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Cigar Box Nation News 4/25/14: Instruments, Contests & More

Hey folks, Ben/CBGitty here - this is the first edition of the Cigar Box Nation newsletter, which we'll be sending out periodically (probably once a month) to try to help keep our ever-growing membership in the loop about some of the biggest things happening in the CBG and handmade/homemade music world. These newsletters will be mostly news and features without too much advertising. If you like seeing product features, be sure to sign up for the C. B. Gitty Newsletter. We hope you enjoy!

The Cigar Box Nation newsletter for April 25, 2014:

Huntsville, AL cigar box guitar fest
Justin Johnson video lesson
Gitty's #1 secret tip for working with salvaged wood
Cigar Box Guitar Museum named "Top 50 Must See Places in America"

One of the top pics of the week is this amazing rust guitar by Bad Finger (Eric) of Ballston Spa, NY. Featuring a contorted headstock, insane pickup combinations and switches and the wild 1931 license plate, this axe looks like it could take the head off of any guitarist willing to wrestle with it. Kudos, Eric!

Reclaiming Aged Wood from an Antique Church Pew

The simple "Canjo" pictured to the left was built by C. B. Gitty founder, Ben Baker as a quick test to see the workability of antique yellow pine from a 100 year old church pew.

Last week C. B. Gitty checked out a local architectural salvage store, and came home with a few cool treasures. One of them was a 100+ year-old wooden church pew that had been salvaged from a Catholic church that was being torn down in Quincy, Massachusetts a few years back.

While in the store, Gitty was able to determine that the back of the pew was made from 3/4" thick white oak, the sides were 1 1/2" thick oak, and the seat and bottom support were 3/4" thick yellow pine. A quick calculation on the pocket calculator indicated that there should be about 26 board feet of usable wood that could be salvaged, so Gitty laid his money down and into the van it went. Continue reading the blog and FIND OUT GITTY'S #1 SECRET TIP FOR RE...

10th Annual Cigar Box Guitar Festival on Friday, May 30th and Satur...

This event is the longest-running CBG festival in the world. This festival celebrates the Cigar Box Guitar folk culture. It is two days filled with an assortment of music, engaging demonstrations and workshops. Throughout the Lowe Mill grounds there will be an array of cigar box guitars, folk art, folk skills and food vendors. Performing at the festival will be: Microwave Dave, Justin Johnson, Patrick and John Nickel, Matt Crunk, Justin Johnson, April Mae and the June Bugs, Johnny Lowebow, Earl Williams, Hymn for Her, and Ben Prestage!

Ukulele Madness!

Look for news about a Cigar Box Ukulele build-off contest sponsored by C. B. Gitty in the next week or so. We'll be looking for the wildest, most innovative or just plain insane ukes from your woodshop. Even instruments built from ukulele kits will be eligible. We'll post info on the front page of CigarBoxNation.com as soon as we put this together.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine names The Cigar Box Guitar Museum as one of the "Top 50 Must-See Places in America."

In the April 2014 issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, they have compiled a list of 50 "Roadside Americana" stops that every guitarist must see... and they've included The Cigar Box Guitar Museum at Speal's Tavern on the list! They write, "perhaps fittingly, one of the world's biggest collections of cigar-box guitars can be found on the walls of a bar... The Tavern's impressive collection now numbers over 40 [actually, it's over 70] and includes cigar box amplifiers and a trove of photos and artifacts chronicling the use of the instrument used by musicians on a budget."

The Cigar Box Guitar Museum is a free display inside Speal's Tavern, a small dive bar and live blues venue in New Alexandria, PA. The majority of instruments in the collection were actually made by Cigar Box Nation members! To celebrate the inclusion in the Acoustic Guitar list, museum creator and curator, Shane Speal will perform a special cigar box guitar concert at Speal's Tavern this Saturday night at 9:00pm. There is no cover, but you must be 21 or over to enter. Click here for more info on the concert.

New Video Lesson from Justin Johnson

The Wizard of the Cigar Box Guitar continues his series of Youtube videos with "What Is A Diddley Bow." Check it out and get an education on the one-string boogie.

In the video, Johnson uses a unique ceramic slide on his diddley bow. Cigar Box Nation sponsor, C. B. Gitty has these slides in stock.

Slides for sale at C. B. Gitty.

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Permalink Reply by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on April 26, 2014 at 2:32am

You can control whether you receive broadcast messages from CBN in your user account settings... to sign up for the CBGitty newsletter you have to enter an actual e-mail address.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on April 26, 2014 at 4:51am

Very nice issue, Ben. Great choice on the featured instrument too. Those uke part kits are tempting.

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Myers on April 29, 2014 at 11:09am

Great newsletter! Congrats to Eric on the feature, well deserved. Thanks for keeping us all in the loop!

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Permalink Reply by colin mcgrath on May 1, 2014 at 4:00am

I have been using (what I think is) yellow pine studs that was taken during a gutting job I did 3 years ago in a 100 yr old house here in St. Louis. It is hard as nails overall but has weakness in parts of the grain, interesting to work with. Nice post, I look forward to more newsletters.

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Permalink Reply by Spence's Rye on May 2, 2014 at 5:14pm

Ever consider having friendly "themed" monthly contests, in conjunction with newsletter publication dates, wherein CB nation members could submit videos of them playing CBG's? Of course, the submissions would need to pertain to whatever monthly "theme" you choose. Possibly get some promo donations from builders to serve as awards to submissions that place in top 3-5, of course judged by CB nation members. Win win situation... Gets folks submitting more content, gets builders an opportunity to showcase some of their handiwork, and engages the membership to participate by entering, voting, etc..