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Hey guys, brand new CGN member here, and so excited about CBG!

I found out about CBG while browsing youtube looking for music lessons for the strumstick. I stumbled upon Some of Shane's content and Justin Johnson's stuff and I was hooked!

For years, I have been on again off again trying to play guitar. I kept getting frustrated because well it takes a lot of coordination to play a guitar and I didn't have the patients to go through hours of technique before I could actually play a song.

I watched Glenn Watts video on making a CBG and decided that it looked easy enough so I thought I would build my own.

I am a bit of a woodworker so I figured it would be easy to do. I built my own box, because I didn't have any cigar boxes. Basically I walked out to my shop and with just the things I had laying around left over from other projects, I was able to put one together in a couple hours!

I was so excited and I couldn't wait to play it! I went out to my tool box in the shop to find a 3/4" socket to use as a slide and as I was digging around in my tool box, I picked up a "socket" that looked the right size and low and behold I was holding an actual guitar slide in my hand that I had lost 20 years ago! I couldn't believe it! I must have dug around in that tool box looking for sockets a thousand times over the last 20 years and never came out with it. And now, just when I need a guitar slide, here it is!

I think there must be a CBG angel that is just waiting for opportunities to do some good!

Anyway, since then I made a Canjo because I had tuners left over, and that was awesome, then last week I bought 3 canjo kits on the CB Gitty sale, I put one together as is and the second one I made a 3 stringer out of. Then the other day I stopped in to the tobacco store and bought a couple Cigar Boxes. I waked out with 3 cigar boxes (my daughter said I looked like the happiest person to ever walk out of a tobacco store.) I mounted that 3 string Canjo to a Cigar Box and boy does it sound good! I'll post more about that build later.

Next I am going to put a pickup in it. I don't know which pickup to buy though. Any ideas?

This is that first CBG. Since this picture was taken, I have put real tuners on it and added fretts

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on December 4, 2016 at 11:03am

Welcome Aaron, nice 1st git, but i must ask, are you a left hander? 'cos the layout of your bridge bolt is sort of counter to a "normal" arrangement

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Esch on December 4, 2016 at 3:59pm

I took the picture before I even tuned it. I just had the bridge sitting in there, I moved it soon afterwards.

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Esch on December 4, 2016 at 4:01pm

Thanks! I will check out your pickups. It's just a hobby for me for now, although the wheels are turning.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on December 4, 2016 at 1:24pm

Yes, I agree with Wayfinder's evil laugh. It's like a bait dangling in front of some of us and when we jump on it we're hooked. The beauty of these things is in their simplicity but even that is somewhat deceiving. I often sell a strumstick instrument by showing a person how to play a song with 1 finger and 5 minutes of instruction. You Are My Sunshine is what I usually use. The deception part comes from realizing that you can take 3 strings to mind blowing complexity if you want to. Anyway, welcome to the fun and yes - thanks to the CBG angel who reached down and touched a creative nerve!

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Esch on December 4, 2016 at 4:06pm

Yeah, I am hooked for sure. You are my sunshine is one of my favorite songs! I really wish somebody had showed me how easy it was to play these, heck even showed me these things existed when I was young and trying to learn on a 6 string! I had been exposed to dulcimers as my parents were in a bluegrass band, but a dulcimer just doesn't have the cool factor like a guitar does to a teenage kid.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 4, 2016 at 3:17pm

Your life as you know it is over. If you are married, be prepared to explain yourself. Repeatedly. You will make new friends at the Salvation Army, thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. The people at Home Depot and Lowes will greet you by name.Your entire extended family will shake its collective head, yet beam proudly on Christmas and birthdays when you present them with your creations.

And you may ask yourself: how do I work this?
And you may ask yourself: am I right; am I wrong?

Your life as you know it is over. heheheheheheheheh

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Esch on December 4, 2016 at 4:15pm

Yeah, as my pile of instruments grows, I am already getting some cross eyed glances from my wife. She supports me in it though so that's cool.

Oh, thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales! I hadn't even thought of that yet! I have a couple good will stores and a habitat for humanity store nearby... Hmmm, might be time for a little "Christmas" shopping!

I do have several Christmas gifts planned. I have to build 3 guitars, several canjos, and a cajon for my daughter who likes drums.

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Permalink Reply by ShadowChancer on December 4, 2016 at 9:33pm

Welcome aboard , you have arrived for sure , all the information you will ever need is somewhere here , absorb and enjoy , CBG is a source ,

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on December 5, 2016 at 3:39am

Welcome Aaron, Nice job on that first and I bet it sounds awesome with that big box too! See you at the Thrift shop.......

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Permalink Reply by JL on December 5, 2016 at 4:42am

Welcome Aaron and glad to have another addict in the meetings :-)

I would be remiss in allegiance to our sponsor if I didn't make the following suggestion for a starter pickup:

The "Red Dot" Stick-on Pickup

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Permalink Reply by Grandpa on December 7, 2016 at 1:36pm

Welcome, Aaron. Hey Oily, nice shout back to David Byrne! Aaron, a "wife that's cool with it" is a real asset, as many of us married folks can attest. Thankfully, my wife considers this a relatively inexpensive way to keep me off the streets and out of trouble! Your initial euphoria will likely carry you to heights of design, building ecstasy, and even the ocassional "wtf have I done" when things don't line up just right. And you will figure out how to correct it. Then, someone will say "you build what?", and somebody will want to buy one. Ahhh, parts money! Then back to the thrift store, or C.B.Gitty, or maybe even Stew Mac. The tool collection slowly begins to grow, and your gits began to please you even more, each one better than the last. Soon, you are at the crafter show, or the vintage flea market...as a seller. Oh, the trail you have embarked on. When I bought my first kit from Jason Farthing, he said "this won't be the only one you'll build". We'll see, I thought. 44 guitars later, I still keep getting ideas and inspiration from other builders within this forum. So...take your time, enjoy the journey, and remember-Mahogany has some real badass splinters, so sand well. Look forward to seeing more of your work as you move forward.