I met Ben the president of C. B. Gitty @ the Lowe Mill CBG Festival in Huntsville....He a great guy...He "REAL" and believe in us...So! Long story short...Buy from him...Good price and service....;)
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I really hate seasonal allergies. My ears and sinus cavities are so plugged up, even with meds, saline wash and whatever else I can think of, that I can't hear the pitch of what is coming out of my vocal cords. I'm shocked at what I think sounds sort of acceptable when I'm playing along and singing, but to watch back a recorded video through headphones or larger speakers is shameful. Hopefully this will calm down soon in the Northeast.
One trick I've learned is to use my PitchLab guitar tuner on my Android tablet and phone. It has a continuous chromatic display so you can see the notes you are singing and the notes of the guitar like a strip-recorder (think like an EKG output). I pluck a note on the guitar and then sing what I think I hear. And it is almost always a full step or more off. But the more I go back and forth, the closer I get. Then I just have to memorize how each note feels rather than how it sounds. As I get better I can play and sing along knowing where the voice notes and guitar notes are on the screen. I make minor adjustments to keep in tune as I go along, constantly memorizing the feel of each lyrical phrase. Difficult and time consuming. Got to be a better way.
Maybe I'll just focus on instrumental for awhile and get someone else to sing? Or I'll do a rip of speaking blues videos. Er ,something.
A practical question comes up. When singing in key, which note of the chord do you typically put on the lyric? First, third or fifth? Is there a rule? I find myself naturally singing the third or the root note when in the key of G. My guitars are tuned 151.
Fretting seems to be one of those things about building that a lot of folks dread....I find it to be one of the best parts of building along with carving the neck; both are very rewarding upon completion. In the moment, I will sometimes wonder why I don't just take a Sharpie, mark the frets with it, raise the action, and play it with a slide. But after a good fret job, I feel great. Here's the way I do it and some things I've found to make it easier. If you have any other tips, please let me know.
I used to use a variety of scale lengths for my CBG's. I was all over the place. And that way lead to madness and frustration. I've settled in on a 23.5 (Byrdland) scale, 20 1/8, and a 17" scale. The latter two are Ukulele scales. I have yet to make a Uke but will be ready with those two options when that day comes. Because of the antique boxes I use, I prefer these smaller scales. The guitar seems to have a balanced look; rather than having a long, long stick jutting out of a tiny box. The madness part of too many scales comes from selecting (and buying) strings for the variety of lengths. String gauge needs to be matched up with scale length. I went thru a load of strings trying to get them to sound right up and down the scale. What sounds good at the top of the neck does not stay tuned as you proceed down the neck. Here's the string tension calculator I use: http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html
A great scale calculator can be found (like the above; for free) on the Stew Mac site: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html
I put frets on very early in the build. Once the neck stock is sized, I begin to layout the guitar. Measuring from the top, I measure the length needed for the headstock, locate the nut, mark the distance from nut to bridge, and then figure where the box top and bottom will be. I tend to put the bridge about 1/3 the box length up from the bottom. I read that that was a good position and gives the best resonance. I may have dreamed it to, who knows.
I'll then cut the angle for the headstock, make the cuts for the box and cut the layback angle for the box. Back on the bench, I'll begin to lay out the fret position. I use and recommend layout using millimeters. It is far more accurate and you do a lot less math: what the heck is 3.047 inches and where did you get that ruler?
I tape the mm ruler in place and begin, making only one tiny mark for the fret position using a very sharp pencil. Sharp pencils are really important. Mechanical ones work well I suppose but I love using my antique Boston pencil sharpener. Using either my homemade mitre box or the Stew Mac version (whichever is closer), I begin to cut the frets. On the stew Mac one (an older model, I have to use a couple of shims (cut and thinned to the exact same thickness) to move the neck away from the wall. The little brass blade guides will get in the way. The mitre box is designed for thin fret boards to fit under these guides, not for thick stock CBG necks. Good point though: I use fret boards every once in a while, mostly I add frets directly to the neck, and a lot of what I'm writing will apply to separate fret boards but only after gluing it to the neck stock.
Checking the marks, I cut the frets. I don't use depth gauges or stops on the Japanese backsaw (another Stew Mac investment but an important one for tight frets). I use the teeth as my guide. Saw to the depth of the teeth. If the teeth are not visible in the cut, that's deep enough.
I like to lightly sand the fret board once all the frets have been cut. With sandpaper glued to extremely flat scrap thick wood, I will sand lightly from 120 to 400 grit and top off with steel wool. This will give the fretboard an incredibly smooth feel for fingers later. It's also the last chance to prep the fretboard before adding frets. At this point you could add the frets but I taper the necks so I wait till after gluing on the headstock (angle and wings) and gluing on the brace under the box cut out for strength and stiffness. The neck taper is cut after all that.
Its a lot of back and forth in the process between the garage and the basement. My shop is in the basement and the saws are out in the garage. My basement floods every once in a while and the thought of my low mounted bandsaw motor under water just brings tears to my eyes. In case you don't know it, the bandsaw is the single best machine you will ever buy.
Now I add the frets. Clean out any dust in the groove from sanding. An old paint brush does a fine job of that. I used to re insert the fret saw and clean it out. What a waste of time that was in the past. Be sure there is support under the neck and it is held firm with clamps to you bench top. The frets tap in way tighter and eaier when the neck is firmly in contact with a solid surface, this is really important. Lay the fret wire on the leading edge of the fret and begin to tap it in as you tilt toward the far edge. Trying to hammer it in flat doesn't work well; fret grooves gets damaged or you'll dent the fret position. Let the fret wire hang over the far edge just a bit. Tap it in and trim off just the front edge. Cut off the other side later over a trash can so little tiny fret wire cutoffs don't end up on the bench top where the inevitably get pounded into the neck by accident.
Once all the frets are in and trimmed, put the neck in the vice (add wood to the jaws if you haven't already) with one side facing up.The neck should be above the jaws of the vice slightly. Use a medium to fine flat file and slowly and carefully file the fret wire even to the side of the neck. This is one of my new discoveries, may be old hat for a load of you. This works great and is very fast. Once it feels and sounds like the frets are even to the side, continue filing but begin to angle the file toward the fretboard. On my vice I can get about a 25 degree angle before hitting my knuckles on some part of it. Angle as best you can. Flip and do the other side.
I have a piece of wood that I cut a 35 degree angled groove in and added a flat file using hot glue to hold it in place. This is another tool available from Stew Mac but at some point you just have to say no and build your own tools. I love the Stew Mac but they are really expensive!! Notice they never ever have a sale!? Once both sides are filed flat and angled a bit, reposition the neck in the vice so the fret board is facing up. Now I use my angled file and finish the beveling. Finish up with a light sanding of 220 sandpaper (on the bevel not the top of the wire) and then some #1 steel wool.
That's it. Feel it. You can smooth it out further using 400 grit and finer steel wool but you know you are going to tweak it later anyway. Put the neck away and be happy with a nice job.
https://urbanbill.bandcamp.com/album/stubborn-as-a-mule
Four months in the works. It's done! My first cigar box guitar exclusive album. There were two 3 string CBGs I used in the recording. There were many cheap beers, cheap harmonicas, half broken microphones, and a 32 year old saxophone that gave it's last breath making this happen.
It may be out of tune, out of time, and out of control. All of this is true, but it is above and beyond the best ( and I mean the BEST) thing I've ever done. For all its faults (and there are many), I am proud (in every way, shape, and form) of how this came out.
Heading out of 5 days. Going to jam with music friends doing a concert in Orlando. Will catch up with everyone as I can. Be safe and play your hearts out. :) ~earth
Electric Slide 3 String Guitar made from Wooden Spoon, Dental Floss
Converted 3 string electric/acoustic resonator slide guitar spoon. Beechwood body serving spoon designed and manufactured by Kikkerland. Handwash only. String scale is 7 ¾ inches nut to saddle.
Resonator is repurposed and adapted from the end of discarded paper towel dispenser. Spring mounted inside resonator to create reverb through direct transduction is from a discarded ballpoint pen.
Strings are hand wound J&J waxed dental floss (unflavored to reduce tone decay).
Tuning pegs are drilled copper shaker box tacks. Nut and saddle carved from Corian countertop scraps. Tuning is currently G D G although it tends to go out of tune when played forcefully.
Piezo disk pickup is from CB Gitty and is encased in foam tape inside resonator. I/4 inch output jack is suported by
modified cigar box wood insert.
Demo is played through Micro Cube with a bit of reverb. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynmtcj4L35k)
Sounds nothing like a resonator guitar but is somewhat playable and has decent tone if you like that sort of thing. ;)
Any open mic nights in Boston? any comps? talk to me first! Ill even shave my luxuriant facial hair, cant have someone mistake me for a hipster... how about slummerville?
77 mass ave?... with a hat out for change? an "unofficial" show?... just let me know what time!!! I'd rather let someone else play while I butcher some improved spoken word... my singing voice makes all the neighborhood dogs howl ( like when they hear a siren). ... now that I think about it heavy metal attracts interesting fans...
Well I got a bit overwhelmed this weekend so I switched my attention to something else :) As soon as I'm done it's back to the cbg to get the Etta James song down. But T Shirt quilts work good for getting your head in the right pace.
A chair in the band. I have never played guitar with a band and haven't played with a band at all since high school. Fun at a family party last night. I ALWAYS have a guitar with me, but I didn't know there would be a band at the party and had no expectation to play other than to find a quiet space away from people and just practice a little. My father-in-law asked me to sit in with the guys. I said after a couple glasses of bourbon, maybe.
I did OK with Move It On Over.
Little screw up at the turnaround.
Next up was Honky Tonk Woman and I didn't know the chord progression so I just played slide fills. Last was Johnny B. Goode and last time I played that was in high school. . . on trombone. I had no idea where I was.
The band was great, but they didn't know any blues songs at all. Tried to get them to do Baby Please Don't Go, crowd wanted Bad To The Bone. No luck on either one. It was fun nevertheless. The highlight was a guy who came up to me after seeing the slide on my pinky and says, "Wow! You play really good for having a sprained finger!"
O.k. I am looking for some brains to pick. I'm working on this song..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9PYPvMz-Wc
And what I'm thinking is picking the riffs and sliding the chords. What do you guys think?
:)
Well, here we are in week two or three. I'm not really sure which. And I'm realizing just how many different factors are included in Blues. See, with some music you simply pick it up and play. As long as you hit every note and your timing is good you got it. There really isn't any feeling or thought involved. But with Blues it's something you feel to your toes. Everyone who has been a great in Blues history has had a horrible past. Has lived through depressions, loss, heartache. I mean I have lived through some pretty crappy stuff too but I got over it and moved on. With Blues it's kinda like taking a horrible life event (right when it happens) and taking it out of your soul and putting it in song. Then it's like once they've done that they only hurt when they sing the song. So I have got to find a way to express the same feeling or at least some feeling when I do the song. Oh and then I realized that Blues reflects ALL feelings. Hmmmm...To take an audience on an emotional trip if done right could really have an impact. So my next quest is to figure out how to do so smoothly. I'll explain that in another post. But for now I'm trying to learn how people feel and how to express, impress and deliver on songs as complicated as the Blues. I'm sure it will boil down to a 5 or 10 point system. I'll keep everyone posted on that. Other than that I'm still preparing for my first performance in front of anyone on my cbg. Oh and my first cbg videos. Always something to do :) Peace and Groovy Gigs.
I found this on PBS for free and thought someone else might enjoy it :)
Empathetic Attack Album I just released an album of my electronica music which features some of the canjos I have built on a few of the tracks. For a limited time only I am posting the entire album for free so please go to my BillyRadd Music blog and check it out.
Nice and a quiet place to play on a CBG
Just puttin' the finishin' touches on my 1st build (I went 4 string) and have one question. Using the.045,.035 & .026 what would be better for the 4th one,.017 or.013 ?Would apprecate any feedback.Thanks Mike
O.k. gang for those of you who don't know I'm somewhat of a gardener. Well, gourd planting season is almost here. I thought maybe if anyone is interested in getting a few or even one I could plant a few more this year. So If you think you maybe or are interested in getting a gourd to build some sort of noise maker let me know. Just send me a message and I'll make sure you get one. Have a great morning world. :)
Having made myself somewhat familiar with my cbg, I've moved on to exacting my ability to play. Taking on Etta James as my first blues artist to work with I have studied her past. I always find it easier to recreate the feelings behind a song when you understand the person. It is amazing how so many musicians have been through hard lives. I have always heard people tell writers to write about what they know. And all the great musicians I love have done just that. As I learn and transpose songs by Etta James I try my best to put myself in her shoes. I think about the stories I have read about her and how she must have felt when she wrote the song. Everyone has their own little person hell. It's not about what one has endured, it's about what rose to the top when the hell sank away. I hope when I'm gone some of my music remains. Anything is possible. :)
Its that time again!!! The 3rd annual Myakka River Blues Festival at Snook Haven, in Venice, Florida. Memorial day, May 26th. Great artists all day long, 2 stages, wonderful food. Cottin Pickin Blues will be on hand with the latest builds for viewing, playing and for sale. Here is a pic of the first 5 completed.
I am always amazed at how much people can have in common. I've decided to learn about and play some songs done by Etta James. Well after some checking I found her real name was Jamesetta Hawkins and was changed during her career. Which is totally cool. But mostly because my mother was a Hawkins. AND her mother had a sister named Dorthy which was Jamestta's mothers name. Isn't is cool how much people can have in common and not know it :) Maybe it's a sign. :) A sign that I'm on a good path and embarking on a fun adventure. ~Earth
