The instruments pictured and described below were recently stolen
from Chuck Brodsky's home near Asheville, NC. However, they could
turn up anywhere, so please keep an eye out for them.
If you have any information about these instruments,
please contact Chuck at 828-683-9431 or chuck@chuckbrodsky.com
Larry Pogreba resonator guitar
Very dark green, with a hubcap from an early '60's Rambler covering the resonator cone. The hubcap is cut in the shape of a butterfly. A pick-up is installed under the cone, with a quarter inch jack at the bottom end. There are "crude" beads where the metal back and sides were welded together, and on the back all of the ballpeen hammer marks are visible from when the back was first shaped.
Ovation "Elite" acoustic guitar serial # 1868
Thin body, black, rounded back, many small sound holes. A repaired 7-inch crack in the guitar's top will be apparent on inspection. The guitar strap was multi-colored. There might be some corrosion around the battery terminal & controls for the pick-up.
(Photo is of a similar guitar; however, my guitar does not have the different colored wood trim at the top of the headstock.)
Steve Wise Long Neck Dulcimer
This is an instrument that is played like a guitar, NOT like a lap dulcimer. It has a thin, teardrop-shaped body (with a cut-away on either side at the neck), about the size of a mandola, f holes, a pick-up, small rectangular black plastic battery cover on the side. The neck is long and is fretted like a dulcimer, but with the strings in reverse order from a lap dulcimer. It has a low string, a middle string, and then the high string being doubled. This instrument was stolen in its white "Calton" fiberglass case with a plush red interior. The outside of the case has a name plate with "Chuck Brodsky" engraved in it along with the serial # 8086. There is an odd piece of plush red padding built into the inside of the case's top to compensate for the dulcimer's raised bridge.
Madiera acoustic guitar
The label inside says "Made by Guild". This guitar has maple back and sides, and "Madiera" inlayed on the headstock. It's a well-worn instrument, my first guitar. There are at least 2 small screw holes in the top of the guitar from where an old pick-up used to be mounted. The area near the pick gaurd has been worn down through the finish, as are areas around the edge of the sound hole. There were cracks around the bindings on the back & sides, with one small spot where the guitar had been dropped and the wood was crushed in a little. There was a thin braided dark leather strap tied to the bottom end and to just before the nut at the headstock. Tiny blood spatterings from long ago dot the inside wood of the back of the guitar when you look through the sound hole.
Banjolin (brand name unknown)
Possibly has an inscription somewhere "Made in Philadelphia." Belonged to my great uncle. This instrument has a banjo head (not sure if it was plastic or skin) attached to the neck of a mandolin (4 sets of doubled strings). The wooden tone ring is a pattern of various colored wood
s, either inlaid or interlocked (not sure). It probably dates back to the 1930's or 1940's. Some of the metal hardware around the head might possibly be recent replacement parts (not certain). There is a thin shim adjusting the angle of the neck at the point where it attaches to the banjo head. This instrument was stolen without its original case.
(Photo is of a similar instrument; however, on mine the wood below the banjo head was more ornate: a pattern of triangular pieces (I think) of wood, 3 or 4 wood tone colors, either laminated or inlayed. )