Hi, mates!

Up here you find my shovel guitar plan. It's in Italian, 'cause I think there are some Italians who would like to build one, but can't understand english language plans very well... Enjoy!

Ciao!

Qui sopra trovate il mio progetto di costruzione di una shovel guitar. E' in italiano, così tutti coloro che volessero costruirsela, ma non sono molto abili con l'inglese, hanno una risorsa in italiano... Spero possa essere utile. Buon divertimento!

Walt

Note:  A big grazie you to Walt for writing and posting these plans!  We've edited his original post to include the top photo and the pdf download button.  

Ciao!

Shane Speal

..genuine road-hardened delta blues outlaws. ..southern soul meets blues funk: 

...BIOGRAPHY

...the times and travels of an american blues band.

 

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

"Billy Jones brings back the Thrill. No one who I can think of has taken a truly contemporary look at traditional blues with the musical and lyrical intensity of Billy Jones. A refreshing blast of the really great sound of Healing Blues, Jazz, Funk Music. Loaded with Rich Blues Tradition. B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Even Johnny Winter Flavors. I'd recommend 'Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1' to any avid blues listener and I look forward to hearing more from the reclusive Billy Jones. This guy is the real deal and this is a great CD!"

...here is a biographical interview of Billy Jones that was written by Dave Harrison. ..chief blues writer for BluesNdaBlood Magazine.

 

http://www.boogiesmusicreporters.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez

Dave Harrison: Born into the segregated south, he was exposed to the driving beat of the Blues when he was still an infant. In the crib, he could hear it as it permeated the walls against which he slept. This sound which spoke to him gave him an early direction in life which he has pursued to this day.

 

His early memories are of a juke joint from where he would draw inspiration; the images, and the folks he knew then are the stuff of his song. They gave him a mind-set that would drive him to perfect his craft as a guitar slinging blues man.

Billy Jones is betting that the Blues can experience a revival of interest. What is needed is a fresh infusion of imagination. And to capture a bigger share of the Black music market, what is needed is for the Blues to once again become relevant to the African American experience.

We spoke with him upon the release of his latest CD :

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS8oJyaE_hbo1hqHR0ADKq9ebhLTQ4Ytb

Billy: "I was raised from the age of six months in my grandfather's cafe and boarding house, The Cedar Street Cafe - 903 Cedar Street - North Little Rock, Arkansas. The room that we lived in was directly behind the wall of the main ballroom where the juke box was. My crib was on the other side of that wall, so as a baby I would be laying there listening to Elmore James, Big Joe Turner, Jackie Wilson, B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke and all the blues and soul greats while the cafe customers played records and partied well into the night. My bed would vibrate on the bass notes. That was my first exposure to the music. I absorbed the music as I could literally hear it in my sleep. One of the first thoughts that I remember having was that I wanted to be like B.B. King and Elmore James."

"There was this dangerous juke-joint/nightclub place down the road from my grandfather's cafe called Jim Lindsey's Place. Many of the big "chittlin' circuit" stars of the day used to perform there like Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and Bobby Blue Bland. Sometimes at night when everyone else was asleep, I would sneak out of the room and climb up high in an old chinaberry tree and watch what was going on over at Jim Lindsey's Place. I could hear the band from there and pretend that it was me onstage."

"All the pimps, players, dealers, hoe's and gangsters used to hang out there and someone was always getting shot or stabbed on a regular basis. Remember that this was the segregated south, so whenever someone would call for an ambulance for a shooting, or fight, at the club, they would send a hearse from the black owned funeral home instead of an ambulance. If the victim was still alive they would take them to a black doctor. ...If not, they would take them to the funeral home."

"Of course I thought that these were the "beautiful people" and I wanted to be just like them when I grew up. Especially the musicians, with their tight-legged, sharkskin suits and Stacy Adams shoes, their jewelry and the way they wore their hair in a process. And the women! ...the way they used to dress back then was so glamorous! And of course Bobby Blue Bland's Cadillac. ...No medical school for me dad... I'm gonna be a blues star."

"The house band for Jim Lindsey's Place lived in an upstairs room over the club, and during the day I would go over there and try to hang out around them. They could tell that I really wanted to be a guitar player."

"There was this one musician who played at the club named Red Harpo... he told me that he was Slim Harpo's brother. I believed him. Whether he was or not, one thing is true, Red could play the hell out of a guitar! ... There was an air of excitement about him. Women would fight over him. He would let me come up to his room sometimes and talk to him while he would sip "Golden Rod" wine on ice and play and sing for me and show me how to play the new hit songs of the day, while I soaked-in all the information that he was giving me about being a real musician."

"By the time I was fourteen years old, I was hanging out at 'Williams Pool Hall.' One day this older guy pulled up in a 1957 Chevy station wagon packed full of amplifiers, microphones and drums He came in. He had that same air of excitement about him that Red had. He said that he was in a band and he had a gig booked in Lonoke, Arkansas that night and that he heard me play guitar and they were looking for a guitar player. He said that his name was Hosea Leavy and that he and his younger brother Calvin Leavy would pay me $6.00 if I played with them and Willie Cobb, Little Johnny Taylor and Larry "Totsie" Davis that night. I didn't tell him that I had never played in a band before. I was fourteen years old and I was going on the road! I was trying to be cool and I agreed to go with him. But I was so excited to be going to play with a real band!"

"That was the first day that I went on the road with the Leavy Brothers Band, and the beginning of a lifetime journey into the world of the blues . I've been on the road ever since. So it was 'on the job training' for me."

Dave Harrison: Now, how old were you when you first picked up the guitar? How did you become this accomplished musician that you are today?

Billy: "It's hard for me to remember when I didn't have a guitar... it's just something that I've always wanted to do."

"Because I loved guitars so much, around age four, or five years old, my uncle Vernon had given me a little plastic toy guitar with a music-box handle that played 'Pop Goes the Weasel' when you turned it. It was instant love. I used to stand in front of the juke box with that little guitar and pretend that I was every artist whose record was playing. I was always running around holding that guitar. I don't think I ever put it down."

"I think I really started getting serious about it during the summer between the 5th and 6th grade.

I didn't play with the other children in my neighborhood that much. I hung around adult musicians and spent most of my time learning songs from records and trying to sound like the guys on the recordings. Sometimes I would hang out with the winos and perform for them. Some of my family thought I was weird. But music is both my occupation and my recreation. And I spent almost every waking moment playing it and studying and imitating the artists that I idolized. ...I guess that I was kinda weird."

Dave Harrison: How did you start to playing gigs traveling from military installation to installation entertaining military members and their dependents? Were you in fact in the military at the time?

Billy: "No. I was not in the military. I've always regretted that I didn't join the Air Force. I think that I would have liked it. This was during my twenties, after I had started my own band and was playing a lot of Rick James, Cameo, Funkadelic, Stanley Clarke, Hendrix, Bar-Kays, Commodores, Gap, Zapp, and that kinda thing. At that time I was being booked by this big-shot "Clive Davis" type guy named Gene Williams, who was really hooked-up with the Grand Ol' Opry and the Nashville scene and was managing Ferlin Husky, Claude King and Donna Douglas, who played the part of Elly Mae on the television show The Beverly Hillbillies."

"Since he couldn't book a black band in the Country Music Capitol of the World, he started booking me into NCO and Officer's clubs on Naval Stations, Air Force Bases, Army Posts and military installations all over the United States. I lived the military lifestyle without actually being in the military. GI women are great!"

"I learned a lot and made a lot of friends... to this day I have the highest respect for military personnel. They are great people. They work hard and they play hard... and they love hard."

Dave Harrison: Where did this traveling take you?

Billy: "To over 42 states... countless times.  ...and to Europe sometimes  ...and to many clubs and shows that were booked off-base when we were in whatever city. I did that for ten years. I loved it!"

Dave Harrison: How did you come to refer to your music as "Bluez"? Is this to differentiate your music from the music created by the record industry?

Billy: "Yes, it is...I have studied many types of music, including jazz, country, rock, funk, R&B, punk, new wave or whatever, and I wanted to incorporate some of the elements from all of these styles into my original music."

Dave Harrison: How long have you worked to infuse an urban element into your music? How has it been received by your audience?

Billy: "I never intentionally set out to "urbanize" my music. I just wanted to learn everything that I could about my craft and how to please the audience that was in front of me that day. It was just natural evolution. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive from the general public."

Dave Harrison: Presently a number of Black artists are working to merge Blues music with Hip-hop. This would include artists such as Billy Branch, Russ Greene, Chris Thomas-King, among others. In fact, R L Burnside even did his take on this cross-infusion of the Blues, which was met with mixed reviews. Do you see your music going in this direction?

Billy: "What these artists understand... and the reviewers and "experts" probably don't, is this:

Hip-Hop has evolved from blues and is very much a part of it.... Hip-Hop is the blues of today.

If you analyze the greatest hip-hop songs of all time, like "The Message" by Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five, or "How Do You Want It?" by Tu Pac Shakur ...(which is based on the bass hook from "Body Heat" by Quincy Jones), ...it's easy to hear that these songs are pure blues with African/Jamaican bass lines and drum beats. Of course, the stories that these songs tell are undeniable blues themes that reach deep into the heart of the African American experience. I love a little gangsta in my blues every now and then."

Dave Harrison: Do you agree with the assertion that the white artist has been more closely bound by tradition, whereas the Black artist has always been more progressive in their approach to the music, looking for the "next big thing"? This, perhaps, can be seen more in Jazz than in Blues.

Are these attempts at cross-infusion done more for the music, or is it being done for the rewards that the urban artist seems to be enjoying, the "bling"?

Billy: "Definitely for the music. I don't think that it has very much to do with the "bling".... little if anything. ...Of course any artist wants to be well compensated for their work... I certainly do."

 

"But the battle between the blues purist and the blues artist has gone on long before now. The artist wants to be artistic and create and innovate.... the purist doesn't want anything to change. No new instruments, no synthesizers, no drum machines, no new nothing. If Muddy didn't do it... it's wrong."

"But when Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters switched from acoustic to electric guitar the purists said that they were ruining the art-form. Look at all the great classics that were created because they ignored the so called experts."

"What the artist is trying to do is stretch the boundaries of the music and infuse elements that will appeal to a contemporary audience and to bring something new and relevant to the table."

"However, if these experts want to tell the artist what the song should sound like before it is written, there probably won't be much "bling" forthcoming. They won't sell many to people who buy cd's today. If an artist can reach the public and they love the music, then the bling will be just a pleasant side-effect."

"In order to compete effectively in the music business you have to stay on top of current events. That means that you have to have an understanding of contemporary musical styles and trends."

"I remember reading in a biography of Elvis that no matter where he was he was always listening to the radio in order to monitor musical trends and to hear what his competitors were doing. And he was Elvis!"

"Music is about constantly learning. ...and I want my music to appeal to a mass audience."

Dave Harrison: Is this image (the rewards) a creation of the "corporate entertainment business"?

Billy: "No, it is not... it's a creation of the hip-hop industry and the age of music video. It is an expression of what the young audiences wants to see. What they want to be."

Dave Harrison: Do you feel that the urbanization of Blues music is an effective way of reaching a younger market? To what market are you ultimately hoping to appeal?

Billy: "Definitely... it's the only way to reach the younger market."

"I want my music to appeal to everyone. That's what seems to be happening. The stories that I tell on this cd are true and universal. People across all genres are embracing the music."

Dave Harrison: In light of prevailing social and economic conditions that exist today, do you still feel that music can be a vehicle of change?

Billy: "I know that music can be a vehicle for change. Music is a gift from the creator who wrote the song of life. If you do it right it gets you on a level that is primal. And the right story can change the world."

 

.

                   ------------------------------------

\

...these are some of my favorite quotes:

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

"We are the masters of our own destiny. We are the makers of our own fate."

"Without Courage ...we cannot practice any other virtue consistently."

“Know thy self and you will know the secrets of the universe.”

                  --------------------------------------

"True Greats...

Are Not Those Born With

Golden Spoons In Their Mouths

But Those...

Who Through Hard Work

Turn Their Own Wooden Spoons

Into Gold."

                  --------------------------------------

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1 ..is now FOR SALE at

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

...we love ya'll. ...go buy one!!

                  ---------------------------------------

YouTube:

Check-Out our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/billyjonesbluez/videos

ReverbNation:

http://www.reverbnation.com/billyjonesbluez/songs

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/billy.j.bluez

 

billyjonesbluez@aol.com

billy jones bluez - offical fan page

· 

...biographical fact:

Billy Jones spent his teen and young adult years touring with, playing back-up guitar and being mentored by Calvin Leavy, Little Johnny Taylor and Larry 'Totsie' Davis. ...these are the original versions by the original masters that were written and recorded long before the cultural raiders and imitators came along.
All three of these great artists died penniless and unrecognized. ...and their life's works stolen to make fortunes for others.
Now ain't that the Blues?

...it is an honor to have been a musical soldier in their bands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZDuDqtPLhE

Cummins Prison Farm

Calvin Leavy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDjHWuqz0iQ

Little Johnny Taylor Part Time Love 

Texas Flood / Larry Davis

1958 original

.

                        ------------------------------------------

Links to DOWNLOAD our new cd:  

-

The Billy Jones Band: 

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

- 

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

-

Amazon .com

https://www.amazon.com/Funky-Blues-Southern-Soul-Vol/dp/B073W6G3DL/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507061343&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=music%3A+%22Funky+Blues+and+Southern+Soul%2C+Vol.+1%22+by+%22Billy+Jones%22

Apple Music - iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-billy-jones-band/id1258488154

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/1d66NaO7T8ktXHqVBoj3WX

cdbaby

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

Shazam
https://www.shazam.com/track/365389573/biggest-house-in-town

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/The_Billy_Jones_Band_Funky_Blues_Southern_Soul_Vol?id=Bk3k4qvsm5r7hbocy7r35ec3sga&hl=en

mp3Red

http://mp3red.me/37539222/funky-blues-southern-soul-vol-1-my-love-is-real.html

soundpark .world

https://soundpark.world/album/torrent-230084-the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-and-southern-soul-vol-1-2017

Baixar

http://www.ouvirmusica.net/mp3/billy-jones-bluez.html

Plixid .com

http://plixid.com/2017/07/27/the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-southern-soul-vol-1-2017-mp3/

Israbox

https://www.israbox.one/3137582200-the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-amp-southern-soul-vol-1-2017.html

Now, I am one of those people who has never build a cigar box guitar. Really!

That's because I'm living on a lonesome hill in central Portugal and I just didn't find any cigar box here. Call me a "purist" but I do not want to buy a box or any other part for that matter. Not only because of the choice once made to go and live in a place where modern gadgets haven't set foot on the ground yet, but also because all penny's made are needed to get food on the table. No, I (we) am not a misfortunate person, it's a well thought over decision to give up on microwaves, dishwashers and other modern life convenient equipment, to be able to get more into the joy of living without the daily stress of bosses, managers and dress codes. That said, it doesn't mean I live without the normal luxury of daily life appliances like fridge, freezer, washing machine, etc. but why should I have a microwave if there are no "microwave ready-made meals" available and all food comes fresh from the land. Next, to that, I actually do like to have an outside shower under the 70-year-old bucket. So what does all that have to do with building homemade instruments you might think, well....

​When I was a teenager, and believe me, that was a long time ago, all kids were dancing at the sounds of Saturday Night Fever while I was listening to Robert Johnson and Barbecue Bob. I collected old records, lived completely in another world than my schoolmates and it turned out to be not just a childhood phase. Later on in life, I organized many blues festivals, produced a radio show for over 10 years and wrote for a blues magazine in the Netherlands.
You could say it's the only thing in life that kept a constant interest. At first, you believe the romantic stories about the string up a post of the porch being used as a bass, the washboard rhythm and yes, also the cigar box guitar. In fact, it's not romantic at all, is it? It's all about dark and hard times, about being poor and looking for solutions to overcome the lack of money. People made instruments with the items that were available for free, cigar boxes, washboards, tin cans, buckets and so on. The lucky ones bought a proper instrument the minute they could afford it. Which brings me to the way I build my instruments, finally...

No, I can't compare myself with others, not with the ones that made instruments out of poverty, not with the luthiers in history that made beautiful works of art without the modern tools we have nowadays. I am this lucky guy with a 300-year-old workshop (which I rebuild from a ruin, but that's another story), living in a time where people throw so much good stuff away that it isn't hard to find the materials to build whatever you like to, I didn't find a cigar box yet though. A box is a box though and I like to recycle them into stringed instruments, that's why I call them RBG's (recycled box guitars).

Any box will do if it's not too small or too big. It's just that people throw away so many things that are usable in the process of making an instrument. At the moment there are 2 washing dryers, 2 dishwashers, a satellite dish and an old street light underneath the carport next to the workshop. The shop is nicely filled with all kinds of wood, donated by a local builder who saves up all usable pieces when he restores houses and calls me once a year to collect. I do make furniture, lamps and other items, rebuild or restore old Portuguese furniture (for a living), but I don't do new doors, windows or other structural builds and therefore I am no competition, that's why the builder doesn't mind giving me the wood.

My goal is to buy as few things as possible. Not in a "purist" way, I will use old guitar parts (or new ones if I find them on a flea market or car boot sale) if they are available, but when not, then it's a nice challenge to make parts. I mostly make my own (Fado guitar style) tuners and frets. I guess I'm the one who started using little cigarillo boxes to hide the tuners and a few other "first time" features like a "wind ashtray" to make an "open or closed" soundhole. Most o my builds find a way to someone who actually has the talent to play. Next, to Coffee, it's an addiction that seems to be untreatable! 

I went all in, buying almost 400 lbs. of defective guitar necks to turn into coat racks.  Selling them at $30 each at fall festivals in September and October.  I can officially say I'm getting tired of making coat racks out of guitar necks, but they sure look cool and I'm excited to see how many I can sell.  I love having something in my booth that you don't have to be a musician to appreciate.  Just a music lover.  Give me a holler if this looks like something you would want hanging on your wall.  I do my online sales through Reverb so customers can use whatever form of payment they want to.   These are great for cables in the music room, too.  I'm thinking about actually securing guitar wall hangers to the necks for an ultra-cool way to display guitars.

Guitar neck coat racks

Les deux dernières CBG sorties tout juste de l'atelier.
Une 3 cordes équipée d'un micro 3 plots "Rola" de ma fabrication. La table est bombée et sculptée façon années 30.
Une 4 cordes équipée d'un micro Humbucker, la table est plate et sculptée façon années 30 également. Cette CBG est frettless.

Three brand new lessons for playing the Blues, tasteful slide guitar & getting the best tones from your cigar box guitars.

NEW TODAY:  Quick Blues Lick of the Week:  The T-Shape Riff   A seriously badass slide-blues riff that uses shapes to explain it...not chords or music theory!  Another great way to kickstart your collection of blues riffs.

Tasteful Hammer-On Techniques:  This is a simple playing style that will develop your rhythmic playing. I use this all the time in concert in various ways. Here's the foundations of the style, broken down in one easy video.

THE BEST ACOUSTIC PICKUP for cigar box guitar...and the simple method of installing it:    I've played every sort of piezo-equipped cigar box guitar over the last two decades and this setup beats them all.  It's what I use in my new line of guitars...and I'll never go back! 

Not sure how this forum works, but this will be my build sequence of building my entry.

Great! Two weeks into the contest and I decide to give it a try. Played around with some door skins thinking to build out of it, finally decided to use some parts where I took a wrong turn on and doubt I would build from them but can't seem to toss them out. Some baked maple sides and a neck glued up from sugar pine I salvaged from a pallet.

I am using Baltic Birch plywood for the top and back.

Routed out a soundwell out of some plywood. Might have got a little carried away with the clamps.

After designing a few CBGs and lap diddley bows that my husband brought to life with power tools, I made my first solo creation this week, and I'm smitten with my guitar style diddley bow. 

While I've made 2 lap diddley bows and 4 CBGs with 3 strings with my husband on the power tools and me on design, this is the first one I've made on my own and first one with a round neck. The pickup is a piezo disc pickup pre-wired to a jack from cbgitty.com. I used 1/8" pop rivets for string ferrules, a Ping tuner, 1" pine dowel, a craft box (I know some purists may be annoyed by that), a slotted screw for the nut, a lamp nipple for the bridge, and tarp grommets for the sound hole covers. I sawed the dowel with a hand saw for creating flats for the tuner, then I used a drill with regular bits and Forstner bits for all the rest. 

I've been a hobby guitarist for 16 years, but I'm totally new to slide guitar. This is so fun! I love the simplicity, and there is something amazing about playing music on an instrument you made yourself.

This video is a demo of a diddley bow (1 string cigar box guitar or CBG) I made on 12/30/15. https://youtu.be/vNHkUX8UAJI ;

I had to turn off the Christmas tree lights while using the Mustang amp because they were causing some electromagnetic interference and creating an annoying hum on the amp. Most of the music I played I learned from Juston Johnson tutorials. The long song I played was based on a tune by Elmore James.

OK now it's going to be more fun :)

This box has been waiting for me to get a little bit of experience, lurking on top of my cupboard. It's aimed as a gift for my daughter so my usual 'oh that will do' attitude will not cut the mustard, so to speak!!

Short trip out the house to get some oak for the neck and fantastic I find some that will do nicely :) unfortunately it came in 4m length! I don't drive and I just couldn't see myself having a conversation with the bus driver saying "honest mate, it will fit lengthwise down the bus, I just need you to open the emergency window at the back because I can't bend it round the door"

So out with a block saw and there's me sitting on the side of the road hacking away.. 2 x 2m.. Done. Now I can walk with it without having many laural and hardy moments.

Next a trip into Glasgow to visit a professional luthier for some fret wire and a bit of advice.. Very very helpful and cool guy, it turns out he is planning some CBG one day classes (but it's a bit out of my price range). The guitar work shop, Glasgow, Scotland. Check out his shop pictures. I walked in and just wanted to run riot in the place. It was CBG heaven.. 

Well anyway.. I can't wait to get stuck right into day 2 .. Neck construction. This will be my first neck build so wish me luck.

Cigar Box Guitars Have Soul - The look and sound of every CBG is unique and as different as the people playing them. So what may work great for me may not be the best fit for you. 
Here are some basics that may be helpful in finding your perfect CBG. 

Scale Size Matters - I have seen 5 year old children playing huge classical guitars like pros. So it is possible to adjust to the size and fret spacing of any guitar, but why should you? As a person with smaller hands I have always struggled with standard 6 string guitars. The frets are far apart and I have a hard time reaching. The scale of a guitar is the distance between the nut up by the head or tuners and the bridge usually located on top of the box that the strings go over or attach to. The longer the scale the further apart the frets are from each other. Many people have tried to play guitars in the past only to get frustrated because of the difficulty in reaching the right spots on the fret board.  
On a typical store bought guitar this scale length is usually between 24 3/4 to 25 1/2 or somewhere in-between. This is kind of a standard developed by Gibson, Martin and Fender and is ok for most folks with normal to large hands. But what about a youth player, lady or someone with smaller hands. Or those who play mandolin or ukulele? 
A shorter scale is one of the advantages that can be realized when purchasing a custom built instrument and can be the difference between struggling and easy to play. Even those big giant dudes that ride big motorcycles or big mud trucks will notice how easy a shorter scale can be to play. 
A shorter scale may be for you, so consider the scale when buying a CBG. I have found a 20" to 22" scale to be just perfect for most small hands players. 

Frets or No Frets? - CBG's can be purchased with or without frets. Frets are the narrow metal pieces on the neck that your fingers push your strings down on. 
Most common store bought guitars have frets but you don't have to have them to be able to get the individual notes you want out of the strings. Take the violin and chello for instance, these are examples of fret-less stringed instruments. 
There are advantages and disadvantages to both that can be considered and this topic alone can bring up much debate depending on who you ask. However there has always been something of a general rule regarding fretted or fretless. If you want to play primarily individual notes as in the lead of a song go with frets. If you want to use a slide go fretless. In my humble opinion, if the neck of a CBG is built well you can do both with either. So there is no right or wrong answer here. If you are used to frets buy a CBG with frets. If you have no preference, fretless may be a good option for your first CBG because they are usually less expensive. Typically the luthier has less time in the assembly of a fretless instrument. A good fret job takes some time and must be done right.

Action or String Height - The action of a guitar refers to the distance between the bottom of the strings and the frets or neck. A stringed instruments action or string height determines how much downward pressure must be applied to the strings in order to make solid contact with the fret or fret board. Like the decision for frets or fretless there are players that like both. Here are a couple of considerations regarding whether a low or high action may be best for you. 
If you have strong calloused fingers the action will not be as critical for you. If you are a new player, you can look forward to developing those much needed finger muscles and callouses and, you would want the action to be as low as possible starting out. Typically a guitar set up for slide play tends to be just a bit higher and this is normally what you see with fretless instruments. I have always been one to try and get the action as low as possible. The straightness of the neck and the fret job determines how low you can get the action on any guitar. If the action gets to low the strings can rattle on the frets. This is called fret buzz and its not a good thing. Fret buzz can also happen if the neck has a bend or twist, or if the frets are not correct. If you desire a low action you may want to look closely at the construction of the guitars neck. Hardwoods or necks made of 2 pieces (neck & fretboard) glued together are usually stronger and straighter possibly allowing for a lower action setting.

How Many Strings ? - Cigar box guitars are available with any number of strings from only one to six or even more. 
Certainly there are no rules, however the most common are the 3 and 4 string CBG's.
If you currently play a 6 string you may consider the 4 string. It may also be a good choice for the mandolin or ukulele player as well because it can be tuned and played the same. Both 3 and 4 string CBG's are well represented on YouTube with help-full teaching videos and this is a great resource. 
With exception to the above folks, I would recommend the 3 string to everyone because of the great sound you can achieve and the way it can be tuned making it easy to learn. There are many different ways to tune a guitar. The most common tuning for CBG's is open chord tuning.  Strumming all 3 strings makes a chord without pushing any down or in the open position. Depending on the size of the strings you can tune it to any chord you like, allowing you to play in different keys. 
3 strings will allow you to combine 3 separate notes to make a chord. The more notes you include in a chord the better it will sound. While many chords really need more than 3 notes, you can learn tricks to cheat just enough with 3 strings to make it work. So a 3 string is an all-around great choice.

Well there you have it! It’s all just my opinion and what I try to convey to the folks who have chosen to play one of the CBG’s I built. Hope it helps. 

Hi,

I just found cigar box nation. I sure would like to get one of their kits and make a simple one with a pickup on it. Have you heard of 'Sea Sick Steve'? He is great, check him out!

I want to share this resonator played song I wrote.

I hope you enjoy my song, slide playing resonator style as much as I enjoyed making the video.

Best wishes from Rick Washbrook

Rick Washbrook ' Whisky Drinkin' Woman ' Original ' 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ZeXvGQQsc

I just found cigar box nation. I sure would like to get one of their kits and make a simple one with a pickup on it.

This is an awesome site and so much information. Have you heard of 'Sea Sick Steve'? He is great, check him out!

I want to share this resonator played song I wrote.

I hope you enjoy my song, slide playing style as much as I enjoyed making the video.

Best wishes from Rick Washbrook

Rick Washbrook ' Whisky Drinkin' Woman ' Original ' 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ZeXvGQQsc

                            So, 6 months after my first European Tour I thought it was time to go do it again,only smarter.The first smart thing I did was cut the time on the road in half.Instead of 16 days away it'd be 8.I figured I could earn around the same without missing the family too much and getting knackered.Second smart thing I did was plan in a few rest days.These adjustments made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the tour and as I've intimated the financial implications proved negligible.

The first gig is in Bristol,England,a favourite city of mine to play.The Mother Beef are playing and want me to support.Always happy to join the Bristol boys I set off north for the first 80 miles of a 1550 mile journey.We soundcheck and all goes smoothly.Downstairs is a solo punk guitarist called Rita Lynch, so I go and check her out.She looks my age yet has retained a fabulous. blonde, slim, glamourous rock chick image.Her set is enjoyable and when I watch the crowd watching her I'm reminded of why I like Bristolians-eager,open minded and ready to party.Later on,she buys me a drink and we swap cd's.

     (Rita Lynch)

                                                                                  I get the call,go back upstairs and hit the stage-all goes well enough though the trouble free soundcheck proves a little misleading, as weird booms seem to be emerging from somewhere or other.I plough on regardless, sell a few cd's then watch The Mother Beef do their thing.

       At something o'clock I bid farewell and drive west towards London.My plan is to drive until about 2am then pull into a service station to sleep.I pull down the bed and settle in for a nice kip in The Bellybus.I wake rested at 8am and see a sign I hadn't noticed in the dark-two hours parking are free, its £10 a night or a £90 penalty fee-this is bloody typical of England.On the continent you can pull in and sleep or rest to your hearts content-not in UKPLC-where every opportunity is taken to squeeze every last penny out of joe public.I jump bleary eyed into the drivers seat and scarper.I pull into the next service area and cook up some breakfast in my bus in rather less hurried fashion.(If you are entertaining the notion I got away think again-I just paid a £50 fine this morning).Thank you England, you sclerotic old witch.

                I take the M25 round London and on into Folkestone towards the Eurotunnel.I pull into a shopping area and cook a meal.A mum is watching her two kids ride their bicycles in the deserted carpark.Eventually its time to board the Eurotunnel.I drive onto the train and 30 minutes later emerge in France.I pass roadsigns showing the names of towns and cities I've played before..Kortrijk,Brussels,Ieper,Lebbeke,and so on.My next stop is an area familiar to me-Roeselare in Belgium, where I will be entertaining The Outlaws MC West side chapter party.I arrive on time and Francky shows me around the Clubhouse.Its a mighty fine clubhouse it must be said.Outlaws from England,Germany,Belgium and many other countries arrive on their Harleys and mill around.There are Outlaws guarding the entrance-a necessary precaution-two of the Outlaws were shot to death in a white van recently and three of them attending this party carry bullet wounds from run ins with the Hells Angels.I wonder if there's another drive by whether the guy on the stage gets spared-somehow I doubt it.

        After a lovely veggie meal I do my thing-it proves to be hard work-its kinda difficult singing your heart out to peoples' backs..but I realise after a while The Outlaws are not here because it's a Hollowbelly gig-they're here to meet and chat-they haven't seen each other since last year and naturally they've a lot to catch up on.The guy providing the music is secondary and thats fair enough.Certainly Francky looks unperturbed-he's having a great time.I set my ego aside,dig deep and deliver my show.

        I retire to The Bellybus.I have a comfortable nights sleep,which is remarkable given that The Outlaws like to party all night long ( til 10 am the next day to be precise). Francky and his rather lovely wife take me back to their pad where I shower and eat a nice breakfast.I pass on some bands he might be interested in booking-Left Lane Cruiser being one of them.

                     I set off for Lous bar in Leige-150 miles east-a nice distance.I plan my tours so they make logistical,geographical sense because diesel costs will of course eat into your profits.All is well until I get to Leige,where I find a festival is on- cops have set up road blocks-I hit the sat nav to 'avoid road blocks' but every effort it makes to find me an alternate route meets with yet another road block.I give up,jump out the bus and phone Lou.His English is limited and in desperation I thrust my mobile into a cops hand and get her to talk to him and tell him where I am! Eventually I am rescued,and we both jump in the Bellybus and make it to his bar.

                             Lou's bar has a great reputation amongst touring musicians as a super enjoyable venue to play.It doesn't disappoint.It is small and lo fi- the tiny stage is made up of used wooden pallets with a carpet thrown on the top.No pa.The punters are here for the rum and the music and they know what they're getting.I drink white rum and my late afternoon sets go down a storm.I eat some great pasta made by an Italian bloke.Then its dark rum and coffee.A black dude from Chicago gets up and sings the blues whilst I grin,drink rum,whoop encouragement and generally lap it up.Unusually, the bar closes early-this is done to avoid drunken idiots later on apparently.Its great for me cos I can leave the bus parked up,drink then walk over to my hotel for a relatively early night.

           The hotel turns out to be a sort of hip,internet savvy hostel.I go to my room (which uncannily is room 101-again!) to discover there are 2 bunk beds! I have no idea I'll be the only one in there all night-I choose a top bunk cos I'm already carrying quite a bit of cash and I dont wanna get ripped off in the middle of the night. The walls are unrendered breezeblock,the ceiling bare concrete-I guess its supposed to look minimalist, but juxtaposed with the bunks,the effect is rather like staying in a nuclear fallout shelter. Being slightly drunk I fall off the bottom step when going to the loo and mash up my toe-oh well.I decide to pull on a clean sock and not look at it for a day or two-lol.Anyway, my early night plans are sabotaged when I hear an explosion outside, followed by more-its a minute or two before I realise it's fireworks.

                          I wake with a mildly throbbing toe,brush me teeth and check out.I have time to walk around Liege.I sit by the banks of the river and watch the heavily laden boats go by.It occurs to me that this is the way to earn your living.I feel good.I feel confident being onstage.It feels natural.I'm making good money so I can take it back for my family.

               Eventually the bar reopens and I load out.Next country is Holland.I head north towards Amsterdam,stopping off en route to feed the bus with oil and screenwash,and me with rice and coffee.I reach OT301 and load in smoothly enough.

                                            Its great to see Dawn and Joe again and I decide to stay an extra day in Amsterdam after tonight's show.Its a Monday night but my seemingly realistic expectations of a quiet night are not to be fulfilled-this is the first of several shows where people who have seen me before in March have returned to see me play.I can't believe the crowd that shows up-theres only me playing,its Monday,surely there's been some mistake..I play my set and we all have a great time..I begin to understand that they are coming back to see the show and that that's a good sign for my future.I come offstage and Its more cd selling/signing and t shirts too.

Mark of Cain live @ OT301 Amsterdam-ee my page for the video

             We catch a cab to Dawn and Joes flat, and Dawn wants to learn CBG-after a quick lesson,she treats me to a drunken rendition of Long Road "ooooooooooh baby'sha long long road"  heh heh its great.Eventually I sleep in the spare room amid Joes records and guitars.

               The next day we enjoy Amsterdam,eat a nice meal out,stroll in the park, that kinda thing.I am in much better spirits than the last time I was here thats for sure, for reasons you may recall.I eventually depart for Germany the next day.I have forgotten my drum mat during load out but it aint worth turning around for a grotty bit of carpet.I reach Bremen a little later than planned due to traffic.Its great to see Andreas and Daniela again (last time was Muddy Roots Festival,Belgium) and I join them for some lovely pumpkin soup.By now its Thursday and I have time for a quick tour around Bremen with Andreas as my tour guide.Its fab to have time to actually see the city and its these time outs that have made all the difference on this tour.

           (My German contact and good friend Andee aka Tourette Van Thom  and me-Bremen sept 2012)        

           In the evening we load in-I'm playing onboard a boat-the Betonschiff Treue.Yet again a good sized crowd turn up-theres a few Hollowbelly t shirts in the crowd.Once again,the people who saw me play in March have turned out.Dani tells me later people were singing along to the songs.The show goes great.As usual when in Germany I leave Andee to sell my shit-when I eventually go across to the merch table I wonder where the hell it's gone he's sold so much its untrue.Excellent.I meet a dude from Bear Family Records and I'm also offered the opportunity to record my album in Hamburg.I'll be flying out for a week in November to do just that.

         (Yeah Yeah Yeah Studios,Hamburg,Germany-my home for the week beginning 3rd November 2012)

           So the next day I set the dials on the Bellybus to 'south'.I feel sad leaving Andee and Daniela and the feeling doesn't wear off until I reach the autobahn later on.

             Next stop Dusseldorf.I haven't played this city before-the gigs are being organised by Patrice (Slydog on cigarbox nation) at his art/tattoo gallery and I am unsure what to expect.I needn't have worried.Patrice is a class act.His art gallery is cool and I set up ready for tonight's gig.The gig is intimate-it really encourages the storytelling aspect of my show-the crowd and I have a great time-somebody tells me he's travelled three hours to get to the show and it was well worth it-I tell him its much appreciated.

 (photo credit:Christoph Heuer.)

                                        Next morning I awake on a sofa amid lovely artifacts and feel confident about the final show tonight.I feel like I've got a cold coming on but I know I'll be fine.The gallery becomes packed and I set about giving it my all, as I can afford to go a little extra crazy given its the last night.It gets recorded and I may very well release it, as it does capture what the live show is like.It's lovely to see some old friends in the audience-

and after the show we head behind the scenes for a private party-the food is totally vegetarian and delicious..I contemplate staying the night, but decide to load out late and do a 100 miles or so that night, thus making the final homeward leg of the journey a little shorter.

                  So it is I find myself driving into a Belgian truck stop at 2 am.I try to sleep but can't stop coughing when I lie down-it's so bad I nearly puke.It's autumnal and cold.I cough up phlegm and blood.I pull on my woolly hat and curl up in a ball under my duvet.I should be pissed off but,after a successful tour, my spirits utterly refuse to be dampened.I'll be fine.I eventually drift off around 5am and wake around 8.I piss in a bottle,(I'm a classy guy).fire up the bus and drive on to Calais and board the Eurotunnel train.

                   I reach England but my excitement at being nearer to home and my girls is sabotaged by the weather-last time by fog, this time by extreme,driving rain.I nearly aquaplane twice before I see sense and slow down.Someone is going to crash the conditions are so bad and sure enough the traffic slows as we reach two freshly mashed up cars being attended to by the cops and ambulance dudes.Its square wheels,so I stick one of the cd's Joe has given me on-Little Richard-damn! I'd forgotten how wild he sounds-I sit there in the traffic screaming "Luciiiiiiiiillle!!!" and dancing in the drivers seat like a man possessed-lmao! I eventually reach home-the kids don't hear me come in-Maisy turns round, sees her dad and her little face crumples-she runs into my arms and won't let go.Suits me.My 14 year old walks up and holds me too- we both look down at Maisy but all we can see is the top of her head as she's squashed between us.The embrace lasts a good while.Maggie is in the bath and later on she welcomes me home too, but that, dear reader, is a story decorum forbids me to share ;)

            Cheers, HB.

Hi All

Here are the tabs for my latest lesson 'Bluegrass Cigar Box Guitar'. Will be posting up more videos on this topic. Watch this space....

 Download tab here: Bluegrass%20Cigar%20Box%20Guitar%20Lesson%20%E2%80%93%20Joe%20Cribb.pdf

 My cigar box guitar lessons playlist is HERE

 If you enjoy my lessons please take a look at my latest releases and music here: http://joecribb.bandcamp.com 

Facebook -Twitter - Youtube - Bandcamp - Reverbnation - Cigarboxnation    

Keep on keepin' on

Joe Cribb :)

Thanks to everyone who came by our booth at the Rockbrook Village Craft Show on Saturday and the Aksarben Village Farmers Market on Sunday! A great turnout both days. And the weather was perfect was it not? I appreciate the folks who saw the uniqueness of these instruments and made the purchase. I hope you enjoy these instruments whether they hang on a wall, sit on a shelf or get played wherever you take it. Keep looking for us at Aksarben Village Farmers Market and the Old Market Farmers Market both in Omaha, Nebraska. Please contact me anytime via e-mail if you have any questions or would like to see one of the guitars or amps.

Thought i would put up some tabs for my lesson video 'The Claw Grip' part 3. Hope they help. You can download them using the link below

The%20Claw%20Grip%20Part%203%20%E2%80%93%20Joe%20Cribb%20%E2%80%93%20Cigar%20Box%20Guitar%20Lesson.pdf

You can find all my lessons on my youtube channel or my cigar box guitar lessons playlist

Have fun...see you soon

Keep on keepin' on :)

Have now set up a bandcamp page to sell my tunes @

www.joecribb.bandcamp.com

As promised here are the tabs to go along with my latest lesson video download them here:

Tabs%20for%20Bluegrass%20Cigar%20Box%20Guitar%20Part2%20%E2%80%93%20Joe%20Cribb.pdf

My youtube lesson playlist - HERE

If you enjoy my lessons please show your support by downloading my latest release 'I Don't Care (for you no more)'

a foot stomping, hard hitting little number!!