Tom offers $75,000 reward for guitars

LOS ANGELES: Rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are offering a $75,000 reward for the return of five guitars stolen from a Los Angeles-area studio last week, ahead of their US and Europe tour.

The band said on their website that the guitars include Petty's 1967 12-string blonde Ricken backer 360 and his 1965 Gibson SGTV Junior, as well as instruments belonging to bassist Ron Blair, rhythm guitar player Scott Thurston, and lead guitarist Mike Campbell.

They said they would pay a $75,000 reward "with no questions asked to anyone with information leading to the recovery of the guitars."

The guitars were reported stolen on Thursday from a studio in Culver City, west of Los Angeles, where the band was rehearsing for their US tour, which is set to open in Broomfield, Colorado, on Wednesday.

Police said they were investigating the theft. (Reuters)