Glenn Watt has been busy cranking out fantastic new cigar box guitar how-to articles for us lately. This latest one goes in-depth on open-gear tuners (machine heads) commonly used on cigar box guitars. Their parts, how they are best installed, and pitfalls to avoid. Glenn even shows you a great trick on how to switch the alignment of one of these little babies.
Author: C. B. Gitty
New How-to Knowledgebase Entry: 4-string Cigar Box Guitar Tunings
We just added a new video entry to the knowledgebase here on CigarBoxGuitar.com – a video excerpt from a Cigar Box Nation TV episode in which A. J. Gaither and Ben “Gitty” Baker discuss two great tenor guitar tunings for 4-string cigar box guitars: “Arkansas Tenor” (low E, A, D, G) and “Chicago Tenor” (D, G, B, E).
Both tunings allow you to use partial 6-string guitar chords – Ben even shows you how to use 6-string chord forms with them.
New How-To Plans: Build a Cigar Box Tambourine!
Ever wondered what to do with those wide, flat and thin cigar boxes? Well wonder no more! In this article, Ben “Gitty” Baker shows you how he turned just such a box into a playable cigar box tambourine!
It only took him about 30 minutes to whip this tambourine together, and there is a lot of room for experimentation and improvement, and even possibility of using all reclaimed items! Check it out and post pictures of your creations over at CigarBoxNation.com!
New How-to from Glenn Watt: Installing a Mini Humbucker in a Cigar Box Guitar
In this new knowledgebase entry, Glenn walks you through installing a C. B. Gitty Snake Oil Mini Humbucker in a cigar box guitar. As his example guitar he uses one of the popular “Mi Amor” 3-string CBGs that he designed. Color photos illustrate each step of the process with explanatory text.
If you have been wondering about how to dive into using mini humbuckers on your special builds, this is for you!
How to Build a Simple Cigar Box Guitar, Start to Finish – by Glenn Watt
Glenn has been working hard creating great content and posting it on his blog over at GlennWatt.com, and this latest contribution definitely raises the bar. In this post, Glenn walks you through building a simple 3-string cigar box guitar from start to finish, with clear instructions and photos for every step of the way.
Topics covered in this walk-through include:
- The tools and parts you’ll need (with suggestions on where to get them)
- Marking and cutting the cigar box
- Forming and fitting the neck
- Installing hardware
- Stringing and tuning
Glenn has a very low-key, approachable teaching style and way of explaining things that may seem complex at first. So if you have been thinking about building your first cigar box guitar, check these plans out and you’ll be well on your way. While you’re there, be sure to look at some of the other how-to resources Glenn has, including other how-to-build articles and videos, and also a growing library of how-to-play resources as well.
How to Install a Pre-wired Single-coil Pickup Harness in Cigar Box Guitars
This new how-to guide, written by Glenn Watt, walks you through installing one of C. B. Gitty’s Pre-wired 4-pole and 6-pole Magnetic Pickup Harnesses.
This guide has a lot of photos, and shows you what size holes to cut and drill, how to deal with neck-through builds, considerations for where to put volume and tone knobs, and more. Glenn’s
This isn’t Rocket Surgery…
Video Lesson: Coal Black Mattie on the 3-string Cigar Box Guitar – by One-Hand Dan
One-Hand Dan Russell shows you how to play the good ole R. L. Burnside tune, Coal Black Mattie. This is a nice easy one to get down on the 3-string Open G GDG cigar box guitar, so have a go at it and you’ll be rocking out the blues in no time!
Free Christmas and Holiday Tablature for Cigar Box Guitar
Don’t forget that we have a library of free Christmas and Holiday tablature for cigar box guitars here on CigarBoxGuitar.com!
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Auld Lang Syne
- Deck the Halls
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- Silent Night
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
And quite a few more!
Vintage Video: Homemade Drum Kit being played in 1928 New Orleans
Spasm bands were a big part of New Orleans’ turn-of-the-century music scene. Cigar box guitars, fiddles and washtub basses all made regular appearances in the pool halls and on the street corners of the city, and played a role in the development of Jazz music! In fact, the first known use of the term “jazzy” to describe a musical performance was printed in reference to one of these spasm bands!
Homemade drum kits, like the one shown in this video, laid down the rhythmic backbones of these rag-tag groups. This video shows a young man, thought to be Kokomo Joe (a long-time street performer in the French Quarter), giving his homemade kit quite a workout.
Music always finds a way to come out!
You may be cool…
New Cigar Box Guitar Performers added to “Who’s Who” List
We just added a few more entries to our growing “Who’s Who” list of actively touring musicians who regularly feature cigar box guitars and other homemade/handmade instruments in their shows. Here are the most recent entries:
- Richard Johnston
- Pat MacDonald / Purgatory Hill
- One-string Willie / David Williams
- Gary Copeland / Spence’s Rye
- Chickenbone John / John Wormald
- Jason Farthing / The Budrows
We’re now up to 21 entries in our roster, with more to come!