It's every gearhead's worst nightmare. You come home from a long day and your gear is stolen. No matter the size or monetary value of your collection, the nerve-tingling shock and pain of helplessness paralyzes your body all the same. Recently, Machine Head's singer and guitarist Robb Flynn had some of his most prized pieces of gear and other family possessions stolen from his northern California home.
"On September 7th, between the hours of 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. [PST] while I was picking my son up from school, my house was broken into and many priceless items were stolen," says Flynn. "Among the items stolen were some of my jewelry, my wife's jewelry, laptops, wakeboards, cash, and most importantly four of my guitars, including the the [Ibanez] guitar I recorded Machine Head's first album [Burn My Eyes] with."
In addition to the Ibanez, the thieves took a piece of gear a price can't be put on, Flynn's Washburn 333 he referred to as the Dimebolt. This Washburn prototype was a gift given from the late-guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott [Pantera, Damageplan], which was given to him because Dimebag had broken one of Flynn's guitar during an all-night party. "That guitar is priceless to me simply because it was a gift from my dear friend," says Flynn. They even took his son Zander's Epiphone Flying VeeWee.
The missing black Ibanez was covered in stickers, and had been heavily modded by Flynn to suit his playing style. "I had removed the extra volume and tone knob on it, the two single-coils were removed, and I put an EMG 81 in the bridge position," says Flynn. "The Dimebolt also had the extra volume and tone knob removed and I put an EMG 81 in the bridge in that, too." While it'll be hard enough to track down these guitars, to make matters worse, because the Dimebolt was a prototype it has no serial number it.
As all gearheads know, special guitars become more than just pieces of equipment. Over time, they become an extension of themselves--it bears a piece of the player's soul. "These guitars were (are) a huge part of my life," says Flynn. I wrote my first record with one and the other was a gift from an inspirational hero and friend. They're two of my go-to guitars... because of its [Washburn Dimebolt] mojo, I've recently written two new Machine Head songs on it. I recently took it out of storage because I needed some Dimebag magic and it come out in the form of two new killer songs. You can't just buy that at a Guitar Center."
In total, Flynn estimates that they made away with about $20,000 - 30,000 worth of gear, equipment, cash, and personal possessions. But they did leave some acoustic gear behind. "They didn't take my Line 6 Variax 300, an Ibanez acoustic, and the Palmer nylon string that I wrote 'Davidian' on," says Flynn. "Thanks to those acoustics, the police were able to get several fingerprints off two of the acoustics that the thieves handled, yet bizarrely left behind."
Originally believing it was an inside job done by someone that knew his schedule and his home's layout, Flynn is starting to think it could've been anyone. "Sightings of two suspicious vehicles have been reported, one a green/teal US-make pickup truck, the other was a white pull-side work van," says Flynn. "However, I'm not sure at this point, police have no solid leads... just a couple of suspicious vehicles. It's been a week now, and to be honest, I'm starting to lose hope."
Hope may be fleeting, but Flynn is trying to do everything he can to get his cherished gear back home. "I am offering a $1000 reward for the return of the stickered, black Ibanez Strat," says Flynn. "Additionally I am also offering a $2000 reward for the safe return of the blue Washburn Dimebolt prototype. Also, I've put out an APB to every Guitar Center in northern California, and I'll be hoping for some help from people on Craigslist and eBay, too."
Anyone will any information, lead, or known whereabouts of Flynn's guitars or other possessions should contact him through mike@machinehead1.com.
