I found out about CBG while browsing youtube looking for music lessons for the strumstick. I stumbled upon Some of Shane's content and Justin Johnson's stuff and I was hooked!
For years, I have been on again off again trying to play guitar. I kept getting frustrated because well it takes a lot of coordination to play a guitar and I didn't have the patients to go through hours of technique before I could actually play a song.
I watched Glenn Watts video on making a CBG and decided that it looked easy enough so I thought I would build my own.
I am a bit of a woodworker so I figured it would be easy to do. I built my own box, because I didn't have any cigar boxes. Basically I walked out to my shop and with just the things I had laying around left over from other projects, I was able to put one together in a couple hours!
I was so excited and I couldn't wait to play it! I went out to my tool box in the shop to find a 3/4" socket to use as a slide and as I was digging around in my tool box, I picked up a "socket" that looked the right size and low and behold I was holding an actual guitar slide in my hand that I had lost 20 years ago! I couldn't believe it! I must have dug around in that tool box looking for sockets a thousand times over the last 20 years and never came out with it. And now, just when I need a guitar slide, here it is!
I think there must be a CBG angel that is just waiting for opportunities to do some good!
Anyway, since then I made a Canjo because I had tuners left over, and that was awesome, then last week I bought 3 canjo kits on the CB Gitty sale, I put one together as is and the second one I made a 3 stringer out of. Then the other day I stopped in to the tobacco store and bought a couple Cigar Boxes. I waked out with 3 cigar boxes (my daughter said I looked like the happiest person to ever walk out of a tobacco store.) I mounted that 3 string Canjo to a Cigar Box and boy does it sound good! I'll post more about that build later.
Next I am going to put a pickup in it. I don't know which pickup to buy though. Any ideas?
This is that first CBG. Since this picture was taken, I have put real tuners on it and added fretts
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Welcome Aaron and glad to have another addict in the meetings :-)
I would be remiss in allegiance to our sponsor if I didn't make the following suggestion for a starter pickup:
The "Red Dot" Stick-on Pickup
Welcome Aaron, Nice job on that first and I bet it sounds awesome with that big box too! See you at the Thrift shop.......
And you may ask yourself: how do I work this?
And you may ask yourself: am I right; am I wrong?
Your life as you know it is over. heheheheheheheheh
Yeah, as my pile of instruments grows, I am already getting some cross eyed glances from my wife. She supports me in it though so that's cool.
Oh, thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales! I hadn't even thought of that yet! I have a couple good will stores and a habitat for humanity store nearby... Hmmm, might be time for a little "Christmas" shopping!
I do have several Christmas gifts planned. I have to build 3 guitars, several canjos, and a cajon for my daughter who likes drums.
Yes, I agree with Wayfinder's evil laugh. It's like a bait dangling in front of some of us and when we jump on it we're hooked. The beauty of these things is in their simplicity but even that is somewhat deceiving. I often sell a strumstick instrument by showing a person how to play a song with 1 finger and 5 minutes of instruction. You Are My Sunshine is what I usually use. The deception part comes from realizing that you can take 3 strings to mind blowing complexity if you want to. Anyway, welcome to the fun and yes - thanks to the CBG angel who reached down and touched a creative nerve!
Yeah, I am hooked for sure. You are my sunshine is one of my favorite songs! I really wish somebody had showed me how easy it was to play these, heck even showed me these things existed when I was young and trying to learn on a 6 string! I had been exposed to dulcimers as my parents were in a bluegrass band, but a dulcimer just doesn't have the cool factor like a guitar does to a teenage kid.
Welcome Aaron, nice 1st git, but i must ask, are you a left hander? 'cos the layout of your bridge bolt is sort of counter to a "normal" arrangement
I took the picture before I even tuned it. I just had the bridge sitting in there, I moved it soon afterwards.