Hello all,

I have always been pretty good at crafting things since I was a little boy. I've always tore things apart just to see how they are put together. I’ve built a few CBG’s back in High School in the 80's and started building them again a few months back since it’s been a bit easier to pick up cheap cigar boxes.

When going to a few local music’s store in my area to try and pick up parts, (New Jersey) I seem to get the same reply from some of the store owners or employees when they ask me what I am using the parts for.

.

“Why do you want to build that for, they all sound like crap” or a get the old eye roll.

I firmly disagree with them and usually thank them for their time and walk out. It seems to me that CBG’s are look down on. I work at a school and even the music teacher here gives me a look when I mention it to him. I have bought one in and even he said the my craftsmanship is very nice and professional, he tells me I should just save my money and time and buy a nice guitar. Has anyone else run into this kind of behavior, or is it just a north-eastern thing.

I have many interest including playing the Bagpipes, Guitar, and Drums, but having a wife and 4 wee ones have been taking up a majority of my time.

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My local music store has a very open-minded view.  They are happy to chat about CBGs and have hunted around in their workshop to find me small bits like screws for tuning heads or resistors or capacitors.  They do it because they want to help, not because there's big money in it. 

The last 'proper' guitar I bought was my Gretsch and I bought it from the local shop.  They did me a good deal.  It was slightly more expensive than the internet, but not much.  To me, that small premium is worthwhile to keep local people in business and to be able to try stuff before I buy.

I tend to buy things like tuning heads from the local store having got some real rubbish off the internet at very low prices.  However, I do buy stuff from the internet as well.  For example, rod piezos can be had from China for £1 each.  The local shop is £50+ for high end stuff......not the kind of thing you want to hack into with pliers !!

theres many forms of snobery open mic nights where the musicans snubed me then i wailed on 3 .now it was labled gimmic. music stores see us as a threat to selling there over priced cookie cutter guitars. its never easy to walk a differnt path but its majak when it works

I took one to a music festival and the adults wouldn't touch it. Literally wouldn't touch it as if they were afraid they'd catch mange. The kids loved it, it felt a bit subversive. I'm thinking of taking one this year just to give away to one of the kids.

I know a few adults who acted the same when I was playing one of mine. They only like "real" guitars I guess although I have won over a few people and if I can do that little by little then I guess I'm doing something right.

I just wanted to thank you all for the replies to this thread.

I am relieved that I am not the only one that has experienced this type of snobbery, but on the other hand, it saddens me that so many have.

If the music sounds good and you find yourself tapping your foot to it, I do not think it matters what you are playing. From $10.00 to $10,000.00, it makes no difference.

Good music is just that. "Good"

Well said! I think there will always be people out there that dislike what they don't understand. When I first found CBN I didn't know much about cbg's but I learned and I met a lot of great people here who I saw were quite passionate about what they do and that resonated with me. While I still am hopelessly devoted to Fender Stratocasters I am also deeply in love with all things cbg and I always will. 

When talking to a salesman, his job is to sell his or his employer's product. The first mistake is to compare a CBG to a traditional guitar. I,ve been playing guitar now for over forty five years. The reason why I spend more time playing  my handmade box guitars, is because they are primative musical instruments, they are very versatle you can play practicaly any style of music on them they sound cool and everyone I've played them for agree.  I also like wearing a comfortable pair of worn in blue jeans.Areed, they are not Gibsons or Martins, ect. but in order to be unique they're not supose to be! So to all my fellow CBG players, builders and fans, LET THE FORCE BE WITH US!

what? they do sound like crap. compared to a several thousand dollar gretsch/fender/gibson or whatever.

a AMC pacer is a car, so is a caddilac. a T-ford will bring you from A to B, so does a deusenberg. whats the point? some like the rough crappy sound of a CBG, other only want the pure clean sound out of a 6k gibson.

i think my wife is the most beautifull woman in the world. others would maybe avoid her. i dont give a crap. :)

I think in fairness some of them sound pretty good...

My most expensive guitar cost around $600 and my cbg's that cost much less than that get played much more. 

It's not only a snobbery issue. It's self-preservation. If too many people figured out that they could build a very decent homemade instrument for less than the cost of a professional set-up on a storebought guitar (about $40) then guitar sales would plummet. 

What they fail to understand is, for most musicians it's not a "one or the other" situation. Cigar box guitars are just one of many tools in our musical arsenal, right alongside name brand guitars, both cheap and expensive.

Try working your way UP the food chain--not down.

Lotsa' folks laugh. Some think I'm kidding about being able to make an instrument this way and laugh because they think I'm putting them on. However, the best players in Nashville get it and are very curious and respectful--even if they have no intention of giving up their custom-built Martins and Taylors and the like.

Find a better music store. (Don't forget our sponsor, Ben at CB Gitty for good parts at reasonable prices.)

TN

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