Blogs

Heya! Did my first build about 5 months ago with the very talented CBG Maker Chris Mitchell of Beechmont.
I've now been assimiliated!
I had the box for about a year and a half, just dreaming about it....
Went to visit Chris just to see if the bits and pieces I had collected would work.
He ended up spending a whole weekend with me on the build in his shed with his cool tools and lotsa cold beverages Ha ha!!!!

She a 4 string and is not finished yet but very playable. I have some gold butterflies for the sound holes and a gold plate that I want to use as a resonator. She will be very pretty then, bit scared to muck with her now.
What is most amazing is that she talks. She has like this wah wah sound and it only happens after I've been playing for about half an hour. I wonder whether any one else has that.

I'm more of a singer than a guitarist, so for the past few months I've been converting a lot of my favorite songs over to the cbg. My favourite song to sing on her atm is Ride on Josephine by George Thorogood. Oh yeh!  Gotta love George!

Duchess
aka Kylie

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Meeting with Tom McKnight this evening at the Flying Dog in Sarasota to continue filming the video that we have been working on....Both Steve Arvey and George Worthmore have been filmed playing Cottin Pickin Blues cigar box guitars.  This will hopefully turn into an incredibly comprehensive study of the origin and playing of the Cigar Box Guitar.  We will post it as soon as its completed. 

Can I get Spam instead of the beans?

Just a little more than 16 years ago my wife and I got married.  We'd been together for a few years and figured out that no one else would have us, so we might as well settle on each other.  Now, both of us are way to stubborn to quit and truly the only way out is death.

Our marriage started from the first moment to be a running stream of jokes and I'll have to take you back a bit for my first one.

I grew up in a house with two religions.  The Methodist branch of the Protestant yaddah yaddah and the NY Giants/Yankees.  We all went to church on Sunday in our small town and then again in the afternoon at home if the Giants or Yankees were on TV.  This all went on until I was about 12.  My growing lack of interest in organized religion was countered by my mother's increasing closeness with the church leading up to her becoming a Methodist minister.  Almost immediately after she became "official" she offered to perform our wedding ceremony.  And who was I to refuse?

Now onto the real meat of the matter.  During the pre-ceremony deal, my mother inquired whether we were going to exchange rings.  I knew of no other option but asked if there were any other customs we might consider.  I really don't care for jewelry and still don't wear my ring.  

Mom says "Sure.  You can exchange anything."

I verify, "Anything?"

"Yes, if you don't have rings, you may exchange something else."

She didn't know that my wife's Aunt, a goldsmith, had made custom rings.

So I say, "Anything?  Even. . .a can of Spam?"

"Well. . ."

"You said anything."

And so I offered my lovely wife a can of Spam as a symbol of our everlasting marriage.  Yep, there are pictures to prove it.  My mother didn't much care for the lighthearted jest during her solemn ceremony. . .but it was sort of her idea.  Or at least she left me an opening.

This is relevant today because my wife was doing some school shopping for our daughters and found a lunchbox she thought I should have to make into a guitar.

I discover CBG's Saturday just gone while looking for easy to play uke songs.

I can't play guitar, I can't play the uke and now I am thinking I can't play a 3 stringer!.

Anyway I decided to use a few days of my holiday to build one and what a learning curve that was.

I have never attempted anything like this before and I am real proud of myself for completing it.

It plays fines ( guitarist son played with it) all be it a little bit too tinny for my ears.

For a first build I am amazed that I got it 99% playable.

I should add that it's not strictly a CBG, it's more of a cutlery box guitar.

 It was the best I could get at such short notice!

Anyway here are few pictures......enjoy, I did.

First up is What Is It?

A normal tea time kitchen when I was a kid just not that long ago.

This was how it was 50 odd years ago in the UK when I was a kid, yes I had a black face like that after playing on pit stacks and bomb sites, can anyone see something familiar?

The Shane Speal Newsletter

Last Thursday, my apprentice, Kennedy looked at me and said, "what are we going to make today?"

I smiled a Cheshire grin for a sec and then exclaimed, "we're making a double-neck cigar box guitar just like Jimmy Page would play!" I exclaimed. 

 "Why?" he asked.

 "Why not," I said.  "We have the tools!!!"

     We have the tools.  They're the famous last words from a madman... and that madman is me.  HA! 

     I've been learning a lot in the past few years as I step out and make music a career.  Probably one of the biggest things is to make sure I don't let the business risk, paperwork, taxes, etc gang up and snuff out the goofy spirit that got me into this world of cigar box guitars in the first place. 

    I constantly remind myself to "go out and play."  Invent new things.  Write new songs.  Be creative.  (After all, that's what people are paying me to do.)  But damn, this business world can sure drag you down.  The business taxes, gig bookings, web admin stuff and messages can really bury a person.  I'm sure you know what I mean.  Nobody is immune to this stuff.  

But there we were on Thursday, building double-neck cigar box guitars.  We were matching necks, adding new design ideas and laughing up a storm because...HEY! they're double-neck freakin' cigar box guitars! 

Why did we build them?  Because they needed to be built!  Should there be any other reason?

I write all this just to tell you that I think you need to go out and play.  We all do.  What do you daydream about when nobody is looking?  What's the one thing you would love to explore?

Photography?  Pull off the side of the road on your way home from work and snap a few pics today.

Music?  Go hit an open mic and play your best three songs.  (I host one every Wednesday.  We'd love to see you there.)

Get more education?  Stop in a college office and get some pamphlets...maybe talk to somebody.  (My beautiful wife, Melissa just got her Masters in Business.  It was a lot of hard work on late nights, but she's scaled an "Everest" in her life.  I'm so proud.)

So just do it.  Take a step in that direction, even if it's small.  You only live once.  Let's have some fun on this earth, ok?

Your friend,

- Shane

Ps.  If your dream is to play a double neck cigar box guitar, I know where you can buy one!

Shane Speal & the Snake Oil Jug Band blow the roof off of Liquid Hero Brewery this Friday @7 in York PA.  Be there!:
 We return to the Liquid Hero Brewery in Downtown York PA, Friday, August 2.  It's loud cigar box guitars + electric washtub bass, washboard and harmonica.  Nobody can touch my band.  We're friggin' fierce.  Show starts at 7pm.  No cover and they pour the greatest microbrews you've ever tasted.   Directions and info are at www.LiquidHero.com

...And then Shane returns to Western PA for the Speal's Tavern Guitar-B-Cue this SATURDAY!  Get your tickets now so that you can be there to enjoy a whole day of music, food, beer, and good griends from Speal's Tavern. The Hawks, The Hornswogglers, T.K.and Geroge Black Cat Moan, The Artful Codgers, Doppler Affect, Angry Johnny Stangry, and The King of the Cigarbox Guitar - Shane Speal will be playing in music all day long. It's a Blues Fest! All day blues, all day food, all day beer. Only $15.00 a ticket advanced or $18.00 at the door. We'll have a pig roasted and plenty of other food. Call Dan at 724.433.1322 ot Dar at 724.787.8137. Ther are a limited number of tickets. The Gitarbeque will be at the Slickville Fire hall in beautiful downtown Slickville, PA. Just a few miles off Rt. 22 down Rt. 819. A celebration of 80 years in business of Speal's Tavern! Speal's Tavern wants you to join us in out celebration of 80 years of business.

Every Wednesday, 9:30pm - Shane's Open Mic at the First Capital Dispensing Co., downtown York, PA.  More info...  I'm working on some new songs that will be played this Wednesday.  They're a little more bluegrass in nature.  That's the awesome thing about my open mics: people are encouraged to show up and try new stuff!  The audience is anticipating fresh, original music.  I love it!

Coming to NYC on November 2...SHANE TAKES MANHATTAN!!!  Shane Speal will be performing at the acclaimed Metropolitan Room Jazz and Caberet Club.  Get your tickets now for the special show:  Shane Speal at the Metropolitan Room

 The Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Festival is coming on August 24th in York PA.  A full day of cigar box guitars, live music, vendors and more.  AND IT'S TOTALLY FREE!  Get more information at the Official Facebook page.  And hey, they're selling their ultra cool t-shirts online right now.  There's two styles:  "Keep Calm" (link) and "Keystone Logo" (link). Even if you can't make it, you can still look stylish!  

Just over a year ago I had the luck to see Markus James (an awesome blues player) play a few tunes on a cigar box guitar at the Vancouver Island Musicfest 2012. I have been drooling over the sound since and I have been looking into building or purchasing one (nearest ones I could find were in Vancouver BC). Well, at this years festival lo and behold, the owner of Hard Times Musical Instruments was demoing a few that he had built and in fact, he was actually building one at the festival for charity. Anyhow, I made arrangements to meet him a few days ago and lo and behold my lovely wife bought me an awesome 3 string box guitar. I have never played one except for a minute or two just checking out the sound - I absolutely love the feel and sound and I am already working at learning how to play it. I know I will never be as good as most people but I really don't  care - I just love playing it and making a bit of music and it makes me feel good. When I was a kid, I could actually read music and play the accordion but I am now a hack on the 6 string guitar and hopefully someday, a cigar box guitar musician. I have been monitoring this site for about a year and I now feel fit to join - Love the guys who take the time to post the "How to play videos" - A big Thanx for helping me learn how to play this cool piece of history. Next step is building a 4 string (or maybe another 3 string) guitar just because. Will post again soon ... Cheers

Just came home from Afghanistan and got my Cigar Box Guitar!  What a great welcome home present!  Thanks again!  Steve

it would be nice if somebody would make a poster of different f holes for cbg makers so we can stencil a certain style on !!!

Or has it been done?

Not done, but ready to play.  Sorry about the paucity of pics.

I built this one with a 20" scale length so the lower frets would be closer together, make it easier to play with my little stubby fingers.

I also built the fingerboard up higher than the face of the box so there would be room for a higher bridge and nut and still leave some space in the action.  I put a rod piezo in the back of the bridge so the extra space is handy.

It's a pretty thing but I'm not too excited with how it plays or sounds, acoustic only so far.  (I have the piezo rod in the bridge but I don't have the works wired up for it.)  It sounds kinda like a banjo.  This fancy box has a thick top and I think that's what causes that.

I put a brass bridge on it.  I'm not too excited with it.

It buzzes when I play it, especially the low D (tuned D-A-d) if I pick it very hard,  I think the brass bridge may be doing that.  I think I'll get some bone and make a bone bridge for it after I get home from my reunion with my Viet Nam combat outfit next week.

It needs a little refining anyway.  The edges of the frets are a little rough and tend to be grabby, and need some very fine filing.  And of course, like I said, I need to wire up the electric guts for it.  I haven't done any fret markers either, don't know for sure what I'm going to do about that yet.

I've started build #3, a cat food bowl reso, and picked out the box for build 4.

My friend Scott Stubblefield bought an electric CBG kit for $30. at the June St. Louis  CBG festival 2013. He did this recording directly through a Vox Mini amp plug, fed into the computer and mix using a free program. $30. 3 string CBG kit! It impressed me what one can do on a budget.

Hi there people!

I am in a new proyect in doing a 6 string 3/4 scale CBG, and I am almost done.

One single coil and a piezo for that electric and acouctic sound, but I am in a dilema.  HOW TO USE THIS SWITCH IN THIS DIAGRAM FROM TED CROCKER?

https://www.cbgitty.com/cubecart/guitar-electronics/switches/basic-3-way-guitar-pickup-toggle-switch.html

I know there is a switch in cbgitty that is the same as the one in the picture,but is golden hahahaha and all my hardware is chrome :P

Another question is: In what position while be good to put the singlecoil? https://www.cbgitty.com/cubecart/pre-wired-6-string-single-coil-pickup-harness-with-volume-and-tone-pots.html I know is prewired ;) I will just put the switch and all the other patrts :D

Ron, I've hooked up everything according to Ted Crocker's diagram.  Maybe I have wrong value pot or piezo is bad from Radio Shack.  I've wired Tele's and Strat's with no problem.  Cut the buzz on the Tele's and Strat's with foil in the body cavities.  But have problems with simple CBG.

Thanks for you response

Having trouble hooking up volume pot for piezo disk or rod.  What is the secret? certain value pot, need a cap. what?

Here's a link to my YouTube video about my first build "King of Hearts".

Cigar Box Guitar
http://youtu.be/_UK3Nl4CNAE

Big River Highway
http://youtu.be/dEPm_lDSluk

Milk Cow’s Calf Blues and Medley
http://youtu.be/Iq6tJnl7sGg

Cigar Box Guitar – Waitin For the Bus
http://youtu.be/hJyE5v8r4IQ

Cigar Box Rag

http://youtu.be/VO5Nfbzo6mE

Wandering in a vast forest late at night with only a faint candle to light my way, a stranger appears and says, "Why haven't you been building cigar box guitars?" 

Well, all my answers are lame, so I'll just say that I'm building again and that I'm making some changes and hopefully will have some photos to post very soon.  I'm doing my very first 3 string on a box I made. 

I have some local musicians playing my guitars and people wanting me to make them something, so hopefully I'll be back with a vengeance. 

Launching a build on CBG #2. This one will have a 20" (506mm) scale length. I'm going to cut away (relieve) a significant portion of the neck behind the box top in an attempt to allow the top to resonate better, a la Shane Speal's "Dado Blade" video, but I'll use a router, 'cause that's what I have.
It's a pretty fancy box. I didn't take any pics tonight but I'll get some.