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Shane Speal's Top 10 Beliefs in Homemade Music
  1. I believe the greatest honor you can give a piece of wood is to make it sing.
  2. I believe that playing an instrument made by your own hand connects you at a deeper level than anything bought at a store.
  3. I believe that sometimes crude & simple instruments play better than ones with all the bells and whistles.
  4. I believe that bells and whistles have their place on stage.
  5. I believe that musical instruments also serve as props on stage.
  6. I believe concerts should be visual as much as sonic.
  7. I believe "grit" is a guitar tone worth attaining.
  8. I believe the essence of old blues music can be found in an empty cigar box.
  9. I believe the greatest advancements in the cigar box guitar music happen when builders and players hang out over BBQ and cold beer, showing off their instruments to each other (and not when they're watching concerts). 
  10. I believe the world needs a new Alan Lomax.  

WHAT ARE YOUR BELIEFS?  POST THEM BELOW.

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WE NEED YOUR HELP CROWDFUNDING FOR SHANE SPEAL'S NEXT ALBUM:  
We're still way under our $7500 Indiegogo goal for the next album. There's only 17 days to go.  Snag a download, t-shirt or even book a private show.  Pictured above: The most popular perks in the campaign have been concert-used guitars from Shane's vault.  He just added this experimental "Five String Cheater."

Indiegogo Campaign
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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 help is greatly appreciated.

Mr Bug

 

(This is clever on an old banjo I have for just an interesting photo, note brass tube to typical 6 string tuners one not used, I kept my kids tooth to make a banjo nut from shhhh dont tell the tooth fairy)

 

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