That Monday morning when Fret Shop employees arrived to open the store, they noticed the backdoor didn’t look right. The plexiglass was out of the frame. And they soon learned why.
On Sunday, June 26, The Fret Shop had been broken into and 13 guitars were stolen. Located at the distinctive log-cabin-type building at 3090 Jordan Lane N.W., The Fret Shop is closed Sundays. Owner Mark Torstenson says one of their music instructors holds group rehearsals Sunday afternoons, so the theft occurred after 3 p.m. and, he believes, likely at night.
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Stolen items included an array of Gretsch and Ibanez electric guitars and a couple acoustics. A ukulele was also taken. A complete list and description for each, along with serial numbers, which can be crucial in recovering stolen instruments, are listed at the end of this story. As to why those particular instruments were stolen, Torstenson says, “My best guess is, with the path they took those were the first guitars they ran into.”
A motion detector was set off near the area that displays the store’s acoustic guitars, including pricey Martin and Taylor brand guitars. The thieves didn’t make off with the most expensive electrics, Paul Reed Smith guitars, either. Same goes for the Marshall amplifiers. Torstenson notes that “Marshall amps are certainly not cheap, but that would be hard to get out of here fast.”
The Fret Shop guitar store in Huntsville, Alabama. (Courtesy Mark Torstenson)
The Fret Shop has been a Huntsville music scene hub for decades. The shop first opened in 1979 on Pratt Avenue and moved to Jordan Lane in 2000. Notable musicians who’ve shopped there over the years include Americana superstar Jason Isbell, “Cliffs of Dover” virtuoso Eric Johnson and blues-rock shredder Joe Bonamassa. The store’s repairs department has worked on the guitars of Brittany Howard, the Alabama Shakes singer turned future R&B sensation. Local heroes like “Microwave” Dave Gallaher and Dave Anderson frequent the store. (In the mid ‘90s, I bought a 1967 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp from the Pratt Avenue location. I still have it and it still screams.)
Torstenson says the 14-instrument (counting the uke) theft is the most significant Fret Shop’s endured in recent memory. There have been others, often smaller grab-and-dash thefts during crowded holiday shopping seasons. And some other past multi-guitar thefts too. Luckily, most are recovered, Torstenson says.
The Fret Shop’s stock is insured, but there’s a deductible. Besides the guitars and backdoor damage, there were no other losses. The cash register, cash box and computers were spared, it appears.
The Fret Shop filed a police report regarding the theft. They reached out to other local music stores and pawn shops so they could keep a look out. Torstenson is also keeping an eye on online listings at Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Reverb. “All the likely places someone might try to sell a guitar,” Torstenson says.
If anyone out there happens to spot any of the stolen guitars, Torstenson hopes they’ll contact the police and/or The Fret Shop (256-430-4729, info@thefretshop.com): “We’d love to have the opportunity to give them a proper home.”
Instruments the Fret Shop has reported stolen
Gretsch G2210 Streamliner Jr Jet Club Vintage White, serial number ISG210319825
Gretsch G2215 P90 Streamliner Jr Jet Club Mint Metallic, serial number ISG211025003
Gretsch G2420T Hollowbody Single Cutaway Riviera Blue Electric Guitar, serial number IS201002206
Gretsch G2420T Hollowbody Single Cutaway Riviera Blue Electric Guitar, serial number IS210924754
Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin Parlor Acoustic/Electric Guitar in Shell Pink, serial number IS211102935
Gretsch G5622T Electromatic Center Block in Dark Cherry Metallic with Bigsby, serial number CYGC21090029
Gretsch G5622T Electromatic Center Block in Dark Cherry Metallic with Bigsby, serial number CYGC21051019
Gretsch G9100 Soprano Standard Ukulele with Gigbag, serial number CAU2111185
Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey Acoustic/Electric with Soundhole Pickup Walnut Fingerboard Smokestack Black, serial number IWA2109906
Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey Acoustic/Electric with Soundhole Pickup Walnut Fingerboard Smokestack Black, serial number IWA2109915
Ibanez AS63T-SFG AS Artcore Series Hollow Body Electric Guitar with Bigsby Tremolo, serial number PW18122141
Ibanez AS73G-MPF AS Artcore Series Hollow Body Electric Guitar in Metallic Purple Flat, serial number W21092025
Ron Jeffreys Custom Build Tele-style Electric Guitar Gold Finish w/Gold Hardware, serial number N/A
Tagima TW 61 SB-DF/TT Jazz-M Style Electric Guitar Sunburst with Tortoise Pickguard, serial number N/A
