Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde got some good news over the weekend. His Pelham Blue Bullseye Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar — which was stolen March 14 from his tour bus in Chicago — has been found.
The guitar, which was valued at $10,000, turned up in a Chicago pawn shop called Royal Pawn (on South Clark Street). The store was the setting of truTV’s Hardcore Pawn: Chicago reality TV show.
The Chicago Tribune reports that a man came into the store to sell the guitar on March 24. The shop had been alerted about the theft immediately after it happened, said Randy Cohen, who owns the store with his brother Wayne.
"I forgot about (the alert)," Cohen said. "That happens every day. To be honest, I can't remember (expletive)."
But the seller's information was recorded as part of the transaction and the guitar's serial number and description was entered into an online database accessible by law enforcement across the country. The guitar then sat in storage at the shop for the 30-day period required under Chicago ordinance, Cohen added.
Cohen said an employee originally paid around $50 for the guitar. But as the brothers took a closer look, they said they started to realize the guitar might be more valuable.
"I said you know what, let's get this thing checked out," Wayne Cohen said.
A Chicago police spokesman confirmed that detectives recovered the guitar Friday. Police were at the pawnshop Saturday to retrieve information about the seller.
"All I need to know is that it was found," said Wylde's manager, Blasko, told the Tribute. "That's good news."
