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Is there a Canjo Group Yet on Cigar Box Nation?

Posted by Rand Moore on June 17, 2010 at 9:31pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion
Hi all...

I was wondering if there was a canjo group yet on Cigar Box Nation -- One dedicated to making better canjos. I know the solution to making a better canjo is to use a cigarbox, but some places in the world (as where I live) don't have easy access to cigar or similar wooden boxes, and building wooden boxes is beyond my wood-working skill level. I have made three canjos, and find they have some problems, some of which I have identified and fixed and others which I suspect others have encountered and found fixes for. It's this kind of information I'd like the group to focus on, and also other canjo topics like playing techniques and sharing tabs. I saw the Spam-jo Contest; that was interesting. I'm sure spam-jo and can-jo (and cigar-box guitar) makers have a lot of common interests.

Well. Any positive input on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks.

-R.M.

Typical Canjo Stick Layout.bmp

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  • Douglas Eric Marsalis July 2, 2010 at 10:52am
    Rand. China definitely will have some tea boxes. Give a large one a try for a CBG. There was one posted on this site about a month ago that was beautiful.

    Give a search for cigar boxes in Hong Kong also and see what you find.

    I get all of my boxes from Cigar Box Central on this website. The guy helps me out with costs quite a bit. I ordered 20 for total cost of around $150 including shipping to here in Japan.

    Also try alibaba.com . There are plenty of businesses in China on this website that sell PLAIN boxes. The only problem with this site is you will have to order in bulk, BUT they are cheap.

    I know that this is not answering your question on canjos, but I thought I might help lead you in a direction of getting some good boxes. Good luck.

    Douglas
  • Rand Moore June 30, 2010 at 2:13pm
    We've got a new CBN group called the "Can Jo Consortium", where additional comments and discussion topics regarding the canjo and its close relatives can be made. So, I'm closing this discussion.
  • Tracy Kennedy June 28, 2010 at 1:02pm
    Its not mine, so I couldnt tell ya.

    W.T. Tarapchak said:
    What is the tuning on your instrument - it sounds so cool!!!

    Tracy Kennedy said:
    When I think of canjo I think of this

    %3Cobject%20width="640"%20height="385" ' />


    Although I reckon a soup can fits the description too
  • W.T. Tarapchak June 28, 2010 at 8:20am
    What is the tuning on your instrument - it sounds so cool!!!

    Tracy Kennedy said:
    When I think of canjo I think of this

    %3Cobject%20width="640"%20height="385" ' />


    Although I reckon a soup can fits the description too
  • Rand Moore June 26, 2010 at 3:30pm
    For those of you who are interested in canjos, there is now a group on Cigar Box Nation dedicated to canjos of all forms. That group is called "The Canjo Consortium" and was set up by Diane in Chicago. Thanks, Diane! All further canjo posts should be made there.
  • Crow June 24, 2010 at 10:30am
    i really think the interweb has a firm image of a canjo, thanks to canjoe john... he even played at the grand ole opry with one::
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U1O2pJXm_Q
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRpiimAI9Tg

    the canjoe, as he has popularized it, consists of a stick, a soda/beer/soup can, and one string.

    i've built a few can-jo type instruments, but they were really three string guitars with a cookie tin.

    so.. the naming thing may be a little difficult..

    so we have a whole class of tin instruments, then two subclasses, mainly cookie tins (TINS) or soup/soda/beer cans. (CANS)

    AND THEN the real "JOs" part of it insinuates the banjo-like playing style and sound- fingerboard in use, (fretted or not)

    OR the instruments culd be "BROs" due to the open slide playing style and sound...

    soo...

    canjoe john's instruments would be aptly named. they are a CAN resonator, played JO style.

    and... my cookie tin instruments would be considered.... TIN-BROs i suppose..?



    ... am i just talking out of my rear here, or am i making any sense?? perhaps i just complicated things more... LOL
  • hank shanker June 22, 2010 at 2:56pm
    Here here..it's all I've built because I can never find any cigar boxes either.I think they're great fun.Build a group my friend and we will come!
  • Tracy Kennedy June 21, 2010 at 5:51pm
    Mark aka. Junk Box Instruments said:
    There are lots of different types of containers that get referred to as cans (even if some of them are more often called tins). A few quick Google searches will show you that the term canjo is already in common usage to describe stringed instruments with many of these types of containers as resonators. To me, canjo ought to imply some connection with, or influence from, banjos (as distinct from D-bows, CBGs or regular guitars). But I guess banjos are a pretty diverse family of instruments - 4, 5 or 6 strings, some with short drone strings, some without. I have no problem with, say, a 3-string canjo if it has some sort of banjo influence (maybe in its tuning or general appearance)...and, of course, there are a lot of different banjo tunings. So a broad definition is good.

    Now I agree with this. A Canjo could be loosely described as a stringed instrument resembling the look and or sound of a banjo made from a metal can or tin. Hence the term Can-jo. To me the other instruments being described are more fitting to a didly bow with a pop/ beer/ soup can resonator
  • Diane in Chicago June 21, 2010 at 5:28pm
    "metal container of some sort used some way" chordophone.

    Mark aka. Junk Box Instruments said:
    Rand Moore said:
    By "both types", I mean canjos build from soda/beer/soup (etc.) cans and canjos built from cookie/cake tins where the orientation of the can is such that it faces the audiance like a banjo. But I think the definition of a canjo should not be limitied to these two style of mounting the can to the canjo stick.

    There are lots of different types of containers that get referred to as cans (even if some of them are more often called tins). A few quick Google searches will show you that the term canjo is already in common usage to describe stringed instruments with many of these types of containers as resonators. To me, canjo ought to imply some connection with, or influence from, banjos (as distinct from D-bows, CBGs or regular guitars). But I guess banjos are a pretty diverse family of instruments - 4, 5 or 6 strings, some with short drone strings, some without. I have no problem with, say, a 3-string canjo if it has some sort of banjo influence (maybe in its tuning or general appearance)...and, of course, there are a lot of different banjo tunings. So a broad definition is good.
  • Mark June 21, 2010 at 4:32pm
    Rand Moore said:
    By "both types", I mean canjos build from soda/beer/soup (etc.) cans and canjos built from cookie/cake tins where the orientation of the can is such that it faces the audiance like a banjo. But I think the definition of a canjo should not be limitied to these two style of mounting the can to the canjo stick.

    There are lots of different types of containers that get referred to as cans (even if some of them are more often called tins). A few quick Google searches will show you that the term canjo is already in common usage to describe stringed instruments with many of these types of containers as resonators. To me, canjo ought to imply some connection with, or influence from, banjos (as distinct from D-bows, CBGs or regular guitars). But I guess banjos are a pretty diverse family of instruments - 4, 5 or 6 strings, some with short drone strings, some without. I have no problem with, say, a 3-string canjo if it has some sort of banjo influence (maybe in its tuning or general appearance)...and, of course, there are a lot of different banjo tunings. So a broad definition is good.
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