I love my 1958 Gibson LG3 guitar. She's a petite beauty with the sweetest sound ever. All guitar players want to play her or own her.
When I first saw her in 1975, she belonged to a handsome gypsy with black curly hair and sparkling blue eyes. He played her everywhere. Entertaining people was their life, and was mine, too, for a couple of years. It was Orion and this guitar that first brought me to Mendocino.
After those few years wound down, Orion gave me his guitar. She was beat up and cracked then, but I loved her just the same. During the late seventies I sang in two other duos, performing folk music, blues and originals.
Then in 1981, my son was born and my lovely guitar found herself in my closet. Twenty years went by. I brought her out on a few occasions during that time. Once for my son, Jesse, to perform in a lip sync at the Middle School, another time for a friend to play while we sang together.
Finally, in 2002, at an annual music party, my sweetheart convinced me to show my guitar to a fine woodworker and instrument maker. She was in such bad shape by then that I was too embarrassed to bring her in the house. One look at her and he knew she was worth rebuilding.
Stewart put an amazing amount of time and love into the restoration. He didn't want to give her back when he was done! That was when she got her name, Betty Lou. It took me a while to become dedicated to her, but now I am playing every day and writing songs again. So much joy is in my life from her elegant music.
Pattie DeMatteo
