A Dundee musician has launched an appeal after two of his guitars were stolen from his car on Saturday night.
Matthew Dempsey noticed his instruments had been taken on Sunday morning, having returned home late on Saturday evening after performing a city centre show.
Two Fender Telecaster guitars, one of which has a distinctive black scratch-plate, were stolen hours before Matthew was due to play a gig on Sunday evening.
Matthew, 28, had owned one of the Telecasters since he was a teenager and hoped the guitars would become “too hot to sell on”.
He said: “I had played a show at Number 57 on the Bond on Saturday night, and left my guitars, amp and pedal boards in my car.
“My partner noticed on Sunday morning that it looked like someone had rummaged about the passenger side of the car, and when I went down to have a look I noticed my guitars had been taken.
“Fortunately they didn’t take the amplifier or the pedals, but they have obviously taken the guitars to try and sell them on.
“I’ve contacted the local pawn shops so they can keep an eye out for them, hopefully they will become too hot to sell on.
“One of the guitars has a black scratch-plate which I put on myself, which means it is relatively unique. Sunburst Telecasters don’t normally have black scratch-plates.”
The musician, who also plays in soul band The Mess Arounds, thanked Dundee’s close-knit music community for the words of advice, help and support they had offered him since his instruments were taken.
“I was able to play the show on Sunday night thanks a friend offering to lend me his guitar,” he said.
“The Dundee music community really is terrific, so many nice people got in touch after I posted about my guitars being taken, offering advice on how to try and get them back, and also offering to lend their guitars to me so I could play the show.
“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped out. I hope I can get the guitars back somehow.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland is making enquiries into the theft of two guitars, which were stolen from a Volkswagen Polo car overnight on Saturday April 1 into the morning of Sunday April 2.”
