Guitarists Band Together on the Internet to Recover Stolen Guitar

Guitarist Rod DeGeorge had his prized XOX Handle guitar stolen at a gig and leveraged his MySpace and Facebook friends to pressure the thief to return it.

Allentown, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) May 15, 2009 -- On April 23, 2009, ace guitar slinger Rod DeGeorge was having another normal night, gigging with his band Burnt Sienna at the Deer Park Tavern in Newark, DE. Rod's instrument of choice this evening was his prized XOX Handle, a $4,000 guitar made entirely of carbon fiber and composite materials by Italian guitar maker XOX Audio Tools. Since starting to play the XOX handle, DeGeorge has talked a lot about his affinity for the new guitar on the Internet with his many fans, and has even published XOX demonstration videos.

However, in the blink of an eye, DeGeorge's evening came crashing down. As the crew was packing up his equipment, his prized guitar disappeared, taken right off the stage. A review of the security tapes showed a night club customer clearly walking out the door with the guitar. DeGeorge was devastated. "I was totally stunned that it happened...that this guy could just pick up my guitar and walk out, passing security and customers without getting noticed was beyond belief."

I was totally stunned that it happened...that this guy could just pick up my guitar and walk out, passing security and customers without getting noticed was beyond belief.

I felt that if we could get the word out sufficiently to the guitar community, and the thief tried to sell it, there was a possibility that someone would notice.

I'm just really happy to get the guitar back. I'm also very grateful to all of the people on MySpace, Facebook and elsewhere who helped spread the word.

One such MySpace friend, Jim Basara, who also owns Guitar Affair which rents and sells XOX guitars, also pitched in. 'I became familiar with Rod's playing because he uses an XOX Handle, which is one of the guitars we carry. When I read what happened, I felt there was a chance to catch the guy because XOX only recently started producing these guitars and shipping them to the states. There are only a very small number of these high-end instruments in circulation and they haven't hit the used market yet.' "I felt that if we could get the word out sufficiently to the guitar community, and the thief tried to sell it, there was a possibility that someone would notice."

Basara placed an article along with pictures of the thief on his web site, and then set out to notify everyone possible. 'I participate in well over a hundred forums and groups in all corners of the Internet and I went to most of them to tell people about the incident and asked them to keep an eye out for an XOX Handle on the used guitar market. I know that there were lots of Rod's fans doing the same thing, and I was really gratified by the response.' Basara says that the concerted efforts of DeGeorge fans generated a significant amount of discussion and emails from people committed to helping to recover the stolen guitar. The coverage even spawned newspaper and television coverage on the theft, again complete with pictures. 'It was really great to see. Guitars are very personal things, and I believe everyone instinctively knew how they would feel if their favorite guitar was stolen. It was like the entire guitar community reacted in a very positive way. '

Clearly, the efforts of Rod DeGeorge fans had a huge impact. DeGeorge was contacted by the thief who wanted to arrange to meet with him to return the guitar. 'He was apologetic, said he was drunk and regrets his decision. He also said that he wanted to contact me sooner, but didn't know how. I believe all the coverage made him decide to return it. He did reach out to me however and drove a couple of hours to return it, so that did take a lot,' reports DeGeorge. "I'm just really happy to get the guitar back. I'm also very grateful to all of the people on MySpace, Facebook and elsewhere who helped spread the word."

About Rod DeGeorge

Rod DeGeorge has been a full-time musician for over a decade. He currently performs 3 to 5 nights per week, in the Northeastern U.S. His live performances included shows for over 20,000 fans at RFK Stadium and most recently one of the Inaugural Balls for President Barack Obama's Inauguration. Rod's latest CD, entitled Cosmic Playground, features his guitar instrumental compositions. He also performs session work and song writing for a variety of artists.

Contact:
Rod DeGeorge
www.degeorgemusic.com

About Guitar Affair
Founded in 2007, Guitar Affair offers high-end and boutique guitars on a rental basis to customers across the U.S. Using Guitar Affair's online reservation system, customers can have a complete guitar package, including a top shelf guitar, headphone amp, headphones, cord, strap, and training DVD delivered to them while on business trips, vacations, or at home. Customers can also use the service to demo limited availability guitars before purchasing them, at which time rental fees are rebated.

Contact:
Jim Basara, Owner
www.guitaraffair.com

About XOX Audio Tools
XOX Audio Tools is the premier provider of instruments made from advanced technologies such as carbon fiber and other composites. Designed in Italy, by renowned designer Peter Solomon, XOX produces instruments that are inspired by the needs of working musicians, blended with innovative design concepts and the highest quality materials and components. Current XOX models include the Handle, the Vibro, the Duo, and the Billytone, with future models and accessories anticipated in 2009.

Contact:
Peter Solomon, Director
www.xoxaudiotools.com

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