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Is it just me?

Posted by Brian " BigB " Saunders on May 12, 2010 at 8:15pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

OK, since I'm already in a pissy mood because of the shipping snafu LOL I'm going to start this discussion and see what people think.

Am I the only person that thinks it's going against what CBGs stand for when you see someone who has basicly a store bought guitar but they just swapped the body with a cigar box? You know what I mean? They have a Strat neck and fret board, and 4 pick-ups placed in it, and 7 tone knobs and switches. All the bells and whistles of a $500 to $2,000 guitar with a cigar box body. I don't know why but it pisses me off something  fierce LOL

I know the motto is that there are no rules, but isn't it like someone putting a suround sound speaker system on a moped? A diamond necklace on a catfish? An elevator in an outhouse? Spandex on Shane Speal? LOL It just aint right LOL

What's your opinion folks?

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Replies

  • stan bryars May 15, 2010 at 2:48am
    It doesn't piss me off, it just isn't me
    I have always been a purist in most things I do and K.I.S.S. is the code I live by

    But I am having people bugging me for 6 stringers now
  • Kevin Sprague (Knotlenny) May 13, 2010 at 10:27pm
    Well I see your point . . . but I admit I do own a couple of them frankenstein strat/cigar box guitar aberrations. I prefer to think of 'em as "hybrids". And anyhow I've certainly got enough pure, ratty cbgs to balance out the karma. haha/
  • Don Goguen May 13, 2010 at 10:11pm
    Yes, I built the pickup. I turned my mini metal lathe into a pickup winder.

    I've got single coils down but am working on P90 and humbucker designs that I hope to start building soon. Just need to figure out the materials issues (shorter bar magnets and backplates)
  • Tracy Kennedy May 13, 2010 at 9:49pm
    Yeah...all I seen was him in Spandex a tight short sleeve shirt and a styrofoam hlemet with on of those little dentist mirrors attatched to it

    MichaelS said:
    We are still trying to get the picture out of our heads.


    Brian " BigB " Saunders said:
    I'm also suprised that no one said anything about Shane in spandex though LOL
  • Bob Harrison May 13, 2010 at 9:37pm
    Don, I like your arch top custom guitar, way cool. Did you build the pickup as well. Bob:)
    Ben said:
    Nice job! I'd play that...and my boxes...


    Don Goguen said:
    Well I may need a flame suite but I'm one of those who just have a hard time getting past the sound from the cigar box. I'm new here so I would hope I get a little slack for saying this. I have been playing for almost 40 years and always wanted to build instruments. So I was inspired by the cigar box movement to start building my own. I am only on my third build and not one made from a cigar box. This latest guitar started out on paper in a box shape. The plan was to just build it out of traditional tone woods. Then I decided it was just as much work making a rectangular box as it would be this.

    From a playing comfort perspctive, this beats a box hands down, at least for me. I had one of the 3 string strum sticks (A friend gave it to me). I liked the idea of it, just could never comfortably hold the damn thing. I built the support frame for a box shape and mocked it up to see how it feels. Decided that curves were for me.

    This one is all built by me. The bridge, tailpiece, pickup, neck, fingerboard the works.

    I think cigar box guitars are a really cool idea. Just trying to build something a little better sounding perhaps.
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars May 13, 2010 at 7:10pm
    We are still trying to get the picture out of our heads.

    Brian " BigB " Saunders said:
    I'm also suprised that no one said anything about Shane in spandex though LOL
  • Brian " BigB " Saunders May 13, 2010 at 5:05pm
    I've actually seen lipstick on a pig before. I mean, it wasn't a date or anything LOL but she was dressed up in a sun dress, blond wig and lipstick LOL

    Robert Hynden said:
    You forgot lipstick on a pig!
  • Brian " BigB " Saunders May 13, 2010 at 5:03pm
    I'm also suprised that no one said anything about Shane in spandex though LOL
  • Brian " BigB " Saunders May 13, 2010 at 4:56pm
    Hey Jef, here's a link to go to where I get 10 boxes for 10 bucks. I hope they ship to Australia! http://www.thompsoncigar.com/product/EMPTY-CIGAR-BOXES/66523.uts;js...

    Jef Long said:
    I think it totally depends on the guitar.. It doesnt make any sense to me whatsoever to rape a strat to make a cbg.. but to use a snapped off neck for one, well that makes great sense..

    Im also totally with Don.. Cigar box guitars are cool, but instruments from any recycled material are cool.. When i first came by this site i spend a lot of time and resources chasing up cigar boxes, which are somewhat harder to come by here in Australia.. even buying from ebay in USA etc.. Its easy to get sucked into the cigar box myth, especially in this great community here, which is so specifically cigar box focused.. Cigar boxes are not the be all and end all of tone folks!! And if ur struggling to get em, dont pay good money for em, just use something else.. Make a shoebox guitar or a cornflakes box guitar or an ice cream bucket uke or a bleach bottle banjo.. The reason Cigar box guitars have the history they do is because the boxes were a free packaging by product of something else, and were plentiful.. If those old delta guys couldnt get one you can bet your arse they werent scouring the internet for em, they'd use something else.. And believe me, less and less ppl are smoking.. the time will come when cigar boxes are not worth buying, even if you need one to qualify for a competition here or whatever..

    Also, if you can make a neck... u can make a body too ... just something to think about..
  • Brian " BigB " Saunders May 13, 2010 at 4:50pm
    Well, I guess it is for the most part just me LOL I would like to clear up that I wasn't picking on anyone who builds guitars by hand, builds with rehab parts, builds incredible pieces of art that I admire, or basically anyone who just loves building, playing and living the CBG lifestyle. Is there a CBG lifestyle? LOL I literally meant the meant the guy who has the professional guitar builder make him a top line guitar with everything added and just uses a box for the body. The guy that says " look how cool I am, I'm playing a cigar box guitar " when in actually he's playing a factory guitar that just has a box for a body.
    I'm very sorry if I've offended anyone with my opinion, it was not my purpose to do so. I guess I'm still in the purest stage of my development.
    I wish everyone peace and happiness with their builds and with their days playing them.
    Take care everyone,
    BigB
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