Hot guitar back with bluesman

It could be a tale from a blues cliche – except this story of love lost has a happy ending.

Wellington bluesman Dave Murphy’s prized Dobro resonator guitar was stolen seven years ago.

Then, about two years ago, fellow Wellington muso Rob Joass unwittingly bought it from a reputable ‘‘friend of a friend’’ who had bought it at a deceased estate auction a couple of years earlier.

‘‘The price was a very reasonable $1200 and I snapped it up,’’ Joass said.

‘‘I used the guitar live occasionally, and it featured on a Shot Band recording and video with the wonderful Katie Thompson last year to promote a national tour we did.’’ On that tour they played a house concert in Wellington.

‘‘I was playing the Dobro and Dave Murphy, sitting front row, was obviously giving it a very close look.

‘‘When we took a break he asked to have a closer look and then told me a story.’’

It turned out that it was the same guitar stolen from Murphy seven years ago – a prized treasure he had saved and hunted for as a young man and eventually tracked down in a Perth guitar shop.

For Joass, there was no question Murphy should get the guitar back. ‘‘To me it is a beautiful guitar but for Dave, well, it’s part of his life story.’’

However, Joass, whose sole income comes from music, could not afford to take the $1200 hit.

Then mutual friend Dougal Spier hatched a plan for a benefit gig. On Saturday night a group of Wellington musicians – including Joass and Murphy – got together, raising enough to get Joass a replacement guitar.