Tag: glenn watt

Gitty Gang Show #124 | Homemade Music Is Amazing [VIDEO]

Watch the entire Gitty Gang Show episode #124. In this episode, the Gitty Gangsters share performances by Jimmy Driftwood and A.j. Gaither. Plus, you get to see Watt Corner and the triumphant return of At The Bench With Gitty, and a whole lot more!

See more detailed information about this installment of the Gitty Gang Show, along with a host of other useful details and links here.

The Gitty Gang Show Episode #121

In this 121st episode of the Gitty Gang Show, the Gang breaks the mold with their musical performances. Additionally, you’ll see outstanding audience-submitted videos and photos, and a whole lot more!

Continue reading “The Gitty Gang Show Episode #121”

New Knowledgebase Entry: How Cigar Box Guitar Tuners Work

Glenn Watt in the C. B. Gitty ShopGlenn 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.

How to Build a Simple Cigar Box Guitar, Start to Finish – by Glenn Watt

Click the photo above to browse over to the article on Glenn’s site.

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

54-020-01 How-to Guide Pages
Click the image above to view the PDF how-to document.

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

Meet Shane Speal, King of the Cigar Box Guitar

11428153_373708422839127_374176738_oWe just added a new entry to the library, an article telling the story of the man who is largely responsible for the existence of the modern cigar box guitar movement.

Shane Speal started building cigar box guitars in 1993, and from that time has been tirelessly promoting the instrument, performing onstage with them, and creating online communities to help people discover the instrument and start building their own. He took the title “King of the Cigar Box Guitar” back when such a title seemed full of irony – who would want to be the king of such a crazy, primitive, mostly forgotten instrument?

This article by Glenn Watt re-introduces Shane Speal to those who may never have heard of him. For 22 years he has been building, playing, and preaching cigar box guitars.

Click the image or link above to view the full article.

How to make a Scarf Joint on a Cigar Box Guitar Neck – new video how-to from Glenn Watt

Glenn Watt Cigar Box Guitar Scarf JointIf you have ever thought about adding a scarf joint to your cigar box guitar necks, but have been unsure whether you could pull it off, this video is for you! Glenn walks you through all of the steps it takes to create a scarf jointed headstock with just hand tools, bringing it into the realm of possibility for almost anyone.

While some care and attention to detail is required, creating a nice scarf joint is not as hard as you may think, and is definitely worth the effort. So click on through to the knowledgebase entry for the video and give it a watch (there are even some bloopers and out-takes at the end). You’ll be glad you did!