Zeke Clarkes Gear played by Eddie Van Halen, Prince stolen in Nashville

https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2020/12/09/gear-played-eddie-van-halen-prince-stolen-nashville/3867985001/

Gear played by Eddie Van Halen, Prince stolen in Nashville

Musical gear once played by Eddie Van Halen and Prince was allegedly stolen from a Nashville storage locker earlier this month.
The missing gear includes vintage Fender and boutique TopHat amplifiers, custom Marshall guitar cabinets, Ampeg bass cabinets, collectable Sears Silvertone instruments and more, said Zeke Clark, a longtime guitar technician who owned the equipment.
Thieves lifted at least $50,000 in gear and tour memorabilia, said Clark, a 44-year touring veteran who’s worked with Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Kenny Chesney, among others.
“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Clark, 64. “It just really threw me for a loop.”
Clark last visited his unit — at iStorage off Andrew Jackson Parkway in Hermitage — in late October. He returned Dec. 3 to find a new lock on the unit. After removing the lock with bolt cutters, Clark said he discovered 20 Marshall 4×12 cabinets missing, among other pieces.
“When I opened that door my heart just sank,” Clark said.
The Metro Nashville Police Department Hermitage precinct opened an investigation last week, according to spokesperson Don Aaron.
The Marshall cabinets were played by late guitar icon Eddie Van Halen on the band’s 5150 and Monsters of Rock tours in the 1980s and used by Prince on studio recordings in the ’90s, Clark said.
Musical gear once played by Eddie Van Halen and Prince was allegedly stolen from a Nashville storage locker earlier this month.
The missing gear includes vintage Fender and boutique TopHat amplifiers, custom Marshall guitar cabinets, Ampeg bass cabinets, collectable Sears Silvertone instruments and more, said Zeke Clark, a longtime guitar technician who owned the equipment.
Thieves lifted at least $50,000 in gear and tour memorabilia, said Clark, a 44-year touring veteran who’s worked with Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Kenny Chesney, among others.
“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Clark, 64. “It just really threw me for a loop.”
This photo taken on June 16, 1990 shows musician Prince performing onstage during his concert at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris.
Clark last visited his unit — at iStorage off Andrew Jackson Parkway in Hermitage — in late October. He returned Dec. 3 to find a new lock on the unit. After removing the lock with bolt cutters, Clark said he discovered 20 Marshall 4×12 cabinets missing, among other pieces.
“When I opened that door my heart just sank,” Clark said.
The Metro Nashville Police Department Hermitage precinct opened an investigation last week, according to spokesperson Don Aaron.
The Marshall cabinets were played by late guitar icon Eddie Van Halen on the band’s 5150 and Monsters of Rock tours in the 1980s and used by Prince on studio recordings in the ’90s, Clark said.
Missing boxes of tour collectables could range from Poison jackets sold in the 1980s to modern Chesney t-shirts. Additional items missing include power generators and a gas-powered scooter.
A complete list of missing items is to-be-determined, Clark said.
“This stuff means the world to me,” Clark said. “This is part of my life. This is my history. … I just want to get it back.”