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Calling all Brits - introduce yourself here.

Hi all. Thought it would be nice to check in here if you're British. I know there's quite afew CBGers in the UK now because I've had quite a few emails from my blog. Time to come out of the woodwork and introduce yourself. How long have you been into CBGs? What got you started? What part of the UK do you live in? Do you know of any UK CBG events?

I'll kick it off. I'm David Ward (aka smojo) and live in West Yorkshire. Got into CBGs when I saw one on Ebay and bought it about 3 years ago. Started building and playing them. I have a blog going at

http://smojo-cigar-box-guitars.blogspot.com/ (sorry the hyperlink function doesn't seem to work)

Don't know of any events here yet but it would be cool if we could get one going sometime.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JUJU on December 22, 2008 at 1:07pm

Hello again David (smojo)
Thanks for the invite very kind of you
Well a little about me - i'm 39 live in Sheffield - Good Old Yorkshire - i work as a self employed Joiner (not much work right now )
i got into CBG's by watching youtube - i was looking at Guitar vids then noticed one saying Shane Speal playing a Reddog CBG ( i think you will have seen the video it's famous) - watched the video and that was it - i watched every video on youtube to see what this CBG thing was all about
that night i could hardly sleep thinking about making a CBG for myself - but the main question where to get a BOX ?? in the uk ?? not a easy job is it ??
i searched high and low and nothing was to be had - so off to ebay - WOW look at all them boxes it's "CBG time" lets get it on!!
i was soon informed about the yahoo Cigar Box Guitar forum by bill (Belly Jelly Music) i joined straight away then joined the Cigarboxbuilding Forum now i'm here with 4 builds under my belt !!and loads of fantastic friends worlwide - cool or what ??

well we are three strong so far lets se how we go we need more brits

thanks again
juju

Permalink Reply by smojo on December 22, 2008 at 10:44pm

Hi JuJu nice to have some company - and a Yorkshireman to boot! There are quite a few of us around the country but mostly seem content to stay in the background. I have a CBG buddy in Manchester, we found each other on the Yahoo CBG site and arranged a few get-togethers. You're a joiner eh - that explains the quality of your guitars, really nice jobs. Boxes - try find an old fashioned tobacconists, I pay about £1-2 each for boxes. Good time of year to find some empties.

Permalink Reply by HOLLOWBELLY on December 24, 2008 at 6:13am

hi fellow brits-im hollowbelly.im called that cos i have no large intestine (no, really!).nowadays i live on the south coast in exmouth,devon.lovely part of the country.originally from warrington (up north).lived in london for 15 years or so in between times.i play punkblues on a 3 string cbg.i'd play a brit cbg event if someone organised one, but im not the organising type myself! im up north occasionally visiting warrington-it'd be great to get together up north sometime.

Permalink Reply by smojo on December 24, 2008 at 6:50am

Hello HB nice you could join us. I worked in Warrington many times in my last incarnation as a telecoms engineer. Seems to be a few CBG Northerners so maybe we might get something going one day. Good that we have this place to keep in touch now.

Permalink Reply by Ponkster on December 27, 2008 at 6:30am

Hi All - I'm The Ponkster , I've been making CBG and mad Lap Steels for about 3 years - I sell the odd one as "Delta Star Guitars" but on the whole I tend to give them away to palls and other nutters who get off on Delta blues and Blues played lap steel style.

I live 40 mile North of Aberdeen in the North East of Scotland - where Delta Blues is alive and kicking hard!

Permalink Reply by smojo on December 27, 2008 at 10:23pm

Welcome Ponkster - great name.

Permalink Reply by Terry on December 28, 2008 at 1:33am

Hi all! Nice to know we have a Brits Section up and running! Although not a dab hand at the CBG quite yet! I take it along fairly regularly to the local "Jam Nite" here in Milton Keynes, where Gwyn Ashton hosts one every week. I normally play Blues Harmonica there and Gwyn, plays the CBG along with his excellent blues hits.
keep up the good work and we will all have to try and meet up sometime for an impromptu jam.
Happy New Year to all.
Terry.

Permalink Reply by anthony on December 28, 2008 at 2:24am

Hello everybody,
I'm Anthony and just ordered my first cigar box off ebay so thought I would come down here and see what its all about. I live in Sheffield, same as Juju who I just met and became cyberfriends with (my first ever, as facebook isn't something I do, I hope he's honoured!), and moved up here a couple of years ago. I'm 27 and saw a cigar box banjo on Patrick Costello's frailing youtube workshops (Pat's lovely, check him out). Thought about it for a bit and then bought the beat up piece of old shit that is currently on its way to my house to be hacked to pieces in the name of artistry, craft and musicianship (stop laughing at the back).
Anyway, you all seem like a friendly bunch so its good to introduce myself and say Hi.

Permalink Reply by smojo on December 28, 2008 at 7:43am

Glad you made it Terry, I seem to know the name Gwyn Ashton but can't think from where. Hi Anthony and welcome. Another Northerner eh? Must be something in the air up here. Looking forward to seeing a photo or two of your new toy. How about before and after photos.

Permalink Reply by Sloth King on January 2, 2009 at 1:42am

HAppy New Year all!

Im the Sloth King and I live in Leeds, origionally from Cheshire, Im currently getting together the parts to make my first CGB. I havn't played one yet and cant wait to get it made. I might even try making my own pickup for it and if it goes well i want to build loads of em. Im into blues rockabilly and punk music nice to meet you all!

Permalink Reply by BigBadDom on January 2, 2009 at 5:54am

Hi all. I'm Dom, living in Lincoln. I'm on my 3rd build - currently head-scratching about how to strengthen the neck body joint to stop it bowing when tuned up. Also got a beautiful Macanudo box and a uke reso cone which I'm aching to get stuck into!

Got into all this madness much the same way y'all did. I too have to resort to eBay to find boxes.

Anyway, it's great to be here!

Permalink Reply by smojo on January 2, 2009 at 8:42am

Sloth King said:

HAppy New Year all!

Im the Sloth King and I live in Leeds, origionally from Cheshire, Im currently getting together the parts to make my first CGB. I havn't played one yet and cant wait to get it made. I might even try making my own pickup for it and if it goes well i want to build loads of em. Im into blues rockabilly and punk music nice to meet you all!

Hi, welcome. You're almost in my neck of the woods. Good luck with your first. Pickups are easy to make from piezo disks and cheap.