how right he was. >> that's all i play, blues, country and old rock 'n' roll. i don't mess with the hard rock stuff. >> while robert tetter passes time playing music, that's not what amazed our crew. it's that tetter builds his own guitars out of one of the few recreational resources allowed inmates, model boat kits. >> this is 2 1/2 boat kits makes this one. all of these are stood up together, glued together, to make this neck like this and down inside of it we have one radio. the tone control, three controls down here, the set of batteries, and this one back here is the mic mixer. then we use magnets to hold the lid on it. ♪ >> tetter always includes one other element on his guitars. it's for his muse. >> everything i do i dedicate to my wife. the blue heart is because we've been separated for 23 years now. and she's still with me. she's sticking with me right
it's a shame i had to do it here, but it's a miracle i did it. ♪ >> think you can get me on "american idol?" >> while tetter and berard pass the time playing guitar, a contraband brew called prison julep provides an escape for other inmates. >> of course, yeast is the catalyst for that. they're not able to steal the yeast, per se. they will take raw dough and try to hide raw dough and keep it. they'll take bread to use. any type of a juice that has any form of sugar in it, they will use that. >> today, officers perform a random search in one of holman's general population dorms. though looking for any type of contraband, they keep a nose out for prison julep. >> you can smell the aroma coming out of this box.
in the top of it and additional plugs in the tail end. ♪ ooh, baby, the boogie-woogie do no more ♪ >> with headphones, tetter can play in the crowded dorm and not disturb his neighbors. ♪ and the boogie, woogie baby >> after success with the first, tetter crafted another guitar for his friend, jerome berrard, who is serving life without parole for a drug-related double murder. ♪ >> i paid the prison equivalent of $25 for it, which is nine packs of cigarettes. >> and he's had more highs off the guitar than he ever had off of drugs. he don't even fool with that anymore. >> learning to play guitar has been one of the high points of my life.
playground, you know, so i stay busy. >> robert tetter, incarcerated since the mid 1980s on several sex and obscenity charges, was a general contractor. in prison, he uses his construction and electrical skills to build homemade guitars. >> okay. the guitar is made out of boat kits. this is -- 2 1/2 boat kits makes this one. >> model boat kits are an approved hobby item for inmates in general population. tetter combined his with scrap transistor radio parts. >> all of these are stood up together, glued together to make this neck like this. the inside of the guitar is all wood. we have one radio. the tone control. have three controls down here, the set of batteries. then we break it down further. we pull this apart. this comes completely out. this is the pickup. dowel sticks is used for the tuning keys. it has a mike built into the top of it here and then a mike plug
dorm, at the holman correctional facility in alabama, to learn how right he was. >> that's all i play, blues, country and old rock 'n' roll. i don't mess with the hard rock stuff. >> while robert tetter passes time playing music, that's not what amazed our crew. it's that tetter builds his own guitars out of one of the few recreational resources ahowed inmates, model boat kits. >> this is 2 1/2 boat kits makes this one. all of these are stood up together, glued together, to make this neck like this and down inside of it we have one radio. the tone control, three controls down here, the set of batteries, and this one back here is the mic mixer. then we use magnets to hold the lid on it. ♪ >> tetter always includes one other element on his guitars.
family pictures. got two of these full of pictures. this was my -- my mom give me this. this was her first bible. i don't necessarily believe in god, but if anybody ever did something to this or that, then i'd have another murder charge. >> in these tight quarters, many inmates occupy themselves with hobbies. donald hargrove is sketching blueprints for a strip club. >> that's the dance stage. these are the pool tables. this is the main club. that's the main bar. this is the dance stage. dancers' dressing room and all that's the v.i.p. lounge. i've really designed houses. i got a whole bunch of them up under my bed. >> idle hands is the devil's playground, you know, so i stay busy. >> robert tetter, incarcerated since the mid 1980s on several sex and obscenity charges, was a general contractor.
>> think you can get me on "american idol?" >> while tetter and berard pass the time playing guitar, a contraband brew called prison julep provides an escape for other inmates. >> of course, yeast is the catalyst for that. they're not able to steal the yeast, per se. they will take raw dough and try to hide raw dough and keep it. they'll take bread to use. any type of a juice that has any form of sugar in it, they will use that. >> today, officers perform a random search in one of holman's general population dorms. though looking for any type of contraband, they keep a nose out for prison julep. >> you can smell the aroma coming out of this box.
do no more ♪ >> with headphones, tetter can play in the crowded dorm and not disturb his neighbors. ♪ and the boogie, woogie baby >> after success with the first, tetter crafted another guitar for his friend, jerome berrard, who is serving life without parole for a drug-related double murder. ♪ >> i paid the prison equivalent of $25 for it, which is nine packs of cigarettes. >> and he's had more highs off the guitar than he ever had off of drugs. he don't even fool with that anymore. >> learning to play guitar has been one of the high points of my life. it's a shame i had to do it here, but it's a miracle i did it. ♪ >> think you can get me on "american idol?"
general contractor. in prison, he uses his construction and electrical skills to build homemade guitars. >> okay. the guitar is made out of boat kits. this is -- 2 1/2 boat kits makes this one. >> model boat kits are an approved hobby item for inmates in general population. tetter combined his with scrap transistor radio parts. >> all of these are stood up together, glued together to make this neck like this. the inside of the guitar is all wood. we have one radio. the tone control. have three controls down here, the set of batteries. then we break it down further. we pull this apart. this comes completely out. this is the pickup. dowel sticks is used for the tuning keys. it has a mike built into the top of it here and then a mike plug in the top of it and additional plugs in the tail end.
♪ ooh, baby, the boogie-woogie do no more ♪ >> with headphones, tetter can play in the crowded dorm and not disturb his neighbors. ♪ and the boogie, woogie baby >> after success with the first, tetter crafted another guitar for his friend, jerome berrard, who is serving life without parole for a drug-related double murder. ♪ >> i paid the prison equivalent of $25 for it, which is nine packs of cigarettes. >> and he's had more highs off the guitar than he ever had off of drugs. he don't even fool with that anymore. >> learning to play guitar has been one of the high points of my life. it's a shame i had to do it here, but it's a miracle i did it. ♪