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VIDEO: Blues legend, Mac Arnold scorches the blues on his gas can guitar

Posted by Shane Speal on June 5, 2017 at 8:26pm in Feature Articles

In the world of the Cigar Box Guitar movement, blues legend and gas can guitarist, Mac Arnold is tragically under represented.  He was born and raised on a sharecropper's farm in South Carolina.  He's been a part of Muddy Water's band, played with James Brown, B.B. King, The Temptations and Otis Spann. Perhaps his most famous recording is his distinctive bass line in the theme song for Sanford & Son!


Mac Arnold has since moved back to his native South Carolina and now runs Dr. Mac Arnold's Blues Music Venue. He has also picked up the 4-string gas can guitar as a weapon of choice, fronting his band, Plate Full O' Blues

His blues venue/restaurant will be home to the Greenville Cigar Box Guitar Fest on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Mac Arnold will co-headline along with cigar box ace, Steve Arvey.

Here's a great video of Mac scorching his 4-string gas can guitar:

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Replies

  • Dano Schultz June 21, 2017 at 3:17pm

    Thanks, Dave - BelmontBluesMan for the pic and MadGomer for the extra look. Whether you see 3 or 4, we can all agree that Mac Arnold is an amazing talent! Now I'm gonna' play the video again and _just_ listen...

  • Paul Craig June 20, 2017 at 4:56pm

    Great video. Love the sound I get from my gas can guitar, I leave the cap off to get that acoustic resonator tone.306629262?profile=original

  • Dave - BelmontBluesMan June 20, 2017 at 10:33am

    306627923?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024Here is a better picture of it. I've seen it in person and it is a 3 String.

  • Robbie June 16, 2017 at 6:18am

    I wonder what tuning he's using. I just finished a 4 string CBG and tuned it to open G using the 4 middle strings in a 6 pack.

  • Slow Blues Dani & Ol' Grey Bear June 15, 2017 at 10:50am

    Wow. No words to describe this level of fantastic. Does anyone know if the festival will be videoed or streamed on YouTube? I'd give my right arm to go to this but it's a long ol' way from Manchester, England! Lol

  • Dano Schultz June 10, 2017 at 10:07pm

    Hey, Shane... I'm only seein' three strings in the video here and in the picture above as well. Is your copy wrong or are my old eyes playin' with me? Either way, it doesn't diminish Mr. Mac Arnold... Damn, that's great playing! Thanks for the tip.

    • MadGomer > Dano Schultz June 19, 2017 at 7:36pm
      Yep, looks like 3 to me. At about the 3:50 point in the vid as he's coming back through the crowd you get a good look at the back of the headstock. 3 or 4, no matter, that's something special!
    • PhilUSAFRet > Dano Schultz June 13, 2017 at 11:49am

      I think the strap clip is blocking the view a little.

This reply was deleted.