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"Players" or "Builders"

So . . . ever since the advent of the CBG revolution - I have found that this is the demarcation line.

"Player" or "Builder"

The nation (God love it) has plenty of the latter, but notsomuch of the former.

The cigar box guitar is such a perfectly primitive instrument. It epitomizes "simplicity" and the raw joy of music. Music to the lowest common denominator. We all embrace the beauty of the instrument in that regard . . .

I suppose the nature of any "internet community" is that it can become SOooo specialized and sooo very deep in the particular interest . . . The trouble is: the case of CBG's, it makes for a bit of philosophical disconnect, doesnt it?

The nation is a GREAT collection point for ideas and a great gathering place where hobbyists can congregate. But when we delve, ad nauseum into the complete minutia of things like what-is-the-best-angle-for-a-scarf-joint and what-material-is-best-for-sound-hole-grommets - and analyze every aspect to the enth degree - do we lose a little bit of the raw "stick-in-the-box charm" of the cbg??

I've noticed that many of the early crowd of "players" have drifted away. Maybe what I feel is missing is not the role of "the nation", but I'd like to think there was *someplace* online that could focus on :the player: side . . . a place where the average curious Joe Citizen who doesn't want to launch into a "DIY hobby" could click and and simply find out where to go to experience the raw joy of people playing (I'll use Mr. Speal's word:) "Primal" music - locate cigar box guitar festivals, local bands playing this stuff etc. etc etc.

When we get THAT, the cbg movement becomes something akin to a musical genre,

am I alone in this thought?

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Permalink Reply by 14 buck bass (aka antonio) on April 14, 2014 at 12:16pm

oh Patric and rat , i hear yous guys . I get what you are saying. Ive learned a ton just on hear musically. Thats what i was alluding to about learning more about music than i ever did know. I never knew that the twelf fret was an octive . and reading the PK 's i see threes artical was a mind blower . ive learned a ton more too just in intonation. has helped me so much through the building ive been able to become not a better player, but simply a player. Im amazed that the original guys that made these instruments and played them so wondderfully , to the point the sounds and styles are still trying to be duplicated . Couldnt read. let alone music. Im sure they spoke some type of language . But im sure in extending themselves they were having tons of fun in the process. Paric the video I seen of you the other day playing your first build. the poor boy I think. What captivated me more than anything and really made my day was how much fun you looked like you were having shaking it down. Im sure there will always be the more accomplished . and the aspiring. Also those who like to sit on the back porch and enjoy the sunset and make a little music. All three are a great part of this awesome instrument or instruments that come about on this "nation. I appreciate and have a great respect for all three , the accomplished , and teachers ( and your patience) the aspiring. and the happy go lucky cats that love to just play some and enjoy it at their level. thats fine too I think.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Curley on April 14, 2014 at 1:22pm

That's the beauty of these things. You can make music and have fun, regardless of how far you want to take it. All good.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on April 14, 2014 at 7:28pm

Well I'm going to go right out on a limb in such a popular thread and say that I recognise the division, its been there since the beginning...

and its completely unnecessary and brings nothing to the party but division and limitation.

We're all here because we're guitar nerds.

and we've all, at some point in our lives had a crack at trying to play it. Some of us got somewhere with that, but most abandoned the effort.

Then we discover these guys making em from trash, and they use less strings, they leave some of the frets out, they employ sensible, intuitive tunings.

It makes the guitar more accessible.

the thing about building these things is...

its easier than building a real guitar. anyone can do it.

and the thing about playing em is..

its easier than playing a real guitar. anyone can do it.

I feel sorry for any of you guys that says 'Oh, I'm the former / latter.'

because BULLSHIT..

you want to be doing both.

every single stinking one of you !!

stop making excuses, stop applying limits to yourself, and get on with it.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 15, 2014 at 6:03am

Somebody get a saw...there's a neck or two to be made out of that limb. >:-E

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on April 15, 2014 at 10:21am

What is a "real" guitar..? My CBG' s are real enough to me, and I can make real music with 'em...! :-)

Yes, anyone can do it, ain't it great? ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sprague (Knotlenny) on April 15, 2014 at 2:48am

Well this really IS an interesting dialogue!
And for the more newly *infected* it might be helpful to understand that the conversation began a decade ago in the old prehistoric Yahoo forum. I don't want to get too nostalgic here, but in those days everyone involved in the CBG *movement* kinda felt like there was something "magical" happening.

Maybe it's because it felt new and fresh and everyone was just figuring things out - but there was a sense that we were rallying against the modern homogenization of music into *Muzak* - We were the backlash against corporate commercialization, soulless music - overpriced cookie-cutter instruments. We were the antithesis of auto-tune.

People felt passion about it. The yahoo forum was "fiery". There were long diatribes and folks got incensed - and different visions came together and clashed. Folks got mad and banned from the forum and came back with their hats in their hand. People lined up in camps of "Builders" or "Players" - but there was always a sense that we were doing something (as I say: "magical") - Something more connected to the human soul than just posting detailed instructions on building bird houses or putting ships in a bottle or making (gasp) cigar box purses.

Now for better or worse we're part of a hobbyist cottage industry.

There's a TON of good in that. We've become accessible to all. So much joy has been experienced and shared. I'm not exactly sure why that feels just a little unsettling to me.
I guess I just still embrace that mysterious feeling of "magic".

My original intent was not to criticize the Nation, but I guess upon further thought . . . in my perfect CBG world - "the face" of our world would be slightly different. I'm appreciative of Ben and all his good work, and I mean no disrespect - but I wish the format were geared to an "audience" . . . not quite so overtly just to potential crafting supply customers, at least not right off the bat.

Maybe all that would mean is a cleaner look Splash Page that just introduces the public to this whole world in general terms?
A little history of the instrument?
A map of where to go hear people playing these things?
A directory of builders?
THEN - if you were so inclined you could click to burrow way down the rabbit hole and find the science of scarf joint angles and Barry Manilow tabs.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 15, 2014 at 6:03am

"Oh, Mandy!"

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on April 15, 2014 at 12:49pm

:-(

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 15, 2014 at 3:12pm

Thank you, Captain Kirk ;-).

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on April 15, 2014 at 4:50am

Well Knotlenny, being newer than many to CB instruments I gotta say the magic is still there for me! Every time I make (and play) an instrument out of stuff people throw away it feels like a pretty neat trick. I suspect in the early days that you mention it was a much smaller group of folks doing such things. After more and more get involved maybe it seems a bit less magical but for us kinda new to it it's still there and I for one thank all the earlier guys who posted stuff that inspired me.