#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Are CBG's Losing Their Way, Is It Natural Progression, Or Ego?

This will probably turn in to a rant, actually, no it will be a rant.

Being a relative newby I spend a decent amount of time here soaking up information, tips, ideas like a sponge. I also spend time pouring over the posted photos for those hidden ideas such as using a fork for a tail-piece, an area of a CBG I tend to struggle with for some bizarre reason. Along with placing those sorts of ideas in the ideas tray section of my brain I also latch on to those hidden gems such as the violin case Dan Bau/Diddly Bow. I've never heard of a Dan Bau before but after some research I can see they are easy to make so the idea of a traditional looking one now also resides in brain ideas tray.

What's brought this post on though was going through the photos a few moments ago. I came across Keith's scrap wood, dented tin and what looks like a dog chain ratchet piece and it blew me away, too me the true essence of building a CBG - SCRAPS. I also saw many immaculately presented instruments that look phenomenal, some needing to be hung on a wall and not touched apart from with a duster and some built for their wit and whimsy and obviously others that retain that original ethos, just nicely built - I'm confused, hence the title of this piece "Are CBG's Losing Their Way, Is It Natural Progression, Or Ego?"

I could name many a builder here who just amaze me every time they create that simple something, I could also name a few who go above and beyond and create the duster instrument. Now I'm not saying these dusters don't belong, what I'm saying is "Is this the natural progression?" The point where the humble CBG becomes more mainstream or is it "Ego?"

I personally lack many skills when it comes to woodworking, it was a subject in school I despised but as I have aged I look back on that time and tell myself I should have paid more attention.
With that said, I still couldn't build a duster piece, what I've built so far yes are themed apart from the very first one but even though themed I would struggle mentally to create a duster piece - don't forget, I have the machinery here (CNC's - Lasers etc) to build boxes and necks millimetre perfect but I choose not to use them except for embellishments. I get more enjoyment going at a piece of wood with a spoke shave or a block plane than I do watching a machine do the same thing in a fraction of the time.

Where am I going with this? I'm not overly sure, it's certainly not a raving jealousy piece - I'm well chuffed with what I build and if you don't like them then it sure as don't stress me none. If anything I am asking that question - "Are CBG's Losing Their Way, Is It Natural Progression, Or Ego?"

1 member likes this

Comment

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Comment by Jim Morris on January 28, 2016 at 6:16am: Well I know that my favorite builds have been put together out of stuff out of dumpsters or found alongside the road or a piece of driftwood off the beach. But I like to go from there to more professional looking builds because it challenges my skills and because I make some to be sold. From a dowel stuck through a gourd (2 hr. build) to something more complex (20 hr. build) I think the spirit of "do it yourself" remains strong here.

Comment by t-belly johnson on January 28, 2016 at 4:56am: Are CBG's Losing Their Way, Is It Natural Progression, Or Ego?

In respect of the first part of your question I`d ask is it builders,their customers,buyers who are losing their way or the instruments?

I believe builders will naturally progress as they learn new techniques or see new ideas they hope to emulate or improve on.Similarly customers,buyers will do exactly the same.A newbie guitarist,for that matter a cellist or pianist,will start with a basic model instrument and with experience will want to try a better instrument with a better or different sound.

Now ego is a totally different thing..... or is it?

Builders build, they improve, they copy ideas, improve on them and then they show them off here or if they are players they play in front of friends, strangers in the home or at a gig!

There is bound to be a certain amount of ego coming to the fore, it`s natural!

As far as the friend who sees guitars and says, "wow!" or "not so sure about that" well that's normal also. The fact our builds are different is something we should embrace. Imagine how classical guitarists looked upon the first electric guitars in the 40`s? They must have looked strange to them but to Les Paul and a few other builders,players they must have looked so,so cool.

The big difference with us is that we make our guitars with a different mentality and a great advantage over the likes of Les Paul. Our philosophy is there are NO RULES, and on top of that we have knowledge on the workings of modern machining, electronics that Les Paul and co. had to work out from scratch.

No rules, a hunger for knowledge and improvement, a little ego and the thirst for fun and music making is what it`s all about my friend ;)

Comment by Don Cook on January 26, 2016 at 3:52pm: Haha... Some people like their country music to be Hank Williams and their blues to be Robert Johnson...others meet in the middle with Skynyrd. I got no problems with my peas touching my taters on the same plate. ;-)

Comment by Carl on January 26, 2016 at 3:41pm: Well said Don. All the instruments built and shown here stay within (or close enough to) the CBG ideals, actually what prompted me to write this piece was I was talking to a friend one the phone who I hadn't heard from for a number of years and he asked me what I've been up to and told him I'd started building CBG's. He'd only a minimal idea of what I was talking about so I pointed him here and he started going through the gallery and all I could hear were comments such as wow or nice or sweet then I hear and I quote 'that's bloody awful'. I got him to tell me which one (I won't say which) but even as an outsider (so to speak) he thought the direction was wrong whilst the workmanship wasn't - so that said it prompted me to ask the question that I have.

Comment by Don Cook on January 26, 2016 at 3:23pm: I don't think that the CBG is losing its way. There will always be a spot for the humble, grass roots variety of these things. To assume that it is would be to assume that there's only one road of travel and that the instrument has taken a wrong turn. But that road will alway lead back home. As long as people love that ol swampy tone, there will always be a place to come back to call home. My guitars don't reflect the roots of the CBG movement. But then I never had that in mind when I started building them. My connection to building is that it is unconventional and creative. My taste in music is all over the place and therefore it doesn't bother me to drop dual humbuckers in it. It's just my taste. Of course I also see no problem with putting a Corvette on a 4X4 chasis with an added snow-plow.

Comment by Carl on January 26, 2016 at 3:21pm: Yes Darryl, I agreed with the pick. I do though see let's say Keith's scrap wood as art, as much as I see the phenomenally finished ones that seem to be showing up of late as art - that was more my point. Are CBG's heading in that direction i.e. moving away from the obvious home built slightly rough around the edges, to what could essentially be (due to their unblemished appearance) a factory build even though we know they aren't, are 'they' becoming more the norm.

Comment by darryl kernaghan on January 26, 2016 at 3:07pm: I reckon Pick pretty much nailed it,there's room for all,the sheer craft in some of the 'finer' builds is admirable,but some of the 'clunkers' show a real minimalist art of their own,i've attacked it from both directions at times,and sadly usually ended up somewhere in the middle

Comment by Carl on January 26, 2016 at 12:21pm: That's a given re the site as a whole Pick. I see your builds for example, give it a mental nod of appreciation followed by 'what the hell is he coming up with next!' Then there are the others where simplicity is the name of the game and they too get the nod of appreciation - followed by the dusters (as I call them) that while I can see there has been an immense amount of work involved I'm left feeling marginally cold hence "Are CBG's Losing Their Way, Is It Natural Progression, Or Ego?" To a certain degree it's like for example Fender and Custom Shop. People swoon over the Custom Shop stuff but seem to ignore the fact it's essentially a Fender with addons (so to speak), the same could be said for Gibson.
Oh and unless there's a losers table I avoid casinos ;-)

Comment by the anonymous pick on January 26, 2016 at 11:44am: this is an online cbg car show , folks show off their rat rods , concept cars , super cars , farm trucks , resto mods , barn finds , pebble beach award winners , formula 1's etc etc etc . some folks even browse the parking lot to see daily drivers . .

it's one of the reasons there's a place here for most anyone no matter what the cbg taste .

no " losing their way" on any big scale , or " progression " . just an ever present variety of guits ... and taste ,... and folks .

i once referred this site as a casino .. find a table with like minded folks, and your game ,, sit and enjoy . if blackjack aint your thing .. go to the keno table , or 5 cent slots .. or high stakes . etc etc etc . ;-)