addiction (2)

I have never build a Cigar Box Guitar!

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


imgp3164_orig.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710xThat'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....


401546-2117013304692-618353596-n.jpg?1526201453&profile=RESIZE_710xWhen 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.
377159-2122585483993-250817291-n.jpg?1526201426&profile=RESIZE_710xYou 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...

9353915269?profile=originalNo, 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).

9353915868?profile=originalAny 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.

9353916677?profile=originalMy 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! 

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Confession of my Addiction!

My Names is Leadfoot and I have an addiction!

 

They say the first part of recovery is to admit you've got a problem and I have to admit that I have an addiction! Last night  after coming off stage at the Icklesham Beer Festival I had a realisation just how serious my problem has become. I'm completley hooked on playing Cigar Box Guitar Rock Blues live! Playing on a big stage and through a professional PA with Sound and Light engineers was a real buzz and rush. I loved being up on that stage and playing through a wall of amps and speakers rocking out! Pub gigs will never be the same now after gracing a big stage and event and I need another fix! Fingers was his usual calm collected self having done it all a million times before! It was a fantastic experience and I'm so looking forward to playing at the Cambridge Cigar Box Festival and the Paris Festival. I'll post a video when I recieve it!.

 

We got some amazing feed back from last nights gig / festival - people saying things like "cant believe the sound from that suitcase foot drum and junkyard guitar" "man that was a lot of sound for two guy's professing to play on junkyard instruments" "I heard you before I saw you and thought it was a full band playing and was shocked to see just two blokes playing and then realised what you where playing with!" "I've died and gone to heaven - there is life after death" "that just f*ckin rocked"!

 

Fingers is currently developing and putting together a Cigar Box Bass Guitar instructional DVD at present for any budding bassists in between his UK and USA session work. If your into bass and want to learn from one of the top session players world wide keep watching this space. Having had the pleasure and honor of playing alongside Fingers for quite awhile now I'm always amazed at the guy's talent. I've never heard him play a bum note (wish I could say the same about me) and can only describe him as the love child of Eddie Van Halen and Lemmy Killmiester. If you can make it to the Cambridge Cigar Box Festival or the Paris Festival it's worth going just to see and hear him doing his thing.

 

Now back to my confession - will I go into rehab to be weened of Cigar Box Rock Blues Live giging? Hell no - theres far worse things I could be doing lol!

 

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