Hanging in Hilltop...
Stories behind the b&b guitars
The "Stripper Meth Special" by Terry C. McInturff
I purchased my first electric guitar at Alpha Music in Va Beach. It was a solid body Terry C. McInturff made in Siler City, NC, and it was, and still is, a BEAST! It also has a most rich and unique history…
I will attempt to be brief…
It was stolen from my home more than 20 years ago during a major renovation! As we had many workers in and out of the house, I informed the foreman that he had a thief working for him, and that he owed me a rather expensive replacement.
A few weeks went by and I received a call from Alpha Music…
“By chance would you happen to be missing your Terry C McInturff?!” they asked. “As a matter of fact I am!” I replied. Turns out that an observant pawn shop owner received one from a trashy girl looking for cash. Judging by the quality of the axe, and the fact the serial number had been stripped off, he smelled a rat and called Alpha. Luckily, he also had video of the transaction, so the “sting” was on!
To get to it…
In the midst of all this, our nanny, whose references checked out, mysteriously stopped showing up for work one day, and my wife Noël went looking for her. Turns out that she was now living with the skank who cashed in my guitar and was caught on videotape! They were both stripping and had developed a pretty nasty meth habit. Our nanny had stolen the guitar along with a bunch of Noël’s jewelry to hock for cash.
Both were arrested. The only thing that kept our ex-nanny out of jail was a plea from her poor father, who drove all the way down from Rhode Island for the trial to beg forgiveness and rescue her from a life of stripping and meth addiction.
Pink Paisley “Japanese Strat”
The Fender Stratocaster arguably is the most versatile electric guitar every created, and I have 2. I had always dug the pink paisley Strat that Hall of Fame James Burton (Elvis) played, so when this used one made in Japan popped up on eBay, I took a chance! At the very worst it would make for a great display item in the shop, but I had heard that ones made there and in Mexico sounded good.
I got lucky with this, my first and only purchase on eBay! The tone is warm and throaty, and has served me well onstage. The poster in the background is no happy accident…it is from the 9/14/82 show I attended at University Hall in Charlottesville where I went to school. Many a Grateful Dead tune has been played through my beautiful “Japanese Strat” over the past decades.
Martin D-18 Golden Era in Sunburst with LR Baggs Pickup
I love all my guitars for different reasons, but if I had to pick a 'prized possession', this is it.
The Golden Era instruments drew their inspiration from the renowned vintage Martin guitars made prior to World War II. It has a fat “baseball bat” neck that can be more difficult to play, but it felt really good in my left hand…it plays “big” & its tone is magical.
I bought this along with my Gibson Les Paul ’59 Reissue using a particularly fat year-end bonus that was burning a hole in my pocket. I’ve taken good care of it, but it’s "road worn” after many shows and may not fetch a good price on the resale market, but I don’t give a shit, because it’s mine forever.
Gibson Les Paul ’59 Reissue in Tea Burst
As I said in my Martin story, I claimed this beauty also on the same evening. I was all set to buy a standard Les Paul until Sean Parker, my guitar teacher at Alpha Music at the time, hooked this one up and made it roar!
Les Paul, the Inventor, Musician, Educator & Legend turned the music industry on its ear when he created this guitar in 1952. The list of iconic musicians that adopted the Les Paul is endless, but this one, which is not just a tribute but a clone, has a more humble duty of being my workhorse as a guitarist in the local band Breaking Brad.
On a sentimental note, I inherited the rig it is hooked up to from the late great Bryan Beecroft, my brother, partner & fellow guitar enthusiast. The Carvin cabinet is good, but to me, the Matchless head is priceless.
