How to Build and Play Cigar Box Guitars and other Homemade Instruments
Today’s feature is an exposition written by Ben “Gitty” Baker on the subject of Zero Frets, and what they can do for your Cigar Box guitar.
In this article he answers three key questions; What they are, why they are used and how to install one on your next Cigar Box Guitar.
In this video, Glenn Watt walks you through making your first fretboard for a cigar box guitar. Of course you could always buy one of C. B. Gitty’s Pre-made CBG Fretboards, but why not have a go at making your own? You can find most of the supplies you’ll need here.
Click here or on the photo above to see the video!
Fretting directly onto a guitar neck is a great option to showcase the natural beauty of the wood you have chosen for your neck, rather than using a fretboard.
This new knowledgebase article shows you one method of installing a bone nut blank onto your fretted cigar box guitar neck.
Click here or on the image to the right to read the full article!
We’ve just aHave you ever installed a volume pot on a cigar box guitar only to find that it was almost impossible to turn? Shane Speal (shanespeal.com) shows how to use contact cleaner to “break-in” new post, clearing away internal grease that may inhibit rotation.
Musician, Jim Morris recently posted this video at CigarBoxNation.com featuring a duet of himself and Noah Cline on gourd instruments. The five string banjo was built by Cline and the fiddle was crafted by Morris. They are playing the (very appropriate) traditional song, Sugar in the Gourd.
Related link: How to Build a Gourd Banjo
JUST ADDED TO OUR CIGAR BOX GUITAR ‘KNOWLEDGEBASE’: Cigar Box Nation founder, Shane Speal demonstrates how to reinforce internal bracing on neck-through cigar box guitars. The tutorial includes a demo video, photos and more:
Cigar box guitar builder/performer, Bill Jagitsch (aka Bluesboy Jag) recently visited the Old Statehouse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas to witness the “True Faith/True Light: The Devotional Art of Ed Stilley” display. (Read about it in our companion piece over at Cigar Box Nation.)
Here is the entire photo gallery of his visit.
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Here’s a little inspiration from The King of the Cigar Box Guitar.
Shane Speal demonstrates an ultra easy “Double E” tuning on a steel instrument built by Pete Regan of Alabama.
Shane Speal shows his method of woodburning art onto cigar box guitars. The simple setup uses art that was printed out on paper and transferred to the wood using old fashioned carbon paper and pencil tracing.
He demonstrates the technique using a C. B. Gitty “Gittylele” uke kit. (http://cbgitty.com/gittylele).
Shane Speal shows off an Esus2 tuning (E,B,F# low to high) on a 3-string cigar box guitar. This is tuning in fifths, similar to the tuning styles of mandolins and violins.
The third entry in our series of foundational How-To articles by Ben “Gitty” Baker is now available!
This article covers how and why to use hard-tail bridges on your electric cigar box guitars. Ben covers the different styles available, how to properly mount them and the benefits of using them.
Be sure to check out the line of 3, 4 and 6-string hard-tail bridges available on CBGitty.com!