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All Blog Posts (2,112)

DB's the final frontier?

All my life I've never been mainstream and always looked to do things differently. I play 11 instruments, some well and others not so well. With all of my instruments, I wanted to do something out of the norm, with guitars that's pretty hard because people have taken that instruments way beyond what I could imagine. With the DB we all have a chance to break the barriers, all you need to do is have a little imagination and let it guide you in the right direction. Next I would like to try 2 - 3… Continue

Added by Denys Lord on March 9, 2009 at 7:01am — 1 Comment

Newbi

Hi All thanks for haven me

Added by Chicagocy on February 28, 2009 at 3:57pm — No Comments

adventures in latitude

today i took a ride to the post office in morrison tennesse,lived here over two years and never been to morrison tennessee,but that is where my mailing adress is. people tell me morrison is there so i gots to believe them.it took me a little over a hour and over 40 miles to find morrison tenneesee.beautiful mountain scenery on the way. it took me 15 minutes to get home ha ha.i went to the post office cause i had guitar parts i ordered waitin fer me there and we gots to have our guitar parts… Continue

Added by bairfoot cajun on February 27, 2009 at 9:17am — 7 Comments

Randy Roosters (or not)

Hey guys, this group is addictive... so many good people around :o)

Anyways, I guess I should point out my real name is Ben Moor.... not Randy Rooster!

I was just trying to think up a cool name that had that CBG 'sound' to it... y'know like 'Red dog guitars', or 'Chicken Bone John' or Hollowbelly'... something bluesy....

I was really struggling until my rooster came past the window, jumped on 4 of his hens in quick succession, gave a nonchalant nod, and strolled on by.... so… Continue

Added by Roosterman on February 25, 2009 at 12:30am — No Comments

Just discovered CBGs!

Wow!
Well Iv just discovered this whole CBG scene, got me a 3 string, and am now concentrating on building more CBGs and less solids!!
Great to see so many people building and sharing tips and advice... much less elitist than the 'electric' world... I feel right at home!!

Added by Roosterman on February 24, 2009 at 5:28am — No Comments

New Paint Can Lid Reso build...

http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/WichitaSam/?action=view&current=WS95008.jpg Hey Ya'll, All the talk about reso's got me stirred up. I decided to go low tech and do a paint can lid (quart size) reso... It's a test build for a future custom I am doing for a dobro player. Your basic Don Tomas box, oak neck thru (blinded off inside the box), mahogany fretboard, fretless, a quart paint can lid, corian… Continue

Added by Wichita Sam on February 16, 2009 at 7:40pm — 1 Comment

CBG #3

Alright folks. I haven't blogged in awhile. I was waiting for the moment I start on my 3rd CBG. This one is going to be cool. I'm alternating Poplar and red oak strips for the neck. I have a Partagas box eagerly waiting to metamorphisize into a CBG. Kinda like that ugly old caterpillar cocooning into a butterfly. I broke down and bought a Dremel kit so I can do some cool stuff. My dog generously supplied me once again with a nice, aged bone for the nut. The bridge and saddle I'm not sure of… Continue

Added by Scott on February 15, 2009 at 4:54pm — No Comments

Lapeer Music/Cup of Joe's Soundstage, Lapeer, MI 2-6-2009

Captain Burlap & the 40-Watt Spark were at it again opening a CBG show at Lapeer Music/Cup of Joe's Soundstage. Cap'n opened the show on CBG Jar-Tar #11 followed by Sparky and his originals.

Sparky played Eddie the Wonder Lizard's "Space Man".

Gerry Thompson played 2 of his CBGs and all originals. He was accompanied by Charmin Diggs on his homemade CBG banjo and later by the Cap'n on Ray #9.

Charmin Diggs played an original.

Added by Captain Burlap on February 7, 2009 at 12:10pm — No Comments

Spreading The Word

I am currently working on a new show, spreading the word about the Nation and actively seeking CBG enthusiasts down here in LA.........

Added by Cigar Box Slim on February 3, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Origin of Delta Blues Classics

My "Southern Classic" cigar box guitars resulted from a trip I made to the heart of the Delta Blues country - New Orleans. Throughout the French Quarter of New Orleans and all along the gulf coast, the trials, tribulations, and community bonds are woven deeply into the resonating sound of their music. From stories of the Depression, to long lost loves, mystery, and all the emotions that ebb and flow from a lifetime of Southern living, I'd found a style of music that fed into my passion for art… Continue

Added by Delta Blues Classics - JStoltz on February 3, 2009 at 11:50am — No Comments

1st post- a little about me

I'm in my mid 40's with a wife and 5 kids (I'm livin' the blues in this economy). My guitar playing stinks but I love to play. I discovered CBG's while looking for an acoustic to purchase. Decided I could make one of these things. Made the first one (3 string) from a metal cookie tin. I made some mistakes but it worked! Sounds really cool in overdrive.

Decided to make one from a cigar box. This one turned out waaay better (4 string) although still a few mistakes. I bought a wiring… Continue

Added by Scott on January 31, 2009 at 8:01am — No Comments

My Cigar-box guitars are made by....

my father, Lonnie Entrekin. He is on cigar box nation.

www.entrekinguitars.com

Added by Charmin Diggs on January 22, 2009 at 2:30am — No Comments

recording short videos

it is good short fun to record videos, so if any one has not done it yet that wants to do it ,i recomend it. i was very nervous before my first, but now i am enjoying it because it is fun. so show us yours if you haven,t tried it yet. stay tuned for more new music on the cigarbox guitar nation, from the bairfoot cajun. thank you for your time.

Added by bairfoot cajun on January 21, 2009 at 8:20pm — No Comments

box in progress

using salvaged piano wood for braces and neck material. neck is maple, bridge and nut to be ebony, inlay ivory. all free from an old 1920s fuerich baby grand....

Added by steve vargo on January 21, 2009 at 2:54pm — No Comments

Strings for CBG

I've been building several guitars with necks made out of popular and some random hardwoods. The question of what strings to use comes up. I haven't noticed much bending in the any of the necks using the following strings from top to bottom: 22w (wound), 16, 11. I've used metal strings with no problems.

Added by Ara on January 18, 2009 at 7:54am — No Comments

Bluesboy Jag playing IBC 2008

http://blues.org/ibc/index.php4

Added by Bluesboy Jag on January 14, 2009 at 1:52pm — No Comments

How Tight are Those Strings? What Scale Length Should You Use? - USTC Can Help You Figure it Out!

ustcv202.zip I discovered the Universal String Tension Calculator program (see link above) for Windows by Doug Dieter on the web and have found it very useful. He makes some pretty impressive instruments; you can check them out at www.kennaquhair.com Using the scale length, tuning, and string weight, USTC will calculate the tension for each string on your guitar. You can save the settings for future… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 4:55pm — 1 Comment

Creating Chord Charts for a Given Tuning - Fret can do it for you!

Fret.zip One of the challenges of cigar box guitar building is determining how you are going to tune the guitar and what the chords are especially if it isn't a 6-string with standard tuning. I discovered the Fret program (see link above) for Windows by Danny Chapman on the web and have found it very useful. You determine the number of strings and what notes they are tuned to. If you put in the notes… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 4:24pm — 1 Comment

Measuring Frets the Easy Way - WFret to the Rescue!

wfret.zip I just thought I would use the blog feature to pass on some of what I have learned building cigar box guitars.

If you are still using a ruler to measure where to cut the frets on your fretboard or neck you are working way too hard! I measured and marked (guesstimated really since my ruler lacked the precision required for the job) the fret lines for cutting on my first cigar box… Continue

Added by Doug Thorsvik on January 10, 2009 at 4:00pm — 17 Comments

Sole Food Diddley Works, Behind the Guitars

My Name is Gary Krepak, founder and sole luthier of Sole Food Diddley Works in Shreveport Louisiana.

I am married to Alison Yvette Simoneaux Krepak and have two sons, Alexander Vladimir and Zachary Austin.

This is a family business that one day, may actually BECOME a business, at the moment, it is a hobby that has become a business. I never envisioned the day that the Gispert box I grafted of piece of poplar to, would evolve so quickly into so many different instruments. Instruments… Continue

Added by Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works on January 7, 2009 at 6:08am — No Comments