IONIA, Mich. — There are many different ways to grieve the loss of a loved one. An Ionia man says his path to closure will end when he finds out what happened to a guitar that once belonged to his father, who recently passed away.
Since Zakk Fell can remember, music has been a part of his life.
"I got my first set of drums when I was 3 years old," said Zakk. "I think I've played the drums or guitar every day since."
Zakk's primary influence in music came from his father, Scott Fell, who was an accomplished musician and was a member of local bands.
"I played on stage with him for the first time when I was 5 years old," said Zakk. "We became bandmates for many years so, yes, music was a very strong bond between us."
Zakk remembers his father's favorite guitar, which was always in the family living room next to his amplifier.
"That guitar was always around," Zakk said. "It was a huge part of my childhood and early adult years."
The guitar was a '1991 Ibanez JEM77P-BFP Steve Vai Signature.'
"It was a first run of that model guitar," Zakk said. "The dead giveaway that makes it a first run is the felt inside the guitar case is made of a pink fabric."
In 2013, Scott decided he wanted to trade the guitar in for a higher-end model, so he went to 'Guitar Center' in Kentwood to see if he could strike a deal.
"He was able to trade it in toward another guitar, but as the years went on, wished he hadn't," Zakk added.
On Feb. 24, 2021, Scott Fell passed away due to natural causes. Two days later, Zakk became a man on a mission.
"I had always in the back of my mind thought someday I would like to try and track down that guitar," Zakk said. "I decided I really wanted to find it."
Zakk put a post on his personal Facebook page, which generated a bunch of interaction.
"I was overwhelmed," he said. "People were sending me photos of guitars that looked like my dad's, but I could tell they weren't it.
"I even got messages from people in South America."
Zakk says there are two very significant attributes about his father's guitar that will tell him immediately if it's the one or not.
"The serial number on the guitar is 915469," said Zakk. "And, there's a chip or minor damage on the headstock.
"When I was 2 or 3 years old, apparently I tipped the guitar over into our fireplace. That caused a chunk of the headstock to pop out, right near the 'N' in the brand name, Ibanez. My dad used to take a blue marker and color in that spot so it wasn't noticeable when he was performing.
"If that chip was never fixed, I'd know immediately that's the guitar."
Zakk says if more people see the guitar, and learn about his search and the reason behind it, the chances of possibly locating the instrument will improve.
"Obviously, I'd like to get the guitar back, but just seeing it again would bring me overwhelming joy," Zakk said. "I completely understand if somebody doesn't want to part with it, but I'd at least love to see a current photo of it and/or possibly play it one more time."
If you recognize the guitar, or think you can help Zakk locate it, his email address is: zakkfell@icloud.com
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