So recently I was looking at some sweet cbgs for sale at a local folk festival. They were way better than my own and when the builder told me about how deep he goes into debt in time and parts I was not surprised. Now I love these guitars but I am just too poor to invest this much money into producing one. My question is what brought you to this crazy revolution? Was it the unique guitar? Was it the possiblity of a guitar on the cheap? was it a sense of history? Or something I have not thought of. So here is my story. I always wanted a guitar as a kid but my folks could not afford one. At about 8 years old I made a toy one out of a box and a piece of wood I attached as a neck. I even put fishing line on it for strings. It did not tune or play but I had a ton of fun pretending to play. At about 15 I get a beat up electric guitar from a friend. I learn to play from books and by watching others. The Ramones rule my world. The raw simplicity takes me into the idea that I might be able to actually do this. I eventually learn how to play a little. Join a band try to chase the dream. Time goes by but music never leaves my life. One day I am looking for music projects to do with kids in the community center I run. I find Shane speal and his recordings are so incredibly unique and raw I can not help but feel like I felt the first time I heard Beat on the brat. As I investigate I find that Shane is convinced the sound is in this simple musical instrument. I find a simple set of plans and can not believe that it actually works. From that day back in the early 2000s I have not played much else but home built guitars. The feeling of owning the ability to make one has made me feel rich beyond beliefe. I can have as many as I want as they are cheap to build. The guitar itself teaches me a new way to play and to sing for that matter. I decide that pounding a song out of one of these things is more exciting then driving 100 miles an hour down the freeway and throwing your steering wheel out the window. My life in music was changed for ever all because I could not afford a guitar..
Now how about you all?
Tags:
I'm with Oily, but the women folk like me better. Hmm, truth is I like home made and making stuff. Saw some vids 10 years or so back on how to make a CBG. Did it. Didn't know how to play it until a few years ago when I found CBN. Then the building and playing thing really took off.
You don't have to spend a lot of money or time on CBG building. Especially fretless. I think I make a fretless with piezo in maybe 5 hours. And cheap enough. Often it takes some playing and tweaking to get it 'right'.
Well Matthew sounds like you've got the bug as bad as me. In my my case, I've always loved thumbing my nose at authority and this is my way of saying you don't need anything but an old empty box and a vibrating string to make pretty good music. I've got a pretty well known friend who has a Martin guitar valued at around 30,000 bucks and he has nothing but admiration for some of my instruments valued at 30 bucks. My first guitar at age 14 was a beat up old Stella and I miss her to this day! I think showing this stuff to kids has been one of the highlights of my instrument making. Just to see the realization light up in their faces of what's possible is worth way more than making and selling. I had a friend play one of my cigar box fiddles and say "this is pretty good ... you should try to make a real fiddle" I just laughed and thought "this is as real as it gets for me" Being poor is one of the mothers of invention!
I was a dulcimer player. Got tired of playing lap style so started playing so-called stick dulcimers instead. Saw plans for making one with a cigar box body. Couldn't fret it right at the time. Saw about fretless 3 strings and grabbed a short piece of metal tubing to play it slide style, initially like a dulcimer noter, but later like a guitar slide. And so it goes...
Started by Bill Andy in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray 11 hours ago. 11 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Bill Andy in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Taffy Evans on Sunday. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 26. 8 Replies 1 Like
Started by Southern Ray in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 26. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by BrianQ. Apr 25. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Rich Butters in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Crazed Fandango Apr 22. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Nomad Jack in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by J. D. Woods Apr 17. 7 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Moritz Voegeli in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 14. 6 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Apr 10. 14 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Tom T in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 9. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 4. 7 Replies 1 Like
Started by Timothy Hunter in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 27. 1 Reply 2 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 10. 1 Reply 3 Likes
Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by BrianQ. Mar 9. 4 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies 1 Like
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Ken I in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Brian partington Mar 8. 8 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 6. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 5. 4 Replies 2 Likes
Posted by Vlad on March 31, 2024 at 11:48pm 0 Comments 1 Like
Posted by Vlad on March 6, 2024 at 2:32am 5 Comments 2 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 2:09pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 17, 2024 at 11:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by Vlad on February 11, 2024 at 1:06am 1 Comment 1 Like
May 11, 2024 from 11am to 8pm – Speakeasy Grill
0 Comments 0 LikesMay 30, 2024 from 6:30pm to 10pm – The Casual Pint of Huntsville
0 Comments 0 Likes© 2024 Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker. Powered by
Cigar Box Nation is presented by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!