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August 2009 Blog Posts (15)

It's not a cigar box but...

...it's pretty damn cool. I have had this instrument for a while just waiting to refurbish. I finally did it today. The instrument was originally made by a rockabilly player from Miami named Curly Jim Morrison. I do not know if it was ever used for any of his recordings. I will put up some sound/video soon.

Added by Kirk Withrow on August 31, 2009 at 6:28pm — No Comments

I Never Thought I'd Blog

I've made a couple of pretty straight forward instruments so far but have been kinda flying by the seat of my pants. Each time they turn out different and I encounter different problems because I haven't built the same type of instrument twice. In an effort to put some logic to what I do (and so I can remember) I've decided to keep track of my work here. So far I've made 2 3-stringers, a Tenor Guitar, and a 2-String Bass. My current project is upping the game in some respects but not so in… Continue

Added by Ben on August 31, 2009 at 5:05am — 1 Comment

Kevin M. Kraft answers the question: When did you learn how to play the guitar?

Q: When did you learn to play the guitar?

Kevin: That's a difficult question to answer, especially since we're over here at the Nation. I'll answer it in a few ways...

I took a few lesson when I was about twelve or thirteen from a guy in town. I used a Hawaiian guitar strung with thick steel acoustic guitar strings! (laughs) Yeah, ultimately those strings destroyed that guitar! Anyway, after three lessons, the teacher just wasn't teaching me what I wanted to learn, so I slacked… Continue

Added by Kevin M. Kraft on August 28, 2009 at 6:15pm — No Comments

Just found cigar box nation....

and have received a warm welcome...thank you!

How did I get here? Would you believe looking for mountain dulcimer info?

How could anyone not love a cigar box guijodulceldidly?

cigar boxes, tea trays, hub caps, angel food cake pans, hollowed out logs... and 3 strings? vintage? electrical geekiness? wood smell?

ohhhh man.... and then I heard that middle eastern scale....

the fret board does look intimidating....

Now I just have to figure… Continue

Added by Cynthia on August 28, 2009 at 3:33pm — No Comments

Old Guy Garage Tour 2009-Columbiaville, MI

I've joined up with Sparky and Eddie the Wonder Lizard and we're playing in a trio in our garages.

We're playing some classics with CBG, dulcimer, mandolin.

We plan to rotate between our garages and do an open mic.

-Cap'n

Added by Captain Burlap on August 26, 2009 at 11:16am — No Comments

Thinking out loud

I'm thinking about my next build: I have a reasonably nice white Macanudo box (maybe these are Shane Speals' favorites?) which I would like to make into a "nicer" box for a friend's birthday.

I scrounged a bunch of old oak screen panels, one of which had a cool oak "pull" on it, which I am thinking of using as the bridge. The piece is about 3/4" high, which seems a bit high for the standard "flush neck" design, so I'm thinking to drop the neck down below the top and add a… Continue

Added by Tres Seaver on August 25, 2009 at 4:30pm — 4 Comments

Boutique Guitar Resource is now an authorized Smokehouse Guitars Dealer.

Smokehouse Guitars has partnered up with Boutique Guitar Resource to bring my guitars more into the public awareness (and hopefully get the public to buy them).

Boutique Guitar Resource is an online blog and guitar vendor for unique and rare custom guitars. I'm rather excited to be included in the roll call.

Read about my in an interview at the site or just order a guitar!

Vendor… Continue

Added by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on August 25, 2009 at 11:13am — No Comments

updated deep blues fest blog

http://www.jagshouse.com/music/deepbluesfest2009.html

Added by Bluesboy Jag on August 24, 2009 at 12:07pm — No Comments

How & Why Cigar Box Nation

I just found out about CBG's yesterday reading the August issue of Premium Guitar. I only did that because I just bought a used Fender Stratocaster online and I'm reviving a teenage interest in guitar. I hardly know how to play yet, but I'm looking forward to learning. I've been self-teaching tenor sax for about five years, and while I dearly love the instrument, I find I get in a rut and have to put it down for a week or two at times. I think I can alternate guitar and sax to "cure" that dead… Continue

Added by Dan Stafford on August 24, 2009 at 10:54am — 2 Comments

Folk festival - Pagosa Springs

Any cigar box players going to be there? I'll be kicking around there playing in the picking circles. Hopefully see some of you there.

Added by Ara on August 19, 2009 at 5:49am — No Comments

Tweaking the Doodle Bass

I spent most of the day yesterday in the shop, working on two projects: my first "real" CBG (more on that later), plus updating the "Doodle Bass" CBB my son and I built while on vacation a couple of weeks back. We made the following tweaks to his bass:

Replaced the "E" string (old one doubled the "A" at .090") with .105" weed whacker line.
Added a piezo pickup inside the box under the bridge sandwiched between two thin pieces of…

Continue

Added by Tres Seaver on August 16, 2009 at 11:12am — No Comments

Deep Blues 2009 Blog

http://www.jagshouse.com/music/deepbluesfest2009.html

Added by Bluesboy Jag on August 14, 2009 at 2:54pm — No Comments

Some early build pics

This box was the inspiration.

Rough cut headstock, drilled for tuners, neck is a red oak 1x2.

Dry-fit back of tuners.

Dry fit tuners,… Continue

Added by Jason Renn on August 10, 2009 at 12:02pm — No Comments

The weird Vice like Anvil......

Bearing in mind this came with a job lot containing old tools, model Railway parts and Brass Screws..... I have no idea what it is or does..its far too small to be a joiners tool but maybe some kind of hobbyists ? I've asked around and its not anything a model railway enthusiat would use unless they make their own track. Anyone have any… Continue

Added by Andrew Christopher Deighton on August 8, 2009 at 1:01pm — 1 Comment

Still alive and well.

Just thought I would pop in and type a note to let everyone know I am still building. I have new models coming out and an entire new arsenal of machinery to build my guitars with. See you ate the James Burton International Guitar Festival!

Added by Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works on August 1, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments