The Birth of the Ragtop

It was a hot summer night in upstate New York. The band "Too Blue" was playing at the Red Hook Inn and Pete and I went over to look and listen. As we watched the show, Betsy Rome, (guitarist and vocalist extrordinaire) struggled all evening to keep a bandanna on her guitar under her arm. Several times she dropped the bandanna and of course, every time had to stop , bend down and pick it up off the floor. Thats not so easy for a gal in a skirt holding a guitar! As a guitar player myself, I could relate to the problem and I kept thinking - " There's GOT to be a better way." All the way home my mind worked on the solution. Pete and I brainstormed ideas, and started drawing pictures as soon as we got home. By the time we retired for the night - the ragtop was born. By the way - the band was fabulous, to say the least, and I thank Betsy for the inspiration for the ragtop.

Too Blue

Rhody Creek

photo by Gary Plaster

Chris and Linda Tatarian