Well, 29 years ago now, but I know some of you remember that like it was yesterday!
I'd always assumed that the theft was on their second US tour after the Taras Shevchenko gig (19 November 81) and that the cherryburst or sunburst BB1200 Hooky had was a casualty, briefly replaced by a BB800 and eventually the red BB1200S he's had ever since. And apparently I'm not the only one who's been confused about this, since there are comments here on various threads about their gear getting nicked after recording Temptation or Movement.
However, I've recently realized that the theft was much earlier, on the 21st or 22nd of September, 1980, just after their first US gig at Maxell's in Hoboken NJ and just before their appearance at Hurrah's in NYC using borrowed instruments.
(so here's where the trainspotting really starts)
Which means that instead of:
Hondo Ric -> BB1200 -> theft! -> BB800 -> BB1200S
Hooky's bass goes:
Hondo Ric -> Yamaha ??? -> theft! -> BB800 -> BB1200 -> BB1200S
Which raises a couple (admittedly minor) questions - what Yamaha bass did Hooky have at the end of Joy Division which was stolen? The customs list for their aborted JD tour in 1980 (from Gretton's notebooks) listed a "Yamaha SB" bass, which I'd always assumed was a typo, but now I'm not so sure (though the SB basses were only sold in Japan, which they didn't visit until '85). Does anyone have any pictures from the last JD concerts or the first couple NO concerts (pre-Sept 80) showing Hooky with a bass other than the Ric copy? I've heard Closer was recorded with a Yamaha BB1200, but that could be complete bollocks as it turns out.
Second, and even more minor, anyone know exactly when the 1200 was replaced with the 1200S? I'm guessing he just upgraded, but I've never heard any indication that he still has the old one.
As a side note, a Shergold Marathon 6 must have been amongst the stolen kit, since Hooky played DNE on a Precision at Hurrah's. (It's possible he just didn't bring one, but I think there's one on the JD customs list.) Since only 95 of those were made there must be a (black?) Marathon 6 floating around the States with Hooky's serial number on the back. It's a rare enough guitar that it shouldn't be that difficult to establish what happened to it, unless of course it's been destroyed...
