th, 2008, 05:59 PM

O.K., O.K., take a breath, troops ... I was looking from the point of view of a "normal" pop music listener, didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. FWIW, I am a DeadHead, too, veteran of over 40 shows from '79 through '92.

mud

Red Square · May 8th, 2008, 08:37 AM

Agreed about sides 2,3 and 4.
But Dark Star went where bands had not been before (or rarely since). It sort of became a framework/termplate for the improvisational avenues which would become one of the bands many trademark musical approaches. Bob's rhythm playing on the piece is as rich as rhythm guitar playing gets. Just my 2cents.
Back to the point though, I imagine that sweet old Tele serves Ratdog's sound quite well.

Absolutely! With one added edit – Sides Two and Three (St. Stephen – The Eleven – Turn On Your Lovelight) are friggin’ fantastic also.[/quote]

FirstBassman · May 8th, 2008, 08:42 AM

OK, ok, I took a deep breath.
I'm fine now.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant.
Didn't mean to get emotional. It's just that L/D was one of my first albums. Feel about it sort of like a child, ya know?

Now, there were a lot of Dead moments elsewhere where there was quite a bit of noodling. But not on Live Dead ... 'cept for "Feedback" of course.

Dennis68 · May 8th, 2008, 08:56 AM

So, the question remains - is his tele actually among the missing?

PK · May 8th, 2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edhead

Bod Weir did a gig at the Bohemian Grove?

Yep, according to an unamed source (my friend a bohemian club member), I'll be quartered & shot if I tell you Weir hangs out at the grove often.

PK

Red Square · May 8th, 2008, 09:22 AM

First Bassman. We are in total agreement.
Bless your pointed little head!
I bid you goodnight.

Dennis68 · May 8th, 2008, 11:24 AM

Maybe the tele is there leaning against one of the redwood trees? LOL!!! Too funny!

mudbean · May 8th, 2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

OK, ok, I took a deep breath.
I'm fine now.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant.
Didn't mean to get emotional. It's just that L/D was one of my first albums. Feel about it sort of like a child, ya know?

Now, there were a lot of Dead moments elsewhere where there was quite a bit of noodling. But not on Live Dead ... 'cept for "Feedback" of course.

That's O.K.! On readback, I was a bit snippy (sorry!) ... the Dead for me, too, are a very emotional subject. And also FWIW, St Stephen is one of my top-three alltime fave songs. And The Eleven? Heck, anything in 11/8 time is a gas! My fave way to seperate the men from the boys when it comes to drummers is Whipping Post.

mud

May 6th, 2008, 04:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sacto Joe Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 180	Bob Weir's 56 Tele - stolen? I work with Bob's brother and he told that the Tele from this story had been stolen a while back during a gig at the notorious Bohemian Grove: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...KGND5LCDD1.DTL I can't find any info about it on the web anywhere. You'd think if a guitar of this value were stolen there'd be a big effort to find it. I wonder if it was a different guitar and my buddy is just confused? Doesn't seem likely. Anyone hear about this? __________________ "And that's all I need. A pedal steel, a telecaster, a Gretsch, the paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure." - Navin Johnson (paraphrased)

May 6th, 2008, 08:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dennis68 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hudson Valley Posts: 757	I hope it's accounted for too. He's had alot of great guitars. His Ibanez Artist from some 30 years ago was another great guitar. But the Tele pictured there you can bet is my favorite! I hope he still has it! __________________ -Dennis

May 7th, 2008, 07:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
RichardWitt Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Australia Age: 33 Posts: 1,028 1 Photos	Only picture I could find? __________________ "What a perfect solution to a problem that should have never existed in the first place!"

May 7th, 2008, 05:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
mudbean Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: SoCal Semi-Desert Semi-Paradise Age: 49 Posts: 818	O.K., O.K., take a breath, troops ... I was looking from the point of view of a "normal" pop music listener, didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. FWIW, I am a DeadHead, too, veteran of over 40 shows from '79 through '92. mud __________________ *Everyone brings joy to my room ... some by entering, some by leaving.* www.mudbean.com

May 8th, 2008, 08:56 AM	#17 (permalink)
Dennis68 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hudson Valley Posts: 757	So, the question remains - is his tele actually among the missing? __________________ -Dennis

May 6th, 2008, 06:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
FirstBassman Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 808	Great line from the SFGate article: "The only Robert Weir I know plays guitar for the Grateful Dead," the colonel replied. My feeling is that most if not all "stolen gear" stories never make it to press. I don't know if it is because (a) it happens all too often, (b) no one cares or (c) the artists prefer to keep these kind of things quiet 'cause it's kinda embarrassing. Maybe a combination of all three. Sometimes news of this stuff is spread "word of mouth" through the Internet and such so that potential buyers, pawn brokers etc. can "look out" for the "lost goods" like the time a couple of years ago when Derek Trucks Band van "disappeared." (It was Trucks' band, wasn't it?) By the way, speaking of Weir and the Dead, the Dead Gear book is a fun read: http://www.amazon.com/Grateful-Dead-...14938&sr= 1-1

May 6th, 2008, 07:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
Telehackster Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas, USA Age: 42 Posts: 741	I, too, hope that Weir's Tele wasn't stolen. In his case, that particular guitar is far more than just a tool. Here's another article with a photo of the Tele.

May 7th, 2008, 11:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
chabby Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,112	Wow-I never knew any of this about Weir. He was really my only link to the GD. If he wasn't in the band I wouldnt have had much use for them. His singing was always right on to me and unique. He provided much relief to the nasally quality of Garcia's voice. I remember when I was first turned onto the dead, the song's that got me were all sung by weir. Fortunately for me, the first GD LP I was exposed to was "American Beauty" which was also the most accessible LP they ever made. That LP never exposed me to how bad they could sound at times. I remember playing one of their other LP's for my wife once and she asked me if they really knew how to play their instruments. I laughed. She said it just sounds like beginners noodling. I said, well, there are times when the so called "X-factor" isn't quite there, or is being searched for. I always told her they had to be experienced live to understand what they are about, which is in part true. I will never forget the first show I went to at Seattle's Paramount theater. It was 1981 and Weir was friggin killer that night, but oddly he was playing an orange-ish strat all night. That era of the dead was unbelievable, with both D. & K. Godchaux still in the band. Donna's voice really complimented Weir's on his songs. There are some Garcia done vocals that I like - but not very many. There isn't one Weir vocal I don't like.

May 7th, 2008, 01:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
Red Square TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Athens Ga Posts: 17	Side One of Live Dead (Dark Star) should be mandatory listening for any guitarist. It is a stunning and groundbreaking interplay of rhythm and solo guitar. And the bass playing is just berzerk. Sorry to have gotten off track here.

May 7th, 2008, 01:20 PM	#11 (permalink)
Robsocal Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southern California Age: 46 Posts: 226	I've been a Weir fan for a long time. I have noticed that he has been playing an old 335, as well as his blue Modulus. I haven't seen him play a Tele in some time. I wondered what might have happened to it. As I recall, he mentioned in an interview that he did not tour with the real vintage Tele. He apparently had a custom reissue made for him, and he kept the real Tele he got from his Dad safe. If he played a set at Bohemian Grove, he might have taken the real one with him as that location is not so far from his home town. That would be a low down dirty shame if it was taken. Bob's a great player, and a really good guy.

May 8th, 2008, 08:37 AM	#15 (permalink)
Red Square TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Athens Ga Posts: 17	Agreed about sides 2,3 and 4. But Dark Star went where bands had not been before (or rarely since). It sort of became a framework/termplate for the improvisational avenues which would become one of the bands many trademark musical approaches. Bob's rhythm playing on the piece is as rich as rhythm guitar playing gets. Just my 2cents. Back to the point though, I imagine that sweet old Tele serves Ratdog's sound quite well. Absolutely! With one added edit – Sides Two and Three (St. Stephen – The Eleven – Turn On Your Lovelight) are friggin’ fantastic also.[/quote]

May 8th, 2008, 08:42 AM	#16 (permalink)
FirstBassman Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 808	OK, ok, I took a deep breath. I'm fine now. Sorry, didn't mean to rant. Didn't mean to get emotional. It's just that *L/D* was one of my first albums. Feel about it sort of like a child, ya know? Now, there were a lot of Dead moments elsewhere where there was quite a bit of noodling. But not on *Live Dead* ... 'cept for "Feedback" of course.

May 8th, 2008, 09:22 AM	#19 (permalink)
Red Square TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Athens Ga Posts: 17	First Bassman. We are in total agreement. Bless your pointed little head! I bid you goodnight.

May 8th, 2008, 11:24 AM	#20 (permalink)
Dennis68 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hudson Valley Posts: 757	Maybe the tele is there leaning against one of the redwood trees? LOL!!! Too funny! __________________ -Dennis Last edited by getbent : May 26th, 2008 at 12:56 AM.