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Kevin M. Kraft answers the question: When did you learn how to play the guitar?

Posted by Kevin M. Kraft on August 29, 2009 at 1:15am
Q: When did you learn to play the guitar?Kevin: That's a difficult question to answer, especially since we're over here at the Nation. I'll answer it in a few ways...I took a few lesson when I was about twelve or thirteen from a guy in town. I used a Hawaiian guitar strung with thick steel acoustic guitar strings! (laughs) Yeah, ultimately those strings destroyed that guitar! Anyway, after three lessons, the teacher just wasn't teaching me what I wanted to learn, so I slacked off on practicing enough that my mother ended the lesson. I learned on my own from there. I learned to play listening to John Denver records--but don't laugh! I think John Denver was a wonderful artist and teacher. I learned a lot about songwriting from him--his melodies were fantastic and chord progressions sensible. I later learned slide guitar, but at first I didn't know what it was. I saw steel pedal guitar on HEE HAW, an old country-oriented tv variety show that came on Saturday nights. But I didn't like country back then, and I didn't relate it to what I heard coming from, say, Jeff Lynne, of the Electric Light Orchestra, which was my favorite band and other rock musicians. I figured they just had the strings right up close to the fret board or something, but could never get my guitar to sound that way. It was much later, as an adult, that I caught a Bonnie Raitt concert on MTV and saw--"Ah-ha! That's how they do that!!!" I went out and bought a glass guitar slide and tortured many others learning how to play--and there's nothing worse than listening to someone LEARN how to play slide guitar! But I eventually grew to be very good, again listening to rock artists like Lynne, Joe Walsh and, of course, Dwayne Allman. In fact, I worked hard at mastering Allman's licks on "Statesboro Blues", which shows you how ambitious I was. Anyway, I mastered the slide, which was good, because I couldn't play lead worth spit. I must have been one of the first to introduce electric slide guitar as a lead instrument when I lead the worship service at church, much to everyone's surprise. I really blew them through the back doors. Some hated it, couldn't understand why I did it. Others loved thew sound. But I could never get the sound I wanted from any of the normal guitars I owned, even when I altered them. It wasn't until I stumbled upon cigar box guitars one day, while look for information on building guitars, that my world brightened. I saw some plans online, wondered if I could do it. I tried it, although I actually used an antique silverware box I bought for a dollar at a thrift store. I built myself a guitar, and from the first strum of the completed instrument, I knew I was home. Cigar box guitar became a major part of my life from that time on. I've built some for other people and now sell them to anyone wanting me to construct one for them. My favorite box so far is the COHIBA. I love its tone. Both slide guitar and using cigar box guitars almost exclusively now, as more methodology than style. It's simply the way I'd rather play and the sound I'd rather produce. I don't study a lot of blues artists, preferring rock and songs I just love. I just learn how to play them on the box.
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Just found cigar box nation....

Posted by Cynthia on August 28, 2009 at 10:33pm
and have received a warm welcome...thank you!How did I get here? Would you believe looking for mountain dulcimer info?How could anyone not love a cigar box guijodulceldidly?cigar boxes, tea trays, hub caps, angel food cake pans, hollowed out logs... and 3 strings? vintage? electrical geekiness? wood smell?ohhhh man.... and then I heard that middle eastern scale....the fret board does look intimidating....Now I just have to figure out how to use a saw, and a ? and a ?? lol
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Thinking out loud

Posted by Tres Seaver on August 25, 2009 at 11:30pm
I'm thinking about my next build: I have a reasonably nice white Macanudo box (maybe these are Shane Speals' favorites?) which I would like to make into a "nicer" box for a friend's birthday. 9353719061?profile=original I scrounged a bunch of old oak screen panels, one of which had a cool oak "pull" on it, which I am thinking of using as the bridge. The piece is about 3/4" high, which seems a bit high for the standard "flush neck" design, so I'm thinking to drop the neck down below the top and add a fingerboard which will run flush with the top. I have a piece of 1/4" poplar I might use for contrast with the red oak neck, or I may just use 1/4" red oak instead. 9353719692?profile=original 9353720252?profile=original 'm thinking of using a cool looking trefoil-like hinge as a tailpiece. In the picture, I am mocking up having the through-neck terminate at the bottom of the box, but I don't know how that will work out. I'm also not sure that I have enough room on top in that configuration for the tailpiece and the bridge in my originally-intended location. 9353720297?profile=original I'd really like to do something nicer for the nut than the classic machine bolt, but don't have anything in mind. I'm also painfully aware of the conflict between a nut which is low enough for fretting and using a simple "filed down" headstock: I may need to get into more complicated joinery than I really have skills for to solve that problem. Hope this kind of before-the-fact maundering is useful to others who may be thinking some of the same things!
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Day 1: Working on the neck

Posted by Jason on August 25, 2009 at 8:38pm
I began work on my first project tonight. I measured out the placements for the strings, and measured how much I wanted to trim off the headstock at the top of the neck. I'd read that for cbg's you want a nice hard wood, such as poplar, so that's what I chose. As I've not worked with poplar in the past, I had absolutely no idea how hard it actually is. After an hour of sanding, I'd only removed about half the material I wanted to. If anyone has any tips on working with hard wood, I'd really appreciate it.

Neck with a small amount of material removed

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Boutique Guitar Resource is now an authorized Smokehouse Guitars Dealer.

Posted by Josh Gayou (SmokehouseGuitars) on August 25, 2009 at 6:13pm
Smokehouse Guitars has partnered up with Boutique Guitar Resource to bring my guitars more into the public awareness (and hopefully get the public to buy them).Boutique Guitar Resource is an online blog and guitar vendor for unique and rare custom guitars. I'm rather excited to be included in the roll call.Read about my in an interview at the site or just order a guitar!Vendor AnnouncementSmokehouse Guitars Interview at Boutique Guitar ResourceJosh
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How & Why Cigar Box Nation

Posted by Dan Stafford on August 24, 2009 at 5:54pm
I just found out about CBG's yesterday reading the August issue of Premium Guitar. I only did that because I just bought a used Fender Stratocaster online and I'm reviving a teenage interest in guitar. I hardly know how to play yet, but I'm looking forward to learning. I've been self-teaching tenor sax for about five years, and while I dearly love the instrument, I find I get in a rut and have to put it down for a week or two at times. I think I can alternate guitar and sax to "cure" that dead time in between. It might be awhile before I build a guitar - we just moved into a condo in the last two weeks, and I have to figure everything out as far where to work on such a project, but I love the idea. 1. I smoke cigars and love the artwork of the cigars. 2. I have a strong electronics background, having an avionics diploma and currently working as a telecom tech, and having built my own computers a few times. (I taught my Son to do that when he was 11, by buying his PC in pieces.) 3. I am a fairly decent cartoon-style artist and I also have done numerous freehand wood burnings with a magnifying glass in the sun.All that said, I plan to learn the basics of making electric guitars, build a few CBG's, then do my own art piece guitars. I'm also running around some ideas in my head for how to build an electrified version of my other instrument, maybe.Expect me to lurk and watch and learn awhile before diving in - but I will eventually. This looks like something a guy could build a life-long passion for.Dan
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Tweaking the Doodle Bass

Posted by Tres Seaver on August 16, 2009 at 6:12pm

I spent most of the day yesterday in the shop, working on two projects: my first "real" CBG (more on that later), plus updating the "Doodle Bass" CBB my son and I built while on vacation a couple of weeks back. We made the following tweaks to his bass:

  • Replaced the "E" string (old one doubled the "A" at .090") with .105" weed whacker line.

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  • Added a piezo pickup inside the box under the bridge sandwiched between two thin pieces of pine.

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  • Gouged / filed / sanded the top of the box at the bottom of the fingerboard, to avoid fretting with plaing up high. We also drilled out soundholes and glued down the top.

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  • "Ebonized" the fingerboard using ebony colored stain (it needs sanding and another coat, I think). We also added a thong hanger.

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  • Moved the tailpiece anchor from the end of the through-neck to the box, to allow anchoring a footpiece (so he can play stand-up style more easily).

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It sounded pretty good plugged in, and he was definitely pleased.

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The weird Vice like Anvil......

Posted by Andrew Christopher Deighton on August 8, 2009 at 8:01pm

Bearing in mind this came with a job lot containing old tools, model Railway parts and Brass Screws..... I have no idea what it is or does..its far too small to be a joiners tool but maybe some kind of hobbyists ? I've asked around and its not anything a model railway enthusiat would use unless they make their own track. Anyone have any ideas?
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NOTE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeMRIu43qjg&feature=related Watermelon Slim - Smokestack Lightning "my stab at it is DGDGBD (low to high) however, would love to hear some other opinions if they

Posted by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on July 29, 2009 at 11:12am
NOTE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeMRIu43qjg&feature=relatedWatermelon Slim - Smokestack Lightning"my stab at it is DGDGBD (low to high) however, would love to hear some other opinions if they're out there?? ""The tuning is OPEN G tuning - from lowest to highest: DGDGBD...and that's not the silver polish bottle (which I gave him) - it's a shot glass from my apartment that he picked up the day before."
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Well its July 25th and,,,,,,,,

Posted by Roger Martin on July 27, 2009 at 1:53am
With this being our "busiest" time of the season, (not this year).No crowds like a normal year.But I've managed to pull out a much better year then I expected building and selling my CBG's and DB's.I took 5 DB's and 2 3 stringers in yesterday ( Fri at 2 pm and by 4 pm had sold 3.Sold another little experimental DB made out of a Tea tin that came jazzed up with purple shaded paint and was titled "Groovy Blue by the tea company.It just SCREAMED DB.So I put it together with a neck I had planned for something else( I seem to do that a lot) and it sold last nite making it a 4 sale nite.I'll go in to the shop in a little while and see if I can sell anymore this weekend.OOOOOPSSSSS I got confused on the make of the tin. It was a cigar tin , and not a tea tin as I stated incorrectly. I go in both shops and drag out anything box or tin that isnt nailed down when I can find them and that nite i got boxes from both.Gonna see a doctor about this memory thing,,,,,,,,,,,,,lol
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Week 1

Posted by Hip Bone Bellaire on July 21, 2009 at 1:34pm
Ok after deciding that for some reason trying to play the 3 string cigar box would be easier the the harp, I took the leap. I purchased 2 boxes from the cigar shop at the mall for 2 bucks each and got a 4 foot peace of 1x2 oak FOR 4 BUCKS AT HD.... No I don't make stuff in a wood shop, no I don't play guitar, and no I don't know what I'm doing BUT I have to get sound out of something I make and I figure using a slide will make me sound like I know what I'm doing even if I don't...So tonight I'm gonna work on the measurements before I cut anything. I'm waiting on the trade for my tuners and strings... and trying to figure something out for the bridge... You know... something no one has ever thought of before.... I know it's stupid but it has to be mine... Anyway after my root canal yesterday I was thinking about some of my wisdom teeth I had pulled and made them give them to me a few years back.... MY Teeth! that would be something wouldn't it...Right now I'm trying to figure out why everyone attaches their neck to the lid of the box? Wouldn't that stop the vibrations?Looks like I need a cool nickname as well.... here goes....BLACK GLASS BELLAIREAnyway Gone for now...
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Update

Posted by Roosterman on July 20, 2009 at 12:59pm
Seems time to do another blog I guess - seen as Im now on build 14 I think!Not that theres a lot to say (especially when I could be in the shed working on the current one), but needless to say Im happy :o)Bring on Birm-ing-ham!!
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Back from my vacation

Posted by J. K. on July 16, 2009 at 6:00am
Bit late with writing this but I came back this last Sunday from Finland where I've been vacationing. I built my first cigar box guitar there in my grandfathers old workshop.I really like how it turned out. Sure there were lots of mistakes with the build but thats how you learn.Also been trying to recruit a friend to build with. He's interested in electronics as I am and plays a bit of guitar and really liked the CBG I built. So I think he's thoroughly hooked.Found lots of good sources for electronics, wood and all kinds of stuff except cigar boxes. Guess I'll have to continue looking.Thats it for now. Peace!
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