I like my CBGs to look ike pretty much what they are - cigar box guitars. I like looking at other people's designs and artwork, including motorcycles, Harleys, beautiful women, airplanes, old time blues artists, cars, boats, etc., etc.
I am planing a series of "tall ships" ukuleles.
My topic of discussion today is the common theme of CBGs I call Death and Destruction. The skulls, skeletons, weapons, tombstones, etc., etc., even skull tuner knobs. We builders are able to personalize our instruments in any way we want and that is fine. I just think the death and destruction side is going a bit overboard. How about more happy themes? Music, dancing, children playing, the Norman Rockwell innosense of the 50's.
Does anyone out there agree with me?
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says the guy with the dragon / sea monster avatar ;-)
Slowpaw,
I forgot to mention that your "pin up" logo is probably the best I have seen. I really like it.
BEATER
Everyone needs a beater to carry around in the car. This is made from my first neck, Later I added a home made body made from "Vanwood" . Vanwood is wood I found in the back of my van. Mostly door skin and some pine. It sounds and plays surprisingly well. It doubles as my test bed. I keep fooling around trying to make a resonator out of it. The top is screwed in, so I have several tops that I experiment with. at the moment is is a paint can lid resonator.
nice!
I'd love to pull your chain and say I removed the lable....but I won't LOL. I cut it loose and reversed it. It's amazing what plain boxes have for art work on the inside, because they were displayed with the lid up for advertising and easier access for sales.
Here's a trick for anyone going the antique route, (Wayfinder et al). When dealing with paper label's, I suggest you spray them with lacquer and see if wrinkles occur. This is a sign of separation of the label to the backing. If this happens, let the lacquer dry then insert a small pointed object at the end of the lifted paper. Tear it jaggedly till you reach the end of the lift, then gently fold the paper back and dab a light coat of Elmers glue on the board where the paper is loose and put the paper back down. Rub it with your finger to remove extra glue and get the paper as smooth as possible, then place a weight on top of it (paper side should be on glass or something else the glue won't adhere to, and let it dry). The lacquer again. Ya' all owe me 5 bucks for this tip....pony up LOL!
I think there are a few things at work .CBGs sprang from very early blues and folk music. You can't wade very far into the blues without bumping into Robert Johnson and the whole "Sold His Soul to the Devil" thing. Then on top of that you have the Louisiana Voodoo and other cult or religion influences. Enter Mojo etc. Then the Blues has a baby and they call it Rock and Roll. So now I think some of us desire to try and evoke some of that history by embellishing our instruments, workshops , clothing and yes , bodies with these symbols and icons as a way to have some sense of history or "street cred" and to pretend we are bad ass. Since in the movies the "Bad Boy" often gets the girl, even though he can never make her happy in the long run. From what I see in our profile pictures, the majority of us are a bunch of older, semi-retired white guys with not much in the way of real "Bad Ass", but we can pretend! How many of you wanted to play guitar in the first place to try and get girls to notice you, like you, be impressed, go out with you?? MY hand flew up!!!
OK Bluesheart. You made some very good points there that I hadn't even thought of. And I saw the movie Crossroads and bought the Ry Cooder album!
I think you won this debate. If it is a debate. And I am at least somewhat into Mojo.
Gary
older, semi-retired white guy
add to the fact it was actually the prudish calling guitars , rock and roll , even bumpy country blues, a" tool of Satan" , and dancing was "dirty" as were the "evil" tunes evoking it .
an embrace of the smear campaign insult and title, as a badge of honor may / should be considered .
hence the rebellious aspect . (even though it would be more defense than offense or rebellion .)
(if i'ts wrong , i don't wanna be right . here's my skull patch, i wear it proud.. ,)
then also add to the fact , personal symbolism ie: a small skull may represent a death of their child etc... and have great meaning and feed their creativity ,and expression .
as for wanna-be tough guys , sure , there are a few , but they are imitating real tough guys . , who actually exist . in which calling them wannabes would not be wise .
personal representation , and expression is of the owner . as are their reasons.
giving a shit , or not , or speaking against it , or embracing it / relating to it / reacting to it . actually expresses yours . .... ...or your lack of it .
hence go ahead and put 2 kittens kissing under a gay pride colored rainbow on your OWN guitar .
im sure bad-asses or wannabes wont give a shit .
but you will get a nod of appreciation from gay cat lovers and those who recognize the colors and their meaning .
the same reason the skullys do it .
a debate now ? i think not ,, just a glance at the bigger picture to realize you haven't reached a conclusion yet ;-) and a few "more " things are at work here . ;-)
(and to be clear , i'm using the word "you " as ( general / plural ) not directed or implying anyone in this thread directly )
Interesting. I've often used mismatched tuners with just one skull tuner. My skull tuner is about paying homage to the past and those old blues and cbg folks that came before us.
I admire a broad selection of other folk's CBG art and style. If I had the art in me I would do a Day of The Dead - Dia di los muertes style because it is so beautiful and this is the time of year for it. But I do have my own styles and they are pretty much 'relic and poor boy'.
I am working on a new git with a winged white unicorn flying across the milky way pulling a chariot full of happy kittens. Humming birds and fireflies lead the unicorn and show him the way. A stork with a bundle of baby flies in front of the man in the moon. There is still on skull tuner. Hmm. I was BS-ing, but now like the whole concept.
Please note that I did not include any rainbows. They are over done.
And it will have one skull tuner.
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