Pahinui's cherished guitars stolen
By James Gonser
Advertiser Central Bureau
A musician's instruments are his most valued possessions. Not only do instruments provide a livelihood, but often become "soul mates" for musicians who say they form a close bond with their guitars and ukuleles. When instruments are stolen, the pain can be great and personal.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Cyril Pahinui was doubly injured Sunday when burglars broke into his Waikele townhome and made off with three handmade guitars and, even more important, a mandolin given to him by his late father, the legendary slack key guitar player Gabby "Pops" Pahinui.
Charmagne Pahinui, wife of musician Cyril Pahinui, holds a guitar case that housed one of the graphite guitars.
Slack key recording artist George Kuo lost his best guitar to burglars about 10 years ago.
"It hurts very deeply," said Kuo. "Guitars are passed on and each has a soul inside of it that you play. It is very precious to a musician. The monetary loss is secondary."
After using a screwdriver to force open the back door of the Pahinui home, burglars made off with two RainSong graphite guitars, a Mermer koa guitar, the mandolin and a clock featuring a photo of Gabby.
Cyril's wife, Charmagne, hopes to have the instruments, valued at about $5,000 each, returned before her husband gets back from his Mainland tour.
Charmagne went out at about 6 p.m. Sunday and knew something was wrong when she returned about a half-hour later.
"I saw an empty guitar case in the kitchen," Charmagne said. "Then I saw house was torn up. All the closets were open, the mattresses were torn off the bed. The house was ransacked."
Charmagne said her husband is a calm man and he took the news quietly.
"He just wanted to know how I was," Charmagne said. "He called all his family, so I had 20 people in the house last night. He was concerned for my safety."
Police Det. Letha DeCaires said it is often difficult to recover property taken in burglaries, but because these items are so unique, there is a good chance they will be found.
"If the suspect is bragging about the burglary and with a reward offered through CrimeStoppers, we've got a good shot at this one," DeCaires said.
Photos and serial numbers of the instruments are being circulated to area pawn shops in case the burglars attempt to pawn the items, and CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect or the recovery of the stolen items.
DeCaires said burglars usually take jewelry or cash and items that can be sold quickly to buy drugs.
Kuo, who performed with Gabby Pahinui many times before his death in 1980, said stealing the mandolin that Gabby used in his early recording days is like taking a family heirloom or a family Bible.
"The guys who stole it probably don't even know what the heck it is," Kuo said. "I cringe when I hear about this stuff. Almost everybody has stuff stolen. There is a big market out there for instruments. They'll sell it for 50 bucks or whatever."
Charmagne said her husband is now left with only one guitar, the 12-string he took on tour.
"Cyril is the nicest man I've ever met," Charmagne said. "He is so generous and has no second thoughts about doing free concerts for good causes. These guitars were made for his hands ... for these creeps to come in and take his only livelihood away is beyond words."
