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Permalink Reply by Warren on March 26, 2010 at 11:08am

Here's how I got started - I'd been "threatening" to build myself a guitar for awhile. My wife came across an article in the local paper (Jack White of White Stripes). The article referenced the link (below) and I've been hooked ever since.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZNk76_4lds

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Permalink Reply by Ben on March 26, 2010 at 11:18am

I'm a long-time guitarist and was browsing on Ebay for replacement pickups for my Tele (that hasn't been out of its case in like a year thanks to this). Anyway, I came across a CBG, youtubed it and then planned it in my head for like a year. Now, a year after my first build, I'm still building away and I have yet to repeat a build (although I'm working on my second Tenor for a friend).

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on March 26, 2010 at 12:55pm

I started learning to play Blue guitar back in the early 80's while I was stationed in San Antonio, TX and serving in the USAF. I used audio tape lessons from Happy Traum and Stefan Grossman. Excellent stuff!Later I attended week long "International Guitar Seminars" at Columbia Univ. hosted by Bob Brozman and Woody Mann. I had the opportunity to take great lessons not only from them, but also with Steve James, John Cephas, and Mike Dowling. Bob was very friendly, supportive and explained an approach that I've been working on for years. He set me on a good path. A friend of mine James Millinchuk built me a three string CBG way back before I knew about the Nation. Surfing one day, I came across Shane Speal and was very impressed. I could not help but get involved in the fun. Thanks for asking. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Roberts on March 26, 2010 at 4:49pm

Latest issue of "Make" magazine.

I had been trying to build a guitar for years. I had four false starts (you can see 'em -- the 4 guitars of the apocalyps -- on my page) and always ran out of time at the end of the term. Always at the same place -- finishing up the neck, fretting, etc. First time I try something REALLY new, I usually foul it up. Especially if there's nobody to get advice from. So then I saw the Make magazine and thought "I can learn the hard way and not loose my shirt in the process. If I REALLY humiliate myself, nobody ... need ... ever ... know."

So I finished my first CBG, and THEN joined the nation (had to prove something to myself). And now I can build things that do NOT suck for almost nothing and get some amazingly RIGHTEOUS advice for free.

Yeah, I'll finish those four, and they're going to be sweet -- cedar topped, radiused, tapered necks, etc etc. But I'll going to knock off maybe 12 CBGs first to get nut carving, action setting and such under my belt.

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on March 26, 2010 at 7:03pm

I have been plaing guitar on and off since I was around 5 or 6....I had my first guitar about then....the whole rap seen came about at that time and so I swaped my guitar out for a keyboard (lame) anyhow...I think I learned jingle bells on that thing and it went by the way side. I asked for another guitar one year for chirstmass and my parents got me one from the pawn store....needless to say...I have a guitar around since I was at least 13 years old. But I never learned much on it...I thought the whole idea of learning others peoples music was lame...so I wanted to make my own..so just mainly jammed out on what ever came about...not learning very man songs....fast forwared a bit I ran across a thing on youttube on Seasick Steve, and he was geting this awesome sound out of a guitar with only three strings. So I started to search into this whole 3 string guitar stuff and whamo....here I start seeing cbg's...my first build was a diddley bow andI made a few of those and then wanted to tackle a cbg build...I could not find a cigar box or did not know where to get sone, so I bought a gun cleaning kit at wal-mart that had a wooden box...(Hollowbelly was the insporation for that build) needless to say, it was kinda a disaster....fast forwared again to now, and a few 20 builds later, and here I am with some pretty nice "primitave" builds under my belt. I found a drumset at good will for 80 bucks and brought it home, and now I kinda jam out on the one mand band stuff....my brother played drums for yeras, so it was easy to pick that up with the cbg and play both. I now play my snare and my bass pedal with my feet, I sing (sort of) and play what ever comes to mind.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on March 27, 2010 at 3:29am

I've played guitar since the mid-70s, and had a bit of a lay-off due to lack of a decent outlet to play.... Had gotten into building various things anyway; bicycles, archery equipment....Saw a copy of "Make" magazine at the bookstore with the "make your own cigar-box guitar" article on the cover.
I said..."I can do that." Been building for a couple of years now, and my cigar-box collection has re-fired my interest in regular guitar as well.

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Permalink Reply by Fergus Morris on March 27, 2010 at 4:58am

Inspired by Smojo's blog.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Christopher Hill on March 29, 2010 at 7:10pm

Wow, Love all the responses guys. Some great stories here and a pretty sweet video! This is what the heart and soul of music is about, the people, the experiences, and whatever emotions come along with 'em.
Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on March 30, 2010 at 1:05am

Found the 'revolution' while looking for a 6 string on ebay. Came across John McNair ('3 string guitar' here on the Nation) and his videos blew me the heck away. I was immediately hooked. Found Scotty ('Tybee Guy') and from there the old Yahoo Groups. Finally landed here and ... voila. The rest is history per se.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on March 30, 2010 at 1:18am

I am almost as new as the poster and am up to 4 complete. I found the CBG while surfing for small amp plans and other amp info. On one of the pages there was a mention of a guitar made from a cigar box so I googled cigar box guitar found many sites and settled into this one, never did go back to the amp stuff. I had wanted to build an electric guitar for a long time but adding up all the parts needed cost more than some store bought guitars, so I never even started one. Now I've done 4 for less than the cost of one cheap guitar. Cool. Oh and playing them is awesome too!! Don't forget to play!!

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Permalink Reply by Dave Breault on March 30, 2010 at 2:03am

I've know about these critters for years but never thought they could sound any where decent, wrong. While researching plans for a Cigar box fiddle I found this site and started looking at some of the videos and pictures. I was hooked at that point. My brother in law probably won't get a CBF (I thought he needed on for his style of Bluegrass) but he will get a CBG.

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Permalink Reply by KaptnKen on March 30, 2010 at 3:06am

I had known about CBG's for years but not more than that. Had played a bit of 6 string guitar a long time ago but was never a good player in any sense of the word, somewhat intimidated by all the people that could play well and all those strings. So I dropped it. Had been getting the urge to play "something" recently and was looking at some 6 string guitars again but still kinda put off by them. Then ran across something about CBG's, did a little research and ended up here. The idea of 3 strings struck a chord (no pun intended) in me, the whole idea of paring things back, the underlying simplicity of it. That and it was something that "I" can make and hold and have these amazing sounds/music come from. Now I just have to be able to play better and with these, for me, that's a reachable goal. Besides, when I'm holding one "I" made, it makes me smile...playing it makes me giggle :)

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