1959 Gretsch Twang Machine

The 1959 Gretsch Twang Machine was one of Bo Diddley's distinctive rectangular guitars and technical innovations.

Pilot
The American Century crew presents Richie Finestra with his birthday gift: A 1959 Gretsch Twang Machine, owned by Bo Diddley himself.

At home, Richie listens to the Nasty Bits demo tape while watching the news. When he believes that he sees Buck Roger's body has been found, he panics and uncovers a hidden bottle of Scotch, and takes his first drink in years. Devon and their son, Ronnie, discovers a drunk Richie erratically playing his new guitar a short while later. She's enraged Richie doesn't feel their life together is "enough" and needs to soothe himself with booze. She hands him the bottle and insists he drink more; he does, then offers it to Devon. She takes a mouthful but doesn't swallow -- instead, she spits it in Richie's face before storming out. In a fit of rage, Richie puts his new guitar through their television.

Alibi
The picture of the guitar through the television that Devon took becomes the cover of the Nasty Bits debut album, Change the Fucking Channel.