Chapter 47

Whether or not I wanted it, I had a very expensive 'Class B' boat, no way to get it home and one hell of a storm outside the harbor. (4=4 44 and a cat on my keyboard) My good buddy, Jake, said, "Give it to the crew who got run over."

While Grace, Candy and I were exploring the waterfront, the cops stopped us. Three teenagers out on a prowl? Of course they did. Took us in, too. Keystone cops ... God ... what a mess. The Social worker lady, lady being loosely interpreted, decided that since Candy ... who had ID and was 18, just ... could be 'responsible' for us while she 'got to the bottom of things'.

Daddy called a local shyster and sprung us.

We explored some more. I found ... hah! ... a pawnshop chock full of old guitars and the owner had not a clue that a 1952 Fender Telecaster with case, would be worth a fortune ... same thing with a 1951 Precision Bass in white with a hardshell case. I saw a fairly good Bassman in tan ... and a very nice one also in tan. Both had numbers on the dashboard and a master volume control ... early Fenders.

"Tell me about the amps?" I asked.

"Can't without the whole story, you got time?" The owner was purebred Wisconsin but I understood most of what he said.

"Time and plastic ... money," I said.

"Plastic?"

"Diners Club."

He didn't get it,

"Credit card with a hefty limit. You can call the bank and verify." I handed it to him.

He called, hung up, and said, "Jesus, kid."

"That's why I don't carry cash. Tell me the story."

"Kid came in, oh, two three years ago and bought an old arch top, took it home and bugged his dad playing ... or trying to. About early winter, 1954, his dad comes in with these amps and guitars ... and that set of drums in the window."

"'Driving me crazy, ' "he said." 'Loud and I work nights. I bought these guitars because they go 'ting ting ting' instead of 'bang bang bang' like that damn arch top Kay he bought. I figured I could sleep with 'ting ting ting, ' and I did. Then the kid cons his mom into buying these two amps ... there's goes my sleeping ... So I tell him he's gotta find someplace else to play ... lost my garage with that ... winter ... car won't start ... boss is pissed... 'Brian, I'm gonna lose my job. Find someplace else.'"

He wipes his brow, and says, "'One thing leads to another and Brian has a band ... ten years old and the kid has a band ... Boogie Woogie crap and Blues. Chicago blues. Last year the kid gets arrested ... Marijunaha'" " ... with the J"... '11 years and smoking that shit. He's in reform school and I'm gonna get some sleep, gimme something for this crap before I set it at the kerb.'"