Richie Sambora Reunited with Teenage Gibson Explorer Stolen 41 Years Ago

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News (1 / 1) 29.04.2026 21:58 / Julia

Richie Sambora has finally been reunited with a 1976 Gibson Explorer he bought at 16 — a guitar stolen in 1985 that reappeared decades later under surprising circumstances. Read on to discover the full story!

A teenage buy turned signature instrument

He purchased the Explorer at Lou Rose Music Center in Edison after seeing Eric Clapton play the model. Sambora paid it off over time and worked with luthier Phil Petillo, at Bruce Springsteen’s recommendation, to add an ebony neck and his signature star inlays. The Explorer became his go-to on early Bon Jovi records.