Stolen instruments alert

The European Bluegrass Blog today reports the theft of two high-quality instruments in the south of France last Sunday (16 Oct.).

One of them is a custom-made F-style mandolin by Jonathan Mann of Tennessee; its distinctive flamed back is shown above. The other is a Loar LH-700-VS guitar, similar to the original Gibson archtop guitars. Both of them belong to Swiss picker Klaus Wittich, who also lost personal items of value when a thief broke into his car.

Any news of these instruments can be sent to Martina Ruhmann by e-mail.