I came across this photo a few days ago and suddenly noticed the black and white Rickenbacker 6 string I'm playing - ( I'm in the far left corner and the guitar isn't immediately noticeable ). It and it's beautiful red 12 string brother were originally made to order for Brian Jones of the 'Stones'. He never picked them up from the Hollywood guitar shop I also frequented and so I was able to buy them . . . well, my parents got them for me. I loved those guitars! They were stolen within a year of me owning them, along with my Mosrite jazz 'speed-neck' guitar and all of the flamenco guitars my father and I had. It was an inside job, so to speak. My parents owned the nightclub 'El Cid' and my father loved to chat. I mean he was always telling anyone and everyone everything about us. He couldn't help it. My mother was always in a rage about this habit of his because she feared what might happen . . . and then it did. We eventually found out one of the flamenco enthusiasts that was always at the club was an ex-con. He had bragged about breaking in and taking all the guitars from our house to someone and they got the word to my parents. So what to do? I was all for taking him to court and having him put in prison for the rest of his life. I was 15. My father pointed out that we had no proof, only the word of another 'questionable' person. He also suspected the purloined 'goods' had been sold immediately and were, most likely, irretrievable. I never saw those guitars again. It really broke my heart at the time. I've been careful not to get too attached to any instrument of mine since.
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