TN Twang

Male

Franklin, TN

United States

Profile Information:

How did you learn about Cigar Box Nation?
David Sutton's books
How many instruments have you built so far?
minus 19
What do you find most interesting about cigar box guitars? (If you do not enter something meaningful here (at least one sentence long), your membership may be rejected as a spam/bot fake account).
The cigars. Now I'm building wine box guitars.

Comment Wall:

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  • frank tennyson

     I live on Chester where we have lived pushing 24 years, but am originally from West TN.

    I've been on and off following the Nation. Lots of health problems last few years and just now feeling good enough to "get back with it'. Once it gets in your blood ----------- !!

    I cannot play any guitar. Started building because (1) I'm to broke to buy a store bought and (2) I actually thought learning on 3-strings would be easier than 6.

    After building and trying to learn on 3-stringers, finally build a 4-string, and now am hooked on the 4-string tuned GDAd. Advantage is you have the 3-string DAd so can play stuff for 3-string (about all you can find referenced in most "how to play CBG" posts) but can do the GDA thing, or just add a lower note to DAd for a deeper sound.

    So, to summarize, after several years I still cannot play, but have learned how to get a great sound out of repurposed stuff. I love the look when I go to Lowes and tell the sales people I am looking for Guitar parts!

    AND, I'm also trying to find a good sheet music or notation for BWJ's Dark was the Night. I played trumpet so in my head its just easier to find the notes and then figure out the tabs. Besides, there just aren't any good software or apps to convert video/audio to tabs or notes.

  • frank tennyson

    yeah, I am definitely underwhelmed by the progress of my learning to play! I recently watched a vid on A-D-F# "Open D" tuning. Next git definitely will be tuned that way. I've not liked any of the tunings I've tried so far. Best was a 4 string tuned G-D-A-D. Problem is I like to "try" fingerpicking and slide tuning just does not seem to help me learn.

    I also like that amateur homemade repurposed way of building. Yet, still learning fundamentals such as string height and sizing.

    Love Fairview, best Middle TN town ever! When we moved here loved going down Fairview Blvd. with visitors and asking them to figure out where downtown is!

  • frank tennyson

    Thanks. As I said, I still have not learned how to play these here things. Definitely still just at the 1st day stage on guitar [or any string instrument] playing. When you have never ever played any instrument and do not have any understanding or skills, and no one to mentor you, the learning curve is pretty much flat.

    In process of starting a new build soon as my shop warns up and will use the A-D-F#, bought strings already in preparation. Also building one for my daughter. Of course she chose the most complicated box and I am still figuring out how to work around a raised border on the lid and other issues. But heck, Summer is almost here so I can get back on task.