The Shane Speal Newsletter:  Shane films new documentary on the World's Loudest Acoustic Concert + TOUR DATES for the next three weeks

I love the creativity and inginuity of the folks that call this place home.  The first cbg's  seem to have been made out of the only available materials.  I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a minimalist build challenge.  Rules and such outta be determined by greater minds than me. Just a thought from a rookie. 

This is a simple kit I´m perfecting with a friend so we can do workshops with kids so they can personalize and assemble a…

Love for our crazed fans, upcoming shows + the newest cigar box guitars for this week!

Snake Oil fan, Kurt B. snapped this photo Tuesday night as Shane Speal's Snake Oil Band performed our first show…

A thesis statement is usually explained in one sentence and appears at the end of the introductory paragraph. It must limit your subject in a single idea and emphasize something significant and specific about your topic. A thesis statement should not be a general statement of the fact; it must be incredibly focused. An effective thesis statement is specifically describing the topic you have addressed, and explain your goal…

The Cigar Box Nation Newsletter for Oct. 17, 2014.  More great featured instruments, some woodshop secrets and other stuff from the Cigar Box…

I lost my bridge, I then spied the Lego box under my desk that has amused children of all ages for years.  Why not I thought so there it was right on top.

This one was a gift for a violist.  I 'finished' at 9 PM and it was gifted at 9 AM the next day.

The sound hole is a  "f" hole, the tail suggest the bridge from a string section instrument, the headstock…

Check out The Art of Manliness website this week and see the building of The Art of Manliness Cigar Box Guitar.  Check it out here: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/10/13/how-to-make-a-cigar-box-guitar/

Should i seal the fret board before fretting?

Warning!

This, my first box purchase:

Leads to this.  My first guitar build 'round about January 2011.

Leads to this:…

The following song is in ABC music format and it should be cut-and-pasted into an ABC converter program like the "abcConverter" on Mandolintab.net. Once you submit your ABC file, the converter will produce a quick and dirty image of your musical score which is then displayed on screen. Above the music, in the center of the screen, you should…

Dear team

After many failed attemps at fretting I am planning to try again and after some help.

1) What is the best fret wire to use?

2) What's the best scale length to use?

3) What is any string height compensation required against scale length?

4) Could I be using incorrect strings and will that make a huge difference?

What is the trick to making these work and play well?

Your…

Featured Instrument: The Goat Skull Guitar by Tate…

Shane Speal News for Oct 1, 2014:  The season of awesome creativity + a Kickstarter campaign you should really check out.

Here are some tips that I do

1) Pick a song and learn it, doesn't need to be difficult

2) Personalise it by slight changes or the way you do the melody

3) Negative space is just as important as positive space, stops, rhythms, breaks etc....ie not one big thrash of mush

4) Pace the song speed matters, generally faster drives the song slower gives more moody feel

5) Now play it slightly more relaxed than you usually do, but put real feeling into your…

This may be old news to some of you, but I was told something by a Cigar shop owner that surprised me.  His shop almost always has 50 -100 empty boxes available but most are on the small size. A little small for a CBG but ok for amp, speaker, etc. I picked out 3 boxes and commented on not seeing some of the big names in the pile. He told me the companies with the nicer, larger boxes were buying them back from the stores or giving the store credit for them.  I can see this having quite an…

This guitar has a plywood neck, IPE fretboard, oak headstock and bridge.

Finished it with shellac.

it has no decorative elements, but I might add some later:

And this is how it sounds (before the…