Irreplaceable guitars worth $20,000 stolen from Maton Guitar museum in Box Hill South

THIEVES are on the run with two $20,000 guitars, one signed by Billy Thorpe and Normie Rowe, after they broke into a Box Hill South music museum.

GUITARS worth thousands of dollars — one signed by music legends — Billy Thorpe and Normie Rowe — have been stolen from the Maton Guitars museum in Box Hill South.

Police are hunting for thieves who raided the music shop, stealing a red Maton Wild Cat and a white electric guitar signed by 38 musicians, and worth $10,000 each on Wednesday night.

The offenders smashed a window at the entrance to the business about midnight and, less than two minutes later, made off with the rare instruments.

The white Maton electric guitar that was stolen.

Maton Guitars head of marketing Mark Mansour said the thieves had pass about 30 guitars before making it to the museum where the stolen instruments were displayed.

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“They walked past numerous guitars to get to these particular instruments,” he said.

“They were very considered in what they took.”

Owner Neville Kitchen said the instruments were “quite rare”, with the Maton Wild Cat being one of only 100 made in the 1970s.

“You really can’t put a value on them,” he told 3AW on Thursday.

“It’s just sad to see them go.”

The second electric guitar that was stolen.

Some of those people that have signed (the white guitar) have gone to God now. In that sense it can’t be replaced.”

“I’ve tried to collect some of these more rare ones for our museum here.”

Mr Mansour said he did not think the Box Hill South business had ever been broken into, and it certainly had not been in the last five years.

Police are urging witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers.

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