I recently ran across this video, which instantly infected me with the cigar box guitar bug. I figured surely there would be others here that are into this sort of thing. Anyone?
Anyway... Here's mine. I'm sure it is going to be the first of many. :)
Now I just have to learn how to play it! I play some guitar, but I've never spent much time with a slide, so that's going to take some work.
T.Bird ---------- Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.
I've been building and selling CBGs (among other things) for over a decade. Was in the original CBG group on Yahoo years before the Cigar Box Nation site came to be (these days that site is, for all practical purposes, a sales site for CB Gitty parts and instruments).
Here's a link to some geetars I've built and sold. Fun stuff,
Try out Seasick Steve's trance wonder tuning at least once for a 3 sting CBG. "tuned to G, G and B using an E string in the A position, a D in the G position and a G in the B position" Endless fun.
I interviewed Justin Johnson a while back...was it really 2 years ago? He was here for a festival...I think the builders sponsor him to promote their stuff. Anyway it was interesting hearing him speak about recording at sun studio and at the Hopson plantation, and using the heritage instruments. They made a special brace to allow the old instruments to be strung without placing tension on the actual instrument, but still allowing it to be played and resonate. I went to his gig here, where he was playing some 6 string stuff but also some 3 and 4 string. My sometime partner in jams and bands, paddy Curley, has a website called 'learn cigar box guitar'. I'll find a link in a tick. learncigarboxguitar.com
That was odd...I just saw a photo of me on paddy's site...
Last Edited by SuperBee on Jan 31, 2016 4:09 AM
CBG is one cool sounding instrument. I got bit by the bug a few years back. I want to make myself one. But I have a hard time eeking out the time for it. Other big projects requiring my time and attention. But one of these days....
One of our local book stores has a book on CBGs. How to make them, getting started playing and lots of cool pics of really nice ones to ogle over. Can't remember the actual title of it off hand. ----------
I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
Last Edited by 2chops on Jan 31, 2016 4:23 AM
I have actually left harmonica to build and learn to play CBG's - seemed to me I wasn't making any progress lately on harp - at 64 it hurts to bang your head against the wall - CBG's are a lot of fun to just noodle around on. But in the right hands they sound amazing and it is fun to see the look on someones face when they see a homemade, funky instrument sound so amazing!!! ----------
If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
Last Edited by jawbone on Jan 31, 2016 6:56 AM
Yeah, I play me one too. Can't remember how long ago I built it, but it was just before that cigar box nation site was made and plans were pretty scarce on the internet. Still play it frequently too, even though I've since expanded into "real" guitars too! Lol! ----------
Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Festival, August 27, 2016, York Emporium, York, Pa. Also, Shane Speal of York builds, has plans available, performs around. Great player and resource. ---------- Phil Pennington
If you're looking for a DVD crash-course on how to build, this one by Bill Jehle (called "Stick, String and Box") is generally regarded as the best. It was also the first . . . very well done and comprehensive.
Bill is an accomplished luthier in his own right, and wrote a pretty massive tome on the history of the CBG ("One Man's Trash")
Cool! Tons of fun stuff to think about here. Thanks guys!
@2chops - I don't pretend to know your schedule or life situation BUT... You oughta just go for it man! Once you've gathered the few parts that you'll need, it is a project you could knock out in a short afternoon. This guy talks through about the simplest way to make one. If you have more tools at your disposal then just the VERY bare bones tools that he uses for the purposes of the video, then all the better!
Mine only took slightly longer, (a few evenings of putzing around) because I cut f-holes in the lid and decided I wanted to fret the neck.
---------- Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.
