Touring musician's guitars stolen in North Bay, including 1968 Fender Stratocaster

CORTE MADERA, Calif. (KTVU) - A touring singer-songwriter is asking the Bay Area to be on the lookout for three guitars stolen after a gig.

One is a classic Fender Stratocaster from 1968.

"You have to pick it up, you have to feel it, you have to play it, " Anders Osborne told KTVU, describing the special bond musicians develop with their guitars.  

Osborne played a sold-out show last Friday night at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael. 

"The audience was fantastic, all the fans were into it," said Osborne, "and we danced and played, it was a perfect night, we loved it."   

The glow evaporated shortly after the band went to sleep at the Best Western Hotel in Corte Madera. 

"I heard noise and there are cops all around," said Osborne, "and the rental truck's been broken into, there are guitar cases everywhere and everything is gone."

Normally, instruments are brought inside overnight. 

"Usually they go in the room but I'm sure somebody made a mistake and left them in the vehicle, which never happens," said Osborne.   

One of the guitars was a Delaney "Dumaine", custom-crafted with cypress and copper taken from Osborne's New Orleans home. 

Another was a 1974 wine-red Les Paul custom with a whammy bar for vibrato, a guitar Osborne calls "wino."  

But the worst loss, the Stratocaster called "Blackie" he's had since age 21.   

"It's been my main guitar, it's been through everything. It's got a little sticker on it from my mom, a little butterfly, from when she was dying," said Osborne. 

"It's got a lot of musical memory. I've played with everybody from Phil Lesh, to Randy Newman to Doctor John to BB King, I've played with everybody with that guitar, it's been around." 

Playing borrowed guitars, Osborne was onstage as scheduled Saturday night in Lake Tahoe. 

A self-described "blue collar working musician", he's touring from now until Christmas.

He says he can't let the theft stop him, although it was a blow when first discovered.

"I shut down, honestly. I started meditating and I kept asking the universe what I need to do next."  

First a police report, then calls to musician friends, followed by a Facebook post: a plea to spread the word and help find his instruments. 

Osborne thinks the burglars simply stumbled across them. 

"Five cars that night, just at that hotel, were broken into," he revealed. 

The stolen guitars could end up in pawn shops or on re-sale sites. 

But to research their worth, the thieves would have to ask questions of musicians. 

"And as soon as they do, they would probably get exposed, so it's a tricky scenario for them," said Osborne. 

For now, he plans to "soup up" some spare guitars to get by, but admits a cherished guitar is like a longtime relationship. 

"The black Stratocaster, an '86, there's nothing like it for me, so to find something else like that? We'll see, maybe." 

One thing he hasn't lost - his sense of humor- imagining their fate. 

"They're probably on an adventure right now, looking at each other, wondering 'what the heck's going on, where are we?', chuckled Osborne. 

A reward may be offered in the days ahead. 

Anyone with information about the guitars is asked to email AndersOsborne@7smgmt.com
or contact the Central Marin Police Authority.