Please post pictures of your contest submissions here. Be sure to include any pertinent information about your instrument that you think others, including the judges, would enjoy knowing.
*** NOTE ***
When the submission period ends on 12/31, I will be deleting all comments from users that are posted in this thread. To make it easier on the judges, this thread needs to end up with just the posts from the contestants. It makes it difficult for the judges if they have to wade through scores of pages of posts to find the actual entries.
Contest Rules:
- One submission per person.
- Each submission shall be an instrument of the builder's own construction and overall design.
- The instrument shall prominently and visibly feature a cigar box in the design.
- Each builder will submit up to five pictures of their creation. No videos please till after the judging is complete.
- Entries must be submitted no later than midnight December 31, 2013.
- Builders shall post the pictures of their instruments in the separate "Contest Submission Thread."
- Builders should include descriptions of their work, including any technical details such as features, materials used, or any other information they feel would assist the judges in reviewing the submission.
Once the submission period ends, all comments in the submission thread from other CBN members will be deleted to make it easier for the judges to review the entries. The judges will review the pictures and select a winner.
The decision of the judges is final.
Feel free to post away, just know that this thread will be cleaned up once the submission period is over.
Good luck and good building!!!
The Judges
JP Soars
JP Soars is an accomplished, award winning blues guitarist. JP along with his band, the Red Hots, has won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee, as well as the Albert King award for most promising guitarist. His most recent album, More Bees With Honey was named the 2nd coolest CD of the year by Little Steven and his Underground Garage on XM Radio, and was in the top 5 click to pick on BB King's Bluesville on XM also. On stage, JP plays a 2 string slide CBG he made himself.
Tony Steidler-Dennison
Tony Steidler-Dennison returns again this year to help us judge. Tony is the creator and host of the free, long running Roadhouse Podcast. Tony has completed over 400 one hour shows of the Finest Blues You've Never Heard, and is a veritable encyclopedia of the blues.
Justin Johnson
Justin "The Wizard" Johnson is certainly no stranger to cigar box instruments. His collection of roots instruments grows on almost a daily basis. He, along with his partner Nikki, have been traveling the world, bringing his virtuosity and roots music to fans everywhere. He has begun work on his much anticipated double album Smoke & Mirrors. You can read more about it on his web site.
Replies
Two more pictures here to finish it out!
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Hey there. I've never competed in a builder's competition, let alone built a cigar box guitar, so I figured I'd give it a shot!
My entry here (as of yet unnamed) has a hand shaped "hard V" neck with a fretless pine fingerboard and a funky tuner-less headstock. I thought it'd be pretty cool to have the strings run into the box and keep the bridge hidden to leave the nice Rocky Patel plaque intact. It's got a piezo pickup with a volume pot topped with a "tulip" style knob liberated from an Epiphone tuning peg. The tuners and bridge are inside the box. My standard-issue gear-driven flux coil transducer above the plaque is a valve spring from a junkyard with a .44 magnum brass core. The main drive gears located just to the right of this on the side of the neck is a timing gear cut in half from the same junkyard. There's a pressure valve on the main steam line to the volume control, which in turn drives the gears to said flux coil transducer. And to top it all off, there's a nice little leather "pickguard" riveted to the face of the geetar here.
It's my first run at steampunk!
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Gentlemen, for your consideration:
I choose a "Foundry" cigar box as the box itself fits the steampunk style well. The box's borders and the Foundry logo are an antique brass color. Gears are featured prominently in the box's design.
The instrument features working Thermometer and Barometer, as the instrument needs to be precisely maintained for optimal sound production.
Brass tubing supplies steam to turn the internal engine to create electropolyphonic sound.
Two steam chimneys allow for steam venting and a large discharge in the case of the need for emergency purging of the system.
Four grease fittings allow for proper lubrication of internal mechanism for smooth operation.
Antique brass hinge is the bridge for optimum string vibrancy.
Antique brass plate joins neck section to body of the apparatus
Gold plated jack allows for amplification of sound waves by way of a 1/4 inch conduit to any steam powered amplifier.
Three sound holes covered with antique brass screened grommets allow for direct acoustic energy to be released from the mechanism for small chamber enjoyment.
Brass corners are added for beauty and protection.
Poplar neck is finished in "Aged Leather" stain as to be aesthetically pleasing in conjunction with the rest of the instrument.
Thank you again, gentlemen, for your consideration.
Best regards for a Happy New Year.
Two more tintypes of the ElectroSteam Sonic Harmonizer. Also included is is the mandatory Sonic Amplification Device. Can't have one without the other, can we?
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank you advance for your kindly consideration of my ElectroSteam Sonic Harmonizer in the 2013 Builders Challenge. As a man of honor, unfortunately, I must confess that this device was not completed until March of 2027. However, given the functionality of this fine device, it was a matter of the greatest simplicity to warp calendar time back to 2013 in order to maintain eligibility.
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Here is my latest build with the aid of my 15 year old nephew Vinny. This is a Flor De Las Antillas My Father's cigar box. The neck is maple with a black walnut strip. The nut is black buffalo horn. The peg head has a black walnut veneer with an okra decal from jockomo81 on Ebay. The heel cap is also black walnut. The walnut finger board has pearl dots inlayed. The bridge was handmade out of a scrap piece from the neck. It is a soprano scale ukulele. I used an 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 inch x 1/4 inch piece of maple bored a bit to hold the piezo. The piezo was set in with silicone caulk and I contact cemented a piece of leather to the back and then to the low string side of the top. Not much extraneous noise from the top. Sounds nice acoustically and very nice through an amp. Most of the parts and bling came from CB Gitty. This one is mine and we are almost done with my nephew's which will be identical. Lot of fun building and playing.
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Military Hardware Steampunk cbg trash-o-caster
Components – La Gloria Cubana cigar box, triple display unit pipes for the neck with bath handles and cans sound holes. Two “might come in handy” (eight years ago) sawn off pipes with mounted ageing dividers and a reinforced machine head. Oil can bridge, chop stick nut and dilapidated brass telescope. Dog leash strap, four spark plug bullets, sink plug chains and curtain pulleys with half a door handle trigger guard.
All components from my ‘cave of wonderment’ – the garage. Which, once upon a time I was encouraged by my wife to tidy up. Glad I didn’t!! Great theme, it’s been fun.
Please see two photos below along with three attached photos.
Graeme Peatfield.
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This is my entry for the 2013 Challenge. This is a 3 string cbg made from a Drew Estate cigar box. The neck is solid red oak with purple heart fretted fret board. 25.5" scale. There are two piezo pickups one under the resonator and the other under the edge of the fret board. 2 glass Victorian era replica drawer pulls on the top. The bottom most valve on the front controls the volume. The tail piece is from an old chain lock that was drilled out and modified. Biscuit bridge hand made from poplar and a found skeleton key. The nut is a solid piece of ebony. This was a very fun build and the guitar sounds awesome!
Well, here is my entry for the Steampunk Builder's Challenge. My goal was to build a guitar that had the steampunk look but still kept its' playability without the risk of impalement or blood-letting whilst playing. :-) Below are some of the specs and features.
Arturo Fuente box, chosen for the black and gold color scheme and decorative banding that reads "Hand Made" along the edges.
Solid Cherry, fretted neck 7/8" thick, with solid build-up inside box and attachment via glue and screws through the back of the box.
25" scale.
Flame colored titanium pick guard as well as decorative pieces at the head and tail of the neck.
Large, antique brass clock gears, one of which is the sound hole cover.
Solid copper nut pinned on with two brass pins, copper bridge over rod-type piezo.
Working clock movement to keep things in time.
Brass machine screws and nuts for attaching strap (strap is still in the works).
Copper fret markers along neck.
Hand carved scroll at head of neck.
Four step painted finish on neck with a nickel color base with brown and gold layered accents. The fretboard is finished clear.
Various hardware and adornments including solid copper and brass rivets, slotted brass screws, steel machine screws, brass and stainless steel rod, scrolled leather, misc clock parts, and a few resistors and a valve handle thrown in for calibration.
The back of the box is covered with Crocodile print leather.
It sounds very nice whether plugged in to the amp or on its' own, I am very pleased with the way it turned out.
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