First warm day of the year here in the UK so I got some build time in the garden.
Came up with 5 Diddley Bow Canjos. One was in my normal style, more like a 1 string cigar box, but the other 4, I went a little more traditional with the design. From what I know traditional Canjos are just a can with a hole in the top with a length of wood in the middle of it with a string or 2 anchored at the tail end of it.
Well I put together a couple of them and they have come out great, I think because the string is anchored to the tin itself instead of a separate piece, the canjo has better sustain and a natural twang, which as a telecaster fan I just love.
Here they are on my homemade bench, what you think.
Replies
Nice work. I just built this one on a whim.
very nice, lot more refined than what I do, I like it. Did you make the neck yourself or is there somewhere I can get one.
I make the necks myself. This one is Ukulele scale 15" with Dulcimer fretting. I use the Gitty fret scale marking set for accuracy then I do the fretting myself.
Gotta start trying to do that myself, never fretted or refretted a build in my life.
I had never done any of this before I started building Cigar box guitars. But the more I do it, the better they are coming out.
I think you'll find the same thing once you do it. Have fun with it!
Gorgeous tins, here in America they’ve changed just about every container to plastic! I’m a big fan of twangy one stringers, kudos! :D
thank you Brian, its going that way over here too, those tins are getting harder to find, took a few years to gather those 4 and go through all the tea inside of them.