DON MCLEAN | BETWEEN THE STRINGS terrible time for me . I never found another guitar that could completely take its place . I found others that were just as good , but I never got over that loss . I had lost something that had become a part of me .
My prized D-28 , though , wasn ’ t the only guitar I lost . At one point in the 1980s , Washburn asked me to play their guitars . And against my better judgment , I agreed to try one out . I took it on a fly date , and when it emerged from baggage claim , it was completely smashed . It wasn ’ t just dented , it was destroyed . It looked as though it had been run through with a forklift ! I ’ m very superstitious about things , and I thought to myself , “ That could be me !” Lesson learned : “ Your Martin guitar … don ’ t leave home without it .” And I never did again ! And yet , maintaining that ethic could be just as difficult . The Martin D-41 that I had been traveling with in the ’ 80s and the ’ 90s was mistakenly routed by the airline to New York , instead of my destination , which was Philadelphia . That wasn ’ t good . Fortunately , though , I had brought along a second guitar , and I was able to do the concert . But when the D-41 didn ’ t show , I became convinced that someone had stolen it . It was one of my favorite instruments , and I hated losing it .
Six weeks later , I received a tip through a phone call that the guitar had been found . It had been stolen , alright . Baggage claim tickets weren ’ t checked at the New York airport , and so an unclaimed guitar was an easy mark . A fellow had bought it off the street in front of Manny ’ s Music in New York for $ 300 . He knew it was hot and probably stolen for drug money . When he got home with it , he opened the case , and inside found picks with my name printed on them , along with some other things that suggested that the guitar was mine . He wondered if it might be a signature guitar , and so he called Martin to inquire . At that time , though , I didn ’ t have a signature model . He then managed to track me down through my record company , and ultimately he returned the guitar . I paid him the $ 300 , and got it back .
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