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When Cigar Box Guitars Ain't Enuff...

This is me, eighteen years ago...

You probably can't tell, but I was petrified in this picture. This was my very first public performance with a cigar box guitar and the local newspaper covered it!

It wasn't much of a performance, I guess. I just sat there, hiding behind my sunglasses and top hat (not to mention that glorious mullet) while I plunked out instrumental blues riffs I ripped off from Glenn Kaiser records. I wasn't much to behold, but the instruments stood out as unique and fascinating... enough to warrent a huge 4x6 inch picture of me in the local paper.

That's the power of the cigar box guitar: it attracts attention, even if the player isn't that good.

But if you want to really want to be something special, the cigar box guitar just ain't enough...

I never wanted to stay at that same place in the photo. I wanted to grow as a musician. I wasn't content on being a novelty instrument builder. Even then, I wanted to be the next Beatles! (Yes, I have a Quixote complex...) For me, there's always room to grow and new lands to explore.

Maybe you're the same way. Or maybe you need a little encouragement. If so, read on. (If not, just scroll to the end for the usual weekly sales on instruments...LOL)

SHANE'S TIPS ON BEING A CIGAR BOX GUITARIST

Practice. A cigar box guitar will get an audience, but good playing will astound them. (Whoodathunk you could get music like that from a box?) I uploaded a ton of free videos as a starting point for you.
Attempt to write your own music. Good playing will astound them, but good songs will draw them in. (Sure, I can play a good solo on my cigar box, but nothing compares to watching the crowd get moved by "Tattoo of You" or to see their heads bob to the beat of "Mother Leeds.") Study poetry and lyric writing. Write music even if you don't think you can.
Learn to play in front of people. Good songs are essential, but playing them in front of people takes practice. Go to open mics as exercise in public performance. Do it every week if possible...and allow yourself to fail miserably when you first start. It takes time to develop.
View yourself as an entertainer, not just a musician. How you dress, banter with the audience and decorate the stage can make the difference between an ok show and something truly memorable. There's a reason I perform with my bombastic hard-rock jug band at bigger shows: it greatly increases the theatrical element of the concert. Don't just be a singer/performer. Be like KISS or the Blue Man Group.

I could go into a lot of detail on each point, but this is just a weekly newsletter. Maybe I'll do some videos on this stuff someday. By the way, my full jug band is performing this Friday, 7-10pm at the Liquid Hero Brewery in downtown York, PA. No cover charge. Just dome down and experience the full mayhem and see what I'm talking about!

Stay primal!
-Shane

THE RAMBLER license plate cigar box guitars
Shane Speal has created a new series of 2-string guitars called “The Rambler” built from cigar boxes, beat-up license plates, old yardsticks and other found objects.

If the blues is a lonely road, this is the guitar for it.

These aren’t pretty instruments…far from it. They’re road-worn from the very start. The license plates are old and beat-up. They had to be hammered back into shape and were cut to fit the boxes. There’s extra holes in them from whatever previous use they had. The main body of the guitar is a used Acid Cigars box with some scratches and wear marks.

Fans of Speal’s instruments will correctly categorize these as his “Chugger” style cigar box guitars. They fit in perfectly with his free “How to Play 2-string” video lessons on Youtube.

“RAMBLER” cigar box guitars by Shane Speal (link)