Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on May 29, 2014 at 7:02am

This is where it's happening..not on the internet..not on CBN, not on Facebook. Look at the picture...this is what alternative music making looks like in the real world.

This was Muddy Roots Europe in Belgium last year...a campsite jam...this was just a small part of a great weekend. I'm going back in a few weeks, with my daughter and a few other Brits, and we'll meet up with our friends from all over the world at this little gathering, listen to some great music, drink some good Belgian beer, teach people how to play cigar box guitar, maybe sell a few guitars too and have a good time.  This wasn't on my doorstep, I had to drive a couple of hundred miles, catch a ferry and drive through two other countries to get there...sometimes you have to make a little effort, but as I said earlier...turn off your computer, pick up your guitar, and open your front door...the world is out there waiting. 

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 29, 2014 at 7:13am

Great photo, John.  The decline in UK folks active on CBN has worried me, but I clearly see you have more CBG related venues than many of us do. 

 

Build, play, teach and enjoy, sir.

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Permalink Reply by Richey Kay on May 29, 2014 at 7:27am

Very interesting discussion John, and some very well thought out answers so far. I have to say I agree with what some of what CBJ says, in that there is a distinction to be made between posting pics/vids of CBN and getting out in the real world and doing it 'for real'. However I feel there is also something to be said for the benefit of a small and nurturing community of like minded folks. Not all of us have been gigging musicians for many years, in fact for many this is their first time picking up an instrument; at this stage, encouragement is what they need.

18 months ago, I had a full time job, with no creative outlet and I had pretty much lost interest in playing music, which during my teenage years was my driving passion. Well, I still have a full time job, but thanks to taking up this life consuming hobby I am now more into playing music than I ever have been. I wouldn't have bothered getting this far without the support from members on this site. I used to feel shy just playing in front of people, let alone singing, and now I'll happily do both :)

It is good to get out there with the instruments you make etc. and the next step for me is to do some open mic again (for the first time in 7 years...) However does anyone else think you tend to get a pretty 'stock' reaction from people who either don't play or have no knowledge of CBGs? i.e 'Wow that's amazing/did you make that yourself?/are you selling them?/you should put that on eBay!!' I feel it's more useful to get feedback from others who make them. Or maybe I need to be more forceful when I ask people to give them a try...

Also, I wouldn't say I'd necessarily noticed a 'decline', per se. More that there are far fewer forum posts etc from people who've already got a website and logo set up halfway through their first build by way of a hare-brained get-rich-quick scheme. To everyone who does make a living out of this thing the DBs, the CBJs, the Dan Sleeps, the Ted Crockers; I doff my cap to you - seriously. Going back a couple of months, I had 3 guitars on order from various people, and it started to feel like a second job. Once they were done I resolved to sell no more than the occasional one, to fund the hobby - now I have time to play and enjoy them, I'm having a great time again - rediscovering the home made music magic :)

My heroes on CBN are the ones who do what they do for the love of music and performing. Uncle John, Jim Morris, Clock, Bug and many more of course. Who cares if only 100 odd people see a video? Most of those people enjoy it greatly. Is it better to share your music with a few people who care or 1000 who don't give a sh*t? The internet, like music, is great for bringing people who might otherwise feel isolated together. I live in Manchester, which is a famous city for music, but it's an intimidating thought to try to break into a gigging community I haven't been involved in for nearly a decade. I think it's a seriously cool thang that I can share my musical trials and tribulations with people all over the world.

Keep doing what you do CBN :)

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Permalink Reply by Blue Collar Devil on May 29, 2014 at 7:36am

Well said Richey. I am far from being a professional builder or musician but like you said and I must agree the wise gurus on here are the best and I am glad I have the opportunity to chat and get help with problems I might come across. I am very glad I found this group of talented people. 

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Permalink Reply by Diglydog on May 29, 2014 at 7:50am

Turn off the computer.  That’s a very good idea.  Today I wasted almost an hour of my life failing to get my old iPod Shuffle to talk to iTunes so that I could listen to different music in the gym.  Changing the music was never a problem with a CD or cassette Walkman !

From a personal view, I haven’t been on CBN much this year.  That’s partly because, as Jamie said, life sometimes places other demands on us – different ones for different people.  I do enjoy building CBGs but they were just becoming clutter in the house, and we’re trying to de-clutter the place with a view to moving.  A few of my CBGs have found new owners but I still have too many instruments.   I have almost started building a couple of times this year but don’t really feel that I have anything original to contribute at the moment.

To answer the question: “Is interest declining ?”  Probably not.  There are some exceptionally well designed and built CBGs on CBN recently, and some really outstanding performances, too.  As others have said, interest will ebb and flow, especially when a previously niche interest becomes a mainstream trend.

ETA: beer and fruit juice - really ? Never tried it so I won't knock it, but it sounds a bit....er....odd :-\

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Permalink Reply by flatfoot johnny on May 29, 2014 at 7:51am

Hey John, I dont know about the scene as a whole. Personally im drifting away from CBGs and following my real love of 5 string banjos. I was basically using CBGs as a good way to hone some building skills and on the back of that i was selling the odd higher priced guitar. But as has been mentioned there are now so many folks making / selling now that you can pick em up pretty cheap. Not many folks want to spend £300 on a stick in a box - even if it does have loads of fancy carving and extras - which is fair enough. Im in contact with a lot of great builders on facebook like Randy Bretz and Hoggy Paul smith and they are all very inspiring. I reckon the scene is doing O.K. its just moving around a bit. that seems to be the fleeting nature of the internet - who remembers my space?! Also i guess as we are mostly builders here we would all rather be getting sawdust up our noses - not literally of course as its very bad for you ;-) - and dirt under our finger nails, instead of being hunched over a flickering computer screen.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 29, 2014 at 3:02pm

Johnny, I am glad this thing got going.   It is quite reassuring that CBGs and related genres and lives in general will go on.   Best wishes with your carving, building, playing and singing.   Mark me down as your fan.

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Permalink Reply by mike anderson Blues Box Guitars on May 29, 2014 at 8:09am

i'm still building, learning to play. i think the technical stuff is taking over, leaving the primal bare-roots CBGs behind.  PBR and ICEHOUSE for me.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 29, 2014 at 3:04pm

Good to hear from you, Mike.

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on May 29, 2014 at 8:17am

We do what we can, I'm building and selling more guitars than ever but the live music scene in the UK is buzzing but not strictly CBG  only events, the last two or three years were good,   they seem to be few and far between this year, or am I missing out on them...?   

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Permalink Reply by Brian Reagor on May 29, 2014 at 9:11am

I dont know about others but for myself, time is an issue concerning building projects and what has discouraged me the most is a combination of 2-3 things, one being that the musical quality of the songs isnt always good, my own and many other, especially on the web, so maybe like myself people just aren't interested in listening. And the one thing I have encountered the most when telling others about cbgs is they are really interested in hearing about the building of them but are not in supporting the listening, organizing of music, events, an example of this here in washington state, my town is the coffee shops, bars dont want this kind of music or historical venues, they would rather have some soft playing contemporary singing top 50 AM radio crap in my humble opinion. Cant make a horse drink the water I guess.
Because of these things I still build, tear apart wood, make mistakes, and have fun but just dont bother with others much anymore, just a hobby me and and a few, can enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 29, 2014 at 3:06pm

Yup, lots of places want players to be background music.

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