Some Dude Staged the Most Nonchalant Heist of a Guitar Store In Music History

In Motley Crue’s autobiography, The Dirt, Nikki Sixx describes an incident from when he was a teenager: he walked into a local guitar shop holding an empty case, asked for a work application, and when the clerk went in the back to retrieve it, Sixx stuffed a Les Paul in the case. He managed to waltz out the door with the instrument, even though the price tag was sticking out of the case.

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Allegedly.

What we know according to surveillance film obtained by Gothamist below is that on October 18th at 3:50 PM, an “an unknown male suspect” entered the Long Island City, New York Guitar Center branch and  “removed a custom Gibson guitar valued at $4,650 from a display stand, secreted the guitar under his shirt and exited the store without paying,” according to the NYPD.

I never knew that the word “secreted” is how I would describe the following, but in a way, I also always knew. I literally cannot believe this:

If you’ve got any info about this hilarious crime, contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS, or send tips to the Crime Stoppers Website.

Written by

Max is managing editor of Gear Gods.

Latest comments
  • Say what you will but he was smooth enough to get away

    • You could say he’s a smooth criminal.

      • Zing

      • *insert Michael Jackson here*

  • Bet this dude actually went home and started riffing. Doesn’t look like the guy to steal it to sell

  • Dont report him, dont be a dick

    • Where do you live? I want to steal your car. Good thing you’re not a dick.

      • Ill gouge out your eyes and feed em to you, you lil bitch. I

        • So you’re calling yourself a dick? Thanks Internet tough guy!

          • You will be thanking me internet hipster tits

          • Bahahahaha calling me a hipster when my profile pic has me wearing a Nile shirt, and has terrible comebacks.
            Just keep being a dick, it suits your intelligence.

          • oh come on, i was just joking with ya. You have to admit that it is a bit hipster to side with the crushing monopoly that is guitar center, over a true music fan whom is beating the system! Lets hang out, and talk about it calmly over some nice green tea. Where in Illinois do you live?

          • Well it sure didn’t seem like it. The thing about Guitar Center is I wouldn’t call them a monopoly. They may be the biggest but there are other sites and local places that people buy from. I haven’t heard of Guitar Center doing anything wrong. They offer normal prices for equipment and built local stores. Walmart, on the other hand, is ridiculous with their “we won’t build unless you don’t tax us and pay for our land” BS.

  • Stealing from musicians is a bitch move!
    Stealing from guitar center…. Who gives 2 shits!! I hope the guitar makes it on a record and that the guy in the video laughs at this 10 years from now. Lol

  • Any store dumb enough to leave a $4650 guitar right by the door on a shitty stand with zero protection is asking to get robbed.

  • If you’re not gonna lock it in a wall hanger like they do at EVERY single music shop I’ve been to that sold even cheapo $100 instruments… then of COURSE a guitar as valuable as that les paul will get robbed… it’s not a matter of how, it’s a matter of when! let it be a lesson… if you own a guitar shop… bolt your floor stands down and lock the guitars in them, all wall hangers should be locked, regardless of instrument and if you have PA and the like… kensington locks for the keyboards and bolts on PA equipment, keep an eye out near the amps and ALWAYS have an employee at the till watching the cameras… leave nothing to chance!! second recommendation is to record the serial number and batch of each instrument you sell… then if one gets stolen, you can look at the section it was in, find the serial number and track it down… that serial number is like the IMEI number of a phone… it’s specific to that instrument!! the serial tracking is kinda laborious so I just recommend the “bolt it to the ground” approach… or use tracker tags in the control cavity of an electric instrument or the sound hole of an acoustic for your display units and keep the sale units in the back… really simple stuff and I bet ya most of the stolen units from the store would be found by the cops!

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