'Sad to see it go:' Milwaukee musician's custom orange Fender guitar stolen after Riverwest gig

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee musician said his bright orange Fender Toronado guitar was swiped during a show on Sunday, March 1 in Riverwest. He put down the custom guitar, and a thief picked it up and walked away.

Tom Olwig said performing is his passion.

"It's been part of my life every day since I was like, 15," said Olwig.

Olwig on Sunday, March 8 strummed his roommate's acoustic guitar a week after someone stole his electric one.

Tom Olwig

"I'm usually not an angry person," said Olwig. "I've been upset all week."

Olwig wrapped up a show at Quarters on Center Street on March 1.

"I went back to grab my guitar and load up, and I didn't see it back there," said Olwig. "I was just playing, and somebody snuck in the back, and took it right out."

The bright orange guitar was a customized gift from Olwig's cousin.

"It's a very unique color," said Olwig. "Just opened me up to a bunch of different play styles. I started playing way more, now that I had such a nice instrument to play on."

It led to paid gigs. After the theft, Olwig filed a police report and entered the guitar into a stolen instrument database.

"Posted online, doing everything I can, going around different shops," said Olwig. "If somebody does try to sell it, it will ping up."

Milwaukee police asked anyone with information to please come forward.

"Just sad to see it go," said Olwig. "I have faith it will come back, for sure."

Olwig said people in the music community were keeping an eye out for his instrument.