Getting a lost instrument case back

Speed matters more with an instrument than with most things. A case left at a venue is usually put somewhere safe by the staff, but the longer it sits, the more people handle it.

1. 1Ring the venue straight away. Ask for the duty manager or the sound engineer, who'll know where things are put after a show. Describe the case, the instrument inside and anything distinctive about it.
2. 2Contact transport lost property. For a train, coach or taxi, give the date, the route and roughly where the case was stowed. Ask them to ring you if it comes in later.
3. 3Ask the other acts and the crew. In a busy load-out a case often ends up in somebody else's van by mistake. A message to the other bands and the crew finds it fastest.
4. 4Tell local musicians. Post in local music groups and let nearby music shops and repairers know, with a photo and the serial number. Musicians look out for each other's gear.
5. 5Watch second-hand listings. If you think it was taken rather than left, keep an eye on local second-hand listings and shops for an instrument matching yours.

• Photograph the instrument, its case and any marks or repairs that make it yours.
• Write down the serial number, usually on the headstock, the back of the neck or inside the body, and keep it somewhere you can find from your phone.
• Keep receipts and any valuation together with those photos.
• Put your sticker where it's seen with the case lying flat or standing up, and a second one inside the lid.

Load-outs are busy, venues are dark, and black cases all look the same. A case left by the stage door or on a luggage rack is usually found quickly; the hard part is working out whose it is.

A scaniflost sticker on the lid gives the venue staff, the next band or the person on the train a way to reach you. They scan it, see what it is and your first name, and send a message. You're emailed straight away.

Name it clearly in your dashboard, like “Black Fender case, Strat inside”, so the finder knows they've got the right one.

• Put it on the lid, where it's seen when the case is lying down or standing up.
• Add a second inside the case, in case the outside one gets scuffed off on the road.
• Use the same approach for pedalboards, gig bags and mic cases.