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We build guitars

This has been niggling at me for months, and now is the time to raise this in the community. I’m guessing that many of you have, in response to some question or another, replied “I build guitars. Well, actually, when I say guitars I mean cigar box guitars...” and then apologise for not being Paul Reed Smith or Senor Ibanez. I have a friend who, after admiring one of my creations, said “So when are you going to try building a proper guitar?” meaning (I asked) one with six strings.

I’ve now stopped apologising for what I do, which is design and build guitars. The fact that they have three strings (or fewer) does not make them any less a guitar. There are twelve-string guitars out there, so has (say) Slash ever apologised for playing a six-string instrument, humbly admitting that it’s not a real guitar because it’s only got six strings? No one has a go at banjo or ukulele players- or bass players (much). The friend who urged me to try to build “a proper guitar” is herself a bass player, but did not spot the irony (well, she IS a bass player...).

I’ll write It again. I design and build guitars. Pretty much every member of CBN designs and builds guitars. We are not slavish followers of standard templates- single cut, double cut, figure-of-eight, and... er, that’s it- although most of our builds are rectangular, to be fair. Pretty much every git by every member is different, with its own problems to be overcome. I look at a piece of hardwood and then design and build a guitar around it, or I build an attractive box and then design a neck to fit. Headstock shape, depth of box, manner of tailpiece, length of scale- we design these things, people, and then we build them. And they work, most of the time, and we learn something new, and we apply it to the next one, and the next one...

No more apologies, no more qualifications, no more “well, they’re not real guitars”- I design and build guitars. We all do.

We build guitars.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 2, 2019 at 6:15am

It's apparent that Taff has spent a long time over some years building all types of guitars.

The term Master Builder comes to mind from some of the examples I've seen.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 2, 2019 at 6:12pm

Awesome builds Taff. The idea that someone as talented as you takes the time to make CBGs is totally cool.

Don't tink I didn't see that Paul Craig. You tone wooded me. Oh Ya??? Well tone wood to you too. : )

And speaking of tone. Didn't Gitty or Shane do a wood to paper cigar box bodied guitar sound comparison some time ago? With both of them sounding equally as good. Not sure what section of the forum it was in. Kinda thinking either the Cigar box Nation News or Featured article section.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 2, 2019 at 7:53pm

;)

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on July 2, 2019 at 8:12pm

Hey thanks for the nice comments guy,s. It's taken a while. But it has always been a back runner to family, motorcycles, instrument repairs and "going bush". It's been a lifelong hobby.

Now im retired I devote more time to the serious side of guitar building, after, family, instrument repairs and motorcycles. Cbg's come when I can fit them in, or I need a break. Looks like the order has changed.

Tone wood, don't get me started.......I'll be back. As the man said.

Taff