Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It seems like equipment thefts are quite a regular thing these days, and with the high demand and value of a RIC, I'm sure any thief would love to get their hands on one.

How do you guys protect your RIC from being stolen? Any tips for keeping it at home? What about when at a gig?

Some things I do are keeping the latches locked all the time, keeping one key in a safe and the other on my person, and never losing sight of it when I'm at a gig. And I never let anyone use/hold it. I'm also looking into buying a chain so I can run it through the handle and padlock it to something sturdy.

The chain is probably the best deterrent, I don't think a locked case would really slow a thief down much.

A good idea was posted by someone in the past: place a piece of paper with your name, address, & any other vital info inside the control cavity so if they are stolen, there'll be no problems proving they're yours when found.

Also, keep a record of serial numbers, & any distinguishing features in a safe (offline) place.

I'm sure there is much more that can be done.

I take the TRC off, it sounds like they are in high demand and it might deter a thief.

My gigging days are done, so all my guitars, not just my Rick's, are safely and securely stored inside my home. I have an art collection that I protect as well. I have an alarm system with door contacts, glass break detectors, and motion sensors. The monitoring company also monitors the smoke detectors. Fire extinguishers are readily available too. And of course their is prayer..

Just an idea?

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Here's a scary little story for ya...years ago, our band used to play regularly at a bar/restaurant in downtown Denver called City Spirit. One Saturday night in mid winter, we had finished the gig and my wife and I had loaded her drums, my amp and my '74 fretless into our rusty old VW beetle, which I had parked right in front of the door to the place. It was 2 a.m., snowing and colder than hell, and the streets were deserted. She was inside saying goodbye to friends while I warmed up the car. When it seemed like the bug was running well enough to make it home, I jumped out and ran ten steps to the door, opened it and called for her to come on. I turned back around and the car was GONE! It was one of the worst moments of my life...of course the Rick was my biggest immediate concern, but also the house keys were on the keychain. A really horrible scene...we called the cops, who were there in five minutes. They took a statement and description, but they were none too reassuring about the possibility of recovering anything. We took a cab home (she had her house keys with her) and spent a horrible weekend lamenting the loss and dreading the chance of the crooks showing up for more. On Monday, as the cops had instructed me, I called the detectives downtown to see if there was any word..."Oh yeah," says the woman on the line, "they found your car...it's in the impound lot." I called the lot, and they told me yes, they had it..."A '68 yellow beetle, body rusted, with 'cluttered' interior?" asked the guy on the line. "Oh my God," I shouted into the phone, "THAT'S MY CAR!" I got down there as fast as I could...the walk with the uniformed cop on duty out through the dirt lot full of cars of every description was filled with apprehension. I spotted the bug in amongst the rest and ran toward it. There inside was all our gear...the cops said they had found it in an alley three blocks from the bar with the drivers door still unlocked and the keys hanging in the ignition...

So...I don't know what else to say about it...alarms are all well and good, but perhaps there's an element of karma and clean living involved, too. Maybe...but I don't ever want to put that theory to the test in that particular way again...

20 years ago, after my vintage Bassman tube amp was stolen from a rehearsal room, I purchased an all-risk insurance policy for my musical equipment. Every bass and guitar that I own is insured for its real value + estimated shipping from the US and V.A.T. It's not cheap but I sleep very well at night. I also never leave a guitar in the car, not even for one minute.

Amazing story, Dane... probably some kid that needed a "ride" home, and didn't even look inside! You are one LUCKY person. Perhaps Karma may have been involved, as you suggest... Hmmmm

One solution: move to Canada! But seriously, at least in the countryside where I live, people tend to leave keys in the ignition of their parked cars and no one locks their front doors.

I know things are worse in the major cities, even in the safest country in the world, so I keep an eye on my gear while playing gigs in Ottawa.

You know, Fred, I've thought about doing that a lot in the past few years, and it's not just about avoiding thefts...but let's not start in aboot politics, eh?

It's always a good idea never to leave a guitar in a car (whether back seat or trunk), or in a trailer. They are too easily snatched.

That's an amazing story Dane you got lucky there. Maybe Sean is right, some kid needed your car for a ride home. Those old VW Bugs did drive well in the snow.
I'm with Kris, I never leave my gear in the car. I sometimes joke about leaving an inexpensive non Rick beater in the trunk of the car for unexpected jams, but if some creeps knows it's in there, it's not worth the possible damage to the car. Most thieves probably don't care what kind of guitar it is.

As far as Canada being safe, my old truck & the neighbor's bread truck get searched by a gang of teens looking for valuables at least once a week, and I live in a small town (12000 people).

Garage break ins (both commercial & residential) are becoming epidemic in my county, expensive tools being the target.

Kevin, stay up with a baseball bat for a while and I bet it stops.

That happened to 3 of our vehicles multiple times until this one family moved away - they were a block and a half away but hit everyones cars and garages. We've since locked the garage.

While this was going on, I came home very late from work one morning (I work till midnight but because of equipment failure made it home about 3 AM) and saw a face through the garage back door window as I pulled in. I flew out of the car, around the side of the garage where they would have to run, and almost tackled my wife into the snow! She was out looking for my car to see where I was! Had my heart beating like crazy!

This is a great thread with very good info - I too wonder what steps to take to prevent theft. Keep the discussion going!

I leave guitars in my car all the time, just sitting on the seat and sometimes even with the case open so that they can breathe.

But then again, I'm protected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee3L9BQQ4Gs