I first saw a cigar box guitar on the internet in about 2005. Blues Boy Jag was the guy and he could play! He gave tips on building and I wanted to build.

CBGs were not my first builds. I made two pretty decent mountain dulcimers in the late 90s, and a very crappy six string travel guitar.

Procuring parts was not so simple. I found a cigar box at an antique store. I drove 50 miles down to Omaha, Nebraska to a guitar repair shop and bought used tuners. The biggest adventure was a piezo. I'd seen online how to use a door bell buzzer and get the piezo out and use it on a guitar.

My first CBG was pretty cool. I tuned it DAD and the strings must have been a half inch off the fretless fretboard. It sounded pretty good and I was thrilled the first time I plugged in and the doorbell piezo worked.

Blues Boy Jag had some playing instructions and I believe the other instruction I found was John McNair. Even with a background of mediocrity on six strings and mandolin, those instructions did not take hold for me with the DAD guitar.

I went back to Omaha and bought frets and tuners and back to Radio Shack for another doorbell buzzer. I made a fretted 4 string, modeling the fretboard off my six string. It was pretty decent and that surprises me now because the only CBGs I recall seeing on line back then were fretless.

I found CBN in 09' or maybe 2010. I lurked a few times and then worked up the courage to join. It was great fun. I think there were about a thousand members then and Kenni Lee Burgess and John McNair seemed to be all over CBN and youtube with lessons. But it was knotlenny's CBG 101 that got me going. What a great thrill that was and I am forever grateful.

I went on a building jag and man, was it fun! I would lose sleep thinking how I was going to do this or that to my CBG in progress. Exciting times. Gitty must have just been getting started about then. I recall him having tuners, frets, disc piezos, brass tent grommets for sound holes – and not a lot more. No fretting templates, f hole templates, ready to use necks, fret boards, pre-wired parts, etc.

Those were creative and fun times – going to CBN to see what people came up with. So much seemed first time new. And if I saw it I would often try it.... Hubcaps, paint lid resonators, cat bowl resonators, license plate guitars. Good times, my friends! All of the fancy gear and parts available now makes it easier to create a nice build. But I think it takes away some of the fun and creativity.

My early CBN days were creative playing times too. I discovered that I am much better on three strings than six. I wanted to make a video! I was shocked to realize I could make videos on my $60.00 Kodak camera- the one I still use!

That first video was scary. I was nervous and had no clue how to edit start and stop times and no clue about lighting. Most of the vids back then (2010) were more basic than what we see now. The comments on my first vid were friendly and helpful and I realized I was making friends.

Friends..... from all over the USA and world. Wow! I dug it. Still do. One sad thing for me is to see some good CBG friends come and go.   Things change. Times change. I realize that my passions have come and gone too. I no longer race dirt bikes, play competitive chess or dress like a woman and sky dive. Actually, I never did dress like a woman and sky dive.

Festivals... Early on, I wanted to go to York Fest - a long and costly trip. Never did make it. Likely never will. KC fest has been great fun. I think this year will be the 5th year. It's good meeting CBN friends and making new friends. And the players down there! Wow. Good folks too.

In some ways these days we live in are bad times. But the internet has many good things to offer. I've learned so much about CBGs, music, blues and blues history. And I've found friends and an audience for my music. I am thankful!

Where is this CBG world going? It has highs and lows. People come and go. CBGs will never go away. Building is fun – some times frustrating as hell, but fun. Playing and singing is fun. Playing an instrument built by our own hands is even better.

I am glad to have found my way to the CBG world and I thank all of my friends and all of you who contribute to our fun pastime.

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Good stuff Unc. I've only been CBG'ing for about 5 years and when I posted my first vid on CBN you were one of the first to comment with encouraging words. Having folks to look, listen and support and sometimes to critique the stuff that we do is a great and helpful thing. I'm real happy to be a part of this whole thing!

"losing sleep    thinking  of the   next  design  "  lol  ..  yup !  been  there  ,  

  i  remember  when  i  first started    and  some  of  my  wild  pre-swampwitch creations  ,.  it   was fun  to  get   crazy   and    find  /  discover  the  one  cool  part  / solution  ,   i  needed    etc  .  luckily    , i   enjoy   making   the    swamp witches  now  , and    themes    keep  me   creative and  non-monotonous  , so  even  though  it   has  become a  "business  for  me  ..  it  hasn't  become a  "  job "  .   and  i still occasionally  do  the   odd crazy  build  , or  incorporate some wildness  into  a witch.    not to  mention  ,  folks  like  you  ,  and friends   here    are an inspiration  , and  a driving  force  ,  and   keep  it  fun    also .

i  try  to   give  back  where and  when  i  can , and  it  completes  the circle  ..    and  circles  have  no  end  ;-)

Went back and watched my first Nation video and saw you were the first to comment on it. Clock, Pick,  James, Wes, Nancy, Roadkill and Maddog were there too.

Always appreciated the kind words and the encouragement kept me going.  Still does.

Wes, you were one of my first CBN friends and one of the best supporters of the people on CBN.   You were and still are an amp pioneer.

Jim, you are one of the best player, builders, boosters, people, here.

Thanks, Wayfinder.  You were one of the new friends I met in KC and you've become a big contributor.

Pick, you are the most generous guy in the CBG world and creative as heck.  I think you were the first I saw use a ruler fretboard and maybe the first to use a violin body.   And you can take and dish out some crap.  Do you remember the blog or forum where people were posting photos of what you looked like?  Now that was funny.

lol ,  goood  times  ;-) 

Hound, I went back and looked and listened to your first vid.   You did quite not have your rare and signature style yet, but you were closing in on it.   And the pups....

Great post! Thanks!

Sound like in the "bad old days" you had to be pretty resourceful to get your CBG put together. I agree that things are a lot easier these days. A quick surf to some parts sits of ebay and you have everything you need.

You are correct that CBN is a fantastic site with great people. I'm really glad I stumbled across it.

Nice reflection John,few have been as enthusiastically encouraging to others as yourself in my time hear,long may it continue

I have to say ,, for me,   this has opened up my life to some serious creative adventures . I have went down roads I never would have thought to travel.  Learned to write lyrics,, read music,,working on learning to play the durn things as we speak.Loved reading Uncle Johns short stories,, <why did u ever quit writing them/> First video I made was on a cheap Chinese camera that I had bought ,, and spurred on ,again, by Uncle John . Wes talked me thru making amps,, how to hack into em.  Amazing neck finish work ,, just all sorts of things .  I sold a bunch ,, as wasen't anyone around doing it ,, gave away don't know how many . But the bestest thing of all ,, I had made two pretty good small boxes for the kids at the  special ed class my Great Grandson Aiden went to ,, the teachers used em as training tools .. When the littles got upset they got to play the guitars and it calmed em right down . Got their little minds on something else. Aiden doesn't go to that particular school now ,, but saw one the teachers just past Wednesday ,, she gave me a big ole squishy hug and said that the kids still used the gits  !!! Life just gets better n better !!

I was sorting through some old photos, when I came upon this one of a young Uncle John sending away for his Cigar Box Nation membership card and secret decoder ring.

As I recall, the membership card arrived in six to eight weeks... but that danged decoder ring never showed up.

According to the tracking number, it appeared to have gone missing after being accidently rerouted to Harlan, Ohio.

Of particular note are the peculiarly familiar individuals lurking about in the background...

LMAO, Clock!  And check out who is in the background.  Did one of those shites get my decoder ring?

Thank you, Darrryl.

Great story, Rich!

On another  ..  (totally  unrelated  topic  )  ........

ummmm,,,,, this   is  still  for  sale   folks  .. 

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