Bruce Springsteen's E Street band guitarist is left 'devastated' after FOUR of his beloved guitars are stolen the day before a sold out solo show

  • Nils Lofgren was in Dallas for a show when his van was broken into on Thursday 
  • Van was parked at a Holiday Inn Express where he and his crew were staying 
  • The thief ran off with the guitars, valued at $10,000, as well as an electric harp 
  • They were caught on surveillance camera, Lofgren's wife tweeted out the image

Bruce Springsteen's guitarist Nils Lofgren has been left devastated after four of his beloved guitars were stolen from his touring van. 

Lofgren, a member of Springsteen's E Street Band, was in Dallas for a sold out solo show on Friday when he discovered the van had been broken into overnight. 

The van was parked at a Holiday Inn Express where Lofgren, 66, was staying when the thief ran off with three Takamine acoustic guitars and a Fender Stratocaster.

Bruce Springsteen's guitarist Nils Lofgren has been left devastated after four of his beloved guitars were stolen from his touring van

Bruce Springsteen's guitarist Nils Lofgren has been left devastated after four of his beloved guitars were stolen from his touring van

Lofgren, a member of Springsteen's E Street Band, was in Dallas for a sold out solo show on Friday when he discovered the van had been broken into overnight

Lofgren, a member of Springsteen's E Street Band, was in Dallas for a sold out solo show on Friday when he discovered the van had been broken into overnight

Lofgren tweeted about the theft on Friday, saying it had left him 'devastated' after an already 'very difficult year' 

Lofgren tweeted about the theft on Friday, saying it had left him 'devastated' after an already 'very difficult year' 

An electric level harp and a toolbox belonging to Lofgren's guitar tech was also missing, according to CBS DFW

'My whole life I've been a fairly gullible, positive person,' Lofgren told the station. 

'It gets a little impractical when you're doing one-nighters at the end of a long night to drag in half a ton of gear.'   

Lofgren's tour manager has estimated that the guitars were worth $10,000.

But it's the priceless memories each guitar holds that has made the robbery especially hard for Lofgren. 

The thief (pictured) was caught on surveillance camera stealing the guitars around 10.30pm on Thursday

The thief (pictured) was caught on surveillance camera stealing the guitars around 10.30pm on Thursday

The van was parked at a Holiday Inn Express (pictured) where Lofgren, 66, was staying

The van was parked at a Holiday Inn Express (pictured) where Lofgren, 66, was staying

The thief ran off with three Takamine acoustic guitars and a Fender Stratocaster as well as a harp, which had all been stored inside the van (pictured) 

The thief ran off with three Takamine acoustic guitars and a Fender Stratocaster as well as a harp, which had all been stored inside the van (pictured) 

'I am devastated by this robbery,' Lofgren tweeted on Friday. 'These are my first shows out after a very difficult year. Alas, the show must go on.

'Kessler Theater, it won't be the show I was planning on. However I do plan on taking the roof off.' 

Lofgren had nicknamed one of the Takamine instruments his 'Willie Nelson guitar'. 

'I've played it for so many years and traveled the world with it, so I'm wearing a hole in it,' he said. 

Pictured is the broken lock on the van's trunk

Pictured is the broken lock on the van's trunk

'I don't have quite the hole through it, but it's about to break. That was a dear guitar for me.' 

The thief was caught on surveillance camera stealing the guitars around 10.30pm on Thursday night. 

Lofgren's wife Amy tweeted images from the camera on Friday, writing: 'This pig of a man stole @nilslofgren guitars. Touring is hard enough, and now this.' 

With no instruments and a gig within hours, Lofgren called on his longtime friend Howard Kweller for help. 

With no instruments and a gig within hours, Lofgren called on Howard Kweller to borrow a guitar (pictured) he had picked out for his friend's son's bar mitzvah two decades ago

With no instruments and a gig within hours, Lofgren called on Howard Kweller to borrow a guitar (pictured) he had picked out for his friend's son's bar mitzvah two decades ago

The pair had played in a band together in middle school in the 1960s and Kweller still had the guitar Lofgren had bought for his son's bar mitzvah two decades ago. 

'Nils knows this guitar and he's played it before,' Kweller said. 'He's the ultimate performer. I have no doubt he'll have an amazing show.' 

As Lofgren moves on to Austin, he hopes the thief will have a change of heart. 

'Man, why'd you steal my equipment? I came here to sing for Dallas,' he said in a direct message to the thief.

'What's wrong with you? Give it back, would you?'  

As Lofgren moves on to Austin, he hopes the thief will have a change of heart and return his beloved instruments 

As Lofgren moves on to Austin, he hopes the thief will have a change of heart and return his beloved instruments 

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Bruce Springsteen's guitarist is robbed of four guitars

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