APB on my first Guitar

[cjh]

Ok--this thread isn't about my Taylor (414ce Imbuia ltd--which I love), but the thread about first guitars got me to thinking. I am posting this on this thread because it seems to get the most action. So I am sorry if this breaks etiquette, but here it goes . . .

My first real electric guitar was a beautiful Ibanez Artist circa 1980. It was made of Maple and was just awesome. Ibanez has reintroduced the Artist line and the highest price one looks similar to mine, but the lower priced ones are a joke. Anyway, I was a sophomore in high school playing a total piece of junk Les Paul knock off. I was in jazz band and swing choir band in high school so it was a real problem not to have a real guitar. So at Christmas time, my dad traded in his Gibson acoustic and I traded in my beater and I got the Ibanez. It retailed for about 800 back then (1981)-big money. I just loved that guitar. It was classy and sounded great playing jazz or Zeppelin (and Motley Crew, Triumph, Def Leppard, 38 Special, Van Halen---Hey, it was the 80s).

Ok-fast forward about 18 years (1998), I am happily married to a wonderful woman (who would later bless the purchase of my beloved Taylor) and have 2 kids (now 3 kids). We are trying to scrape together money for a down payment on land to build a house. Being a poor pastor, we didn't have a lot of cash. I wasn't playing my guitar that much. So I hocked my Ibanez and some other lesser guitars (I got ripped--Ebay wasn't such a big thing). I never really missed the guitar until I got my Taylor and started playing more at church. NOW I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE THAT GUITAR BACK!!!

I pawned it at a store in Valparaiso, IN around 1998. If anyone happens to know anything about a classy double cutaway Ibanez artist with the decorative pick covers and pearl tuning buttons, I will pay big bucks for it. Please email me with any info. Maybe the lucky one who bought it is reading this---Help. Oh, and if you are reading this Mr. Sock--Ibanez rocks even if they are foreign!

Help me find my first real guitar!!

Chris