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January 2009 Blog Posts (12)

1st post- a little about me

I'm in my mid 40's with a wife and 5 kids (I'm livin' the blues in this economy). My guitar playing stinks but I love to play. I discovered CBG's while looking for an acoustic to purchase. Decided I could make one of these things. Made the first one (3 string) from a metal cookie tin. I made some mistakes but it worked! Sounds really cool in overdrive.

Decided to make one from a cigar box. This one turned out waaay better (4 string) although still a few mistakes. I bought a wiring… Continue

Added by Scott on January 31, 2009 at 2:01pm — No Comments

My Cigar-box guitars are made by....

my father, Lonnie Entrekin. He is on cigar box nation.

www.entrekinguitars.com

Added by Charmin Diggs on January 22, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

recording short videos

it is good short fun to record videos, so if any one has not done it yet that wants to do it ,i recomend it. i was very nervous before my first, but now i am enjoying it because it is fun. so show us yours if you haven,t tried it yet. stay tuned for more new music on the cigarbox guitar nation, from the bairfoot cajun. thank you for your time.

Added by bairfoot cajun on January 22, 2009 at 2:20am — No Comments

box in progress

using salvaged piano wood for braces and neck material. neck is maple, bridge and nut to be ebony, inlay ivory.
all free from an old 1920s fuerich baby grand....

Added by steve vargo on January 21, 2009 at 8:54pm — No Comments

Strings for CBG

I've been building several guitars with necks made out of popular and some random hardwoods. The question of what strings to use comes up. I haven't noticed much bending in the any of the necks using the following strings from top to bottom: 22w (wound), 16, 11. I've used metal strings with no problems.

Added by Ara on January 18, 2009 at 1:54pm — No Comments

Bluesboy Jag playing IBC 2008

http://blues.org/ibc/index.php4

Added by Bluesboy Jag on January 14, 2009 at 7:52pm — No Comments

How Tight are Those Strings? What Scale Length Should You Use? - USTC Can Help You Figure it Out!

ustcv202.zip

I discovered the Universal String Tension Calculator program (see link above) for Windows by Doug Dieter on the web and have found it very useful. He makes some pretty impressive instruments; you can check them out at www.kennaquhair.com

Using the scale length, tuning, and string weight, USTC will calculate the… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 10:55pm — 1 Comment

Creating Chord Charts for a Given Tuning - Fret can do it for you!

Fret.zip

One of the challenges of cigar box guitar building is determining how you are going to tune the guitar and what the chords are especially if it isn't a 6-string with standard tuning.

I discovered the Fret program (see link above) for Windows by Danny Chapman on the web and have found it very useful. You determine the… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 10:24pm — 1 Comment

Measuring Frets the Easy Way - WFret to the Rescue!

wfret.zip

I just thought I would use the blog feature to pass on some of what I have learned building cigar box guitars.

If you are still using a ruler to measure where to cut the frets on your fretboard or neck you are working way too hard!

I measured and marked (guesstimated really since my ruler lacked the… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 10:00pm — 8 Comments

Sole Food Diddley Works, Behind the Guitars

My Name is Gary Krepak, founder and sole luthier of Sole Food Diddley Works in Shreveport Louisiana.

I am married to Alison Yvette Simoneaux Krepak and have two sons, Alexander Vladimir and Zachary Austin.

This is a family business that one day, may actually BECOME a business, at the moment, it is a hobby that has become a business. I never envisioned the day that the Gispert box I grafted of piece of poplar to, would evolve so quickly into so many different instruments. Instruments… Continue

Added by Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works on January 7, 2009 at 12:08pm — No Comments

check out my prototype box

gittershop.blogspot.com

Added by steve vargo on January 7, 2009 at 2:19am — No Comments

How the Hell Did That Happen?

One day, after working at the music store, I came home to discover that Bo Diddley had died. The news really put a cloud over my day. Upon reading the article of his passing, they commented on his playing on a Cigar Box Guitar in his youth, thus explaining his preference in guitar shapes... This intrigued me. I Said "I can do that." Well, the day, I was at the smoke shop and Lowes, thre days later, Diddley King #1, was born. A week , later, two more followed, then I got online and start looking… Continue

Added by Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works on January 1, 2009 at 6:37am — 1 Comment