Ron "Oily" Sprague's Blog (4)

Back In The USSA! You Don't Know How Lucky You Are

Welp, our time in the Sandbox is coming to an end. As of Nov 17, I was "retired" at age 57 from the company I've been working for the last 14 years. This is a big deal here, because 1) I'm not ready to retire, and 2) we are losing a) the relatively nice home we moved into in April, and b) our community in which we are so heavily involved in Theater, baseball, quilting, chorale, church choir, my wife's service sorority, her job as a librarian at the nearby elementary school (today is her last… Continue

Added by Ron "Oily" Sprague on November 29, 2016 at 6:15pm — 8 Comments

Look For The Civil War Commemorative Album This Fall!

Given

1) That the history of the cigar box, and thus the history of the cigar box guitar, places the cigar box no earlier than the 1840's, about 20 years prior to the Civil War, and

2) That the earliest known engraving or picture of a cigar box instrument shows two Union soldiers sitting in camp, one of them playing a homemade fiddle made from a Figaro cigar box,

I found this announcement from late July this summer particularly interesting:…

Continue

Added by Ron "Oily" Sprague on August 23, 2013 at 11:56pm — 27 Comments

Sometimes, It's More Than Just A Stick In A Box

Well, my wife really surprised me! She left today for Vegas for a girls' weekend with her old sorority sisters from Houston, but before she went, I was telling her about my ultimate acoustic guitar lust object: a Taylor 914ce acoustic-electric Grand Auditorium, Venetian cutaway, Indian rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top, abalone rosette and purfling. I had seen a flawless used one at GC last week for $2899 ( new they are almost $6 K). She said, "Well, you never ask for much, and you did… Continue

Added by Ron "Oily" Sprague on August 1, 2013 at 3:30pm — 6 Comments

Writer's Block, or What To Expect When You're Expectorating

So, sometimes, I can't write a lyric for spit. Other times, they just seem to flow through me, like the bad chicken burrito you had for lunch from the little street cart.

One of the ways I deal with it is to play with words and word order. For example, I like to start with song titles, but frequently, the Aether has other ideas, and sends me single lines, as images. One of these just popped into my head on seeing the CBN Group title, The Blues Exchange. First, I ran that all… Continue

Added by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 31, 2012 at 12:24am — 9 Comments

Latest Blog Posts

Monthly Archives

2016

November (1)

2013

August (2)

2012

March (1)

Welcome to
Cigar Box Nation

Sign Up
or Sign In

Or sign in with:

The Essential Pages

Site Sponsor

Forum

Free Cigar Box Tablature Library

Started by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by BrianQ. 18 hours ago. 18 Replies 7 Likes

Handy adhesive

Started by John B Treutlein in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by John B Treutlein 21 hours ago. 12 Replies 1 Like

The entirely hypothetical encylopedic CGB design and construction book - a long post

Started by Infirmity Citrus President in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Doug Thorsvik Mar 20. 7 Replies 0 Likes

Converting 3 string to 4 string

Started by Robert Bryan in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Carl Floyd Mar 18. 15 Replies 1 Like

String noise

Started by Michael Myers in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Michael Myers Mar 17. 6 Replies 0 Likes

Build this Wooden Kick Drum Pedal

Started by Rose Ericson in Feature Articles. Last reply by Slow Mick Mar 16. 35 Replies 11 Likes

What random stuff have you used for a bridge?

Started by Muddytone in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Ghostbuttons Mar 14. 16 Replies 2 Likes

3 string or 4? Trying to make a decision

Started by Nathan Binns in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Oscar Stern Mar 14. 12 Replies 0 Likes

Redeemed myself after a dumb mistake!

Started by Hilo Greg in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Hilo Greg Mar 9. 4 Replies 2 Likes

My next creation,I’m hooked…I guess

Started by John B Treutlein in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion Mar 2. 0 Replies 2 Likes

Neck though corner

Started by Engblom in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Michael Fred Johnson Feb 28. 6 Replies 1 Like

Part 1 HUBCAP guitar build series!

Started by Taffy Evans in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Taffy Evans Feb 27. 1 Reply 2 Likes

Inspired by the pick axe guitar, the sledge hammer

Started by jonathan leslie in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by jonathan leslie Feb 26. 6 Replies 2 Likes

Need Help on building a Hubcap Guitar

Started by T-Gripped in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Feb 25. 22 Replies 0 Likes

Blog Posts

The Fred BassJo, aka the Sore Thumb banjo

Posted by Fergus Lester on March 7, 2023 at 12:11am 1 Comment 0 Likes

WARNING ABOUT NON_APPROPRIATE ACTIONS OFMr James Pollard

Posted by Slow Mick on March 4, 2023 at 10:00pm 5 Comments 0 Likes

Instruments built by Slow Mick (aka Mikhail Yakunkin)

Posted by Slow Mick on February 28, 2023 at 9:05am 5 Comments 2 Likes

I bought a torsion rod for a mandolin and lost the instructions to cut into the neck. I bought the torsion bar from gitty.

Posted by Anthony adams on February 28, 2023 at 4:49am 1 Comment 0 Likes

Stereo recording with a looper pedal

Posted by Sean Jay on February 27, 2023 at 3:30am 1 Comment 0 Likes

Latest Activity

AGP # commented on AGP #'s photo

AGP #493 - ''Juzzie''

""Thanks Doug", will try my best to get a Sound Sample of it done soon :-)"

9 minutes ago

A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video

Psalm 49 14;21 Gospel BCB 2023

"for those who wonder how i play a organ whit my CBG ,whit this clever stompbox by electro Harmonix…"

12 minutes ago

A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video

Psalm 49 14;21 Gospel BCB 2023

30 minutes ago

A.D.EKER posted a video

Psalm 49 14;21 Gospel BCB 2023

My entry for this years Virtual Callyfest for the Gospel Stage is a rendition i translated of the Spalm 49 vers 14-21. Its a subject that many chunn cose...

32 minutes ago

2 Comments 1 Like

A.D.EKER commented on Richard Sundberg's video