April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn has been reunited with a guitar that was stolen 46 years ago.
As Goodwyn explained in a New Year's message on Facebook, the Nova Scotia musician initially fell in love and traded in for the Gibson Melody Maker at a shop in Cape Breton in 1968. He then went on to play that instrument while recording April Wine and On Record.
But when the band's truck crashed in Montreal in 1972, Goodwyn assumed he'd never see it again. In his post, Goodwyn said he was told that "she was destroyed" and that the remains had been thrown away before he had a chance to assess the damage.
As Goodwyn explained, he moved back to Nova Scotia last year, though, and on Christmas Eve he received a Facebook message from someone saying that his Melody Maker was in Victoria, BC.
Goodwyn said he's still filling in the blanks, but the guitar seems to have passed through many hands since it was stolen nearly 50 years ago in the crash. A guy named Doug had legitimately purchased the guitar in 2005, and it had been sitting on a stand as a conversation piece ever since. Goodwyn got in touch, bought the guitar back, and it arrived at his Halifax home a few days ago.
"Today I was reunited with my beloved 1962 Gibson Melody Maker after it was abducted 46 years ago," he wrote in the Facebook post. "She was 10 years young when she was taken and 56 years old when she was returned this afternoon. And damn she looks good!"
Luckily, the instrument showed few signs of having been played over the last five decades, and remains "in the same overall condition as when I saw her last all those decades ago."
Read Goodwyn's full post below:
A most remarkable thing has happened. Today I was reunited with my beloved 1962 Gibson Melody Maker after it was abducted 46 years ago. She was 10 years young when she was taken and 56 years old when she was returned this afternoon. And damn she looks good!
I have posted pictures of her over the years ( I had only 5 pictures of her in total) and I lamented openly about how she was my favorite guitar (my only guitar for some years) and that I missed her still. We found each other in 1968 in Cape Breton, N.S. We were in a group called East Gate Sanctuary for awhile and later with April Wine. And then one day in 1972 she was involved in a truck accident and I was told that she was destroyed and the body parts tossed away before I could see the damage for myself. In other words she was stolen from me, plain and simple although I didn't know it at the time. I was sad and I was pissed and all these years I thought she was "gone" forever.
The day before Christmas, December 24, 2018, I got a message on FB from a fellow named Randy informing me that my guitar was in Victoria, B.C. alive and well and if I wanted it back to call a guy named Doug. I couldn't believe it. It's now been 46 years since I was told she was destroyed. I was sent a picture of the guitar Doug had at his house perched on a guitar stand as a conversation piece! (btw, Doug had bought legitimately in 2005) and I knew instantly that it was my long lost MM. WOW!!! I contacted Doug, worked out some details (I bought it back) and I had my guitar shipped and delivered to the door. Today! I'm still in shock and very grateful to Randy and Doug.
Here's a picture of me reunited with my beautiful Melody Maker, returned in perfect working order, in the same overall condition as when I saw her last all those decades ago...what an AWESOME way to start a new year!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
April Wine celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, though Goodwyn is the only original member to remain in the lineup. He released a solo album titled Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues last year and is currently completing a follow-up.
As Goodwyn explained in a New Year's message on Facebook, the Nova Scotia musician initially fell in love and traded in for the Gibson Melody Maker at a shop in Cape Breton in 1968. He then went on to play that instrument while recording April Wine and On Record.
But when the band's truck crashed in Montreal in 1972, Goodwyn assumed he'd never see it again. In his post, Goodwyn said he was told that "she was destroyed" and that the remains had been thrown away before he had a chance to assess the damage.
As Goodwyn explained, he moved back to Nova Scotia last year, though, and on Christmas Eve he received a Facebook message from someone saying that his Melody Maker was in Victoria, BC.
Goodwyn said he's still filling in the blanks, but the guitar seems to have passed through many hands since it was stolen nearly 50 years ago in the crash. A guy named Doug had legitimately purchased the guitar in 2005, and it had been sitting on a stand as a conversation piece ever since. Goodwyn got in touch, bought the guitar back, and it arrived at his Halifax home a few days ago.
"Today I was reunited with my beloved 1962 Gibson Melody Maker after it was abducted 46 years ago," he wrote in the Facebook post. "She was 10 years young when she was taken and 56 years old when she was returned this afternoon. And damn she looks good!"
Luckily, the instrument showed few signs of having been played over the last five decades, and remains "in the same overall condition as when I saw her last all those decades ago."
Read Goodwyn's full post below:
A most remarkable thing has happened. Today I was reunited with my beloved 1962 Gibson Melody Maker after it was abducted 46 years ago. She was 10 years young when she was taken and 56 years old when she was returned this afternoon. And damn she looks good!
I have posted pictures of her over the years ( I had only 5 pictures of her in total) and I lamented openly about how she was my favorite guitar (my only guitar for some years) and that I missed her still. We found each other in 1968 in Cape Breton, N.S. We were in a group called East Gate Sanctuary for awhile and later with April Wine. And then one day in 1972 she was involved in a truck accident and I was told that she was destroyed and the body parts tossed away before I could see the damage for myself. In other words she was stolen from me, plain and simple although I didn't know it at the time. I was sad and I was pissed and all these years I thought she was "gone" forever.
The day before Christmas, December 24, 2018, I got a message on FB from a fellow named Randy informing me that my guitar was in Victoria, B.C. alive and well and if I wanted it back to call a guy named Doug. I couldn't believe it. It's now been 46 years since I was told she was destroyed. I was sent a picture of the guitar Doug had at his house perched on a guitar stand as a conversation piece! (btw, Doug had bought legitimately in 2005) and I knew instantly that it was my long lost MM. WOW!!! I contacted Doug, worked out some details (I bought it back) and I had my guitar shipped and delivered to the door. Today! I'm still in shock and very grateful to Randy and Doug.
Here's a picture of me reunited with my beautiful Melody Maker, returned in perfect working order, in the same overall condition as when I saw her last all those decades ago...what an AWESOME way to start a new year!! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
April Wine celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, though Goodwyn is the only original member to remain in the lineup. He released a solo album titled Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues last year and is currently completing a follow-up.