Weird Instruments and Random News...
Check out the freakish copper pipe guitar (CopperGuitars.com) from Timothy Dlugasz!  The entire thing is made from welded copper pipes with a wooden fretboard affixed to the top.  Apparently it's one of his early prototypes (the new ones have a cool guitar body outline).  I received it on Wednesday and used it at my gig on Saturday night.  The crowd loved it.

Thanks to Lance Weiler and Ted Van Pelt for taking some great photos of that gig.  You can see them all at the Shane Speal's Snake Oil Fan Page on Facebook.  (We have a couple Facebook pages, but this one is the best because it allows you to post on the timeline and interact with us.)

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Wrench Xylophone
I found this picture of a Wrench Xylophone somewhere on the internet and fell in love with the concept.  I need to haunt some flea markets and start collecting old rusty wrenches based on their tones.  Anyone ever build an instrument out of trash like this?  Do they work?  Email pics!

Or post your ideas on the Snake Oil Fans page...

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Homemade Steam Whistle
Here's my friend and business partner, Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker and the homemade 'steam whistle' he built from an antique bicycle pump and air compressor.  The handle of the pump acts as a slide whistle as air is forced into the pump via compressor.  It's loud... about 116 decibels!

Ben will be bringing this contraption to York PA for our concert at Liquid Hero Brewery this Friday night at 7pm.  I will play it during the show and we will film it as the final segment for the Chasing Steam Documentary I am working on. 

A note about the documentary: The one-hour film will be aired locally on WRCT-TV community access Channel 18 in York PA starting on December 18th.  I also hope to have the doc uploaded to Youtube so everybody gets a chance to watch it before Christmas. 

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Stray thoughts and ideas...

• The Chasing Steam documentary is actually a precursor to other possible TV things.  I don't say much about it because there is so much involved.  If things start to develop, you'll be the first to know.

• My friends at Musicvox have a new, improved website:  www.musicvox.com They have a coupon code to get 20% off 12 string guitars and 12 string basses (Yes, they make an ungodly evil 12 string bass!) Just use the code 20OFF12 when you check out.
• What if I recorded a solo album tribute to R. L. Burnside?
• Oh, and Mark at Copperphone Microphones has a new one, too.  www.placidaudio.com  (Mark actually consulted with me as he built the site.  I was honored to help.)
• Friday will mark the official end to the Holler! tour. It will also be Ronn's last show before he leaves for Las Vegas. (He promises to return in March.) We'll be performing at Liquid Hero Brewery in York from 7-10. Agin Cajun will have his Gumbo food truck outside selling the best damn gumbo you've ever had.  This show will be the biggest of the year. No cover. Just show up and drink with us.

One final note:  There's two days left to reserve a "The Speal" 3 string electric cigar box guitar at the discounted price of $179.  All the info is below.   I'm headed back out to the woodshed today to build more instruments.  Keep checking www.shanespeal.bigcartel.com in the next couple weeks to see what I create.

I hope you're all doing great.  Stay in touch. 
And stay primal.

Shane

 

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"The Speal" Pro-Model cigar box guitar!

Orig. $199 but you can reserve yours for just $179. Ships Wednesday!
Limited time offer.

Shane Speal has built nine new "The Speal" pro cigar box guitars just in time for the Holidays.  Each one is almost done and ships by Wednesday, Dec. 3.
You can reserve yours now and save $20.