tuning lessons for cigar box guitar

Hi all. just uploaded some lessons to Youtube. Been thinking for a while that you may have built a cbg or maybe bought one and it's gone way out of tune. You've had difficulties getting it to sound right etc. So I thought it would be good to do a few vids for beginners, to get you back on track enjoying your guitars. OK they're a bit rough and ready and I tend to repeat myelf a bit but I did them more or less as first takes, unrehearsed and just as the ideas came into my head. I didn't want to spend too much time, just enough to get the information across. Take a look and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or two. Hope you find them helpful. Check them out on my Youtuibe channel here.

http://www.youtube.com/smojomusic

some cigar box guitar basics - tuning

I Just thought it was time to go back to a few basics. I've probably said these things before in older posts but it's worth mentioning again for any newbie CBGers. All my guitars so far, have been made specifically for slide playing so they don't have fretwires. They just have markings as a guide, so all these comments relate specifiaclly to slide guitars and playing them.

First let's look at tuning. The bridges on most of my guitars are 'floating'. In other words they aren't glued or fixed to the body. That allows them to have fine adjustments made to the 'intonation', which is the first thing we need to check. Play a note on an open string (I usually start with the 1st). Listen to it carefully then place your slide directly over the 12th fret position and play that string again. It should be exactly an octave above the open note. You'll find it easier to get this accurate if you use a narrow metal rod such as the shaft of a screwdriver. If it's not correct, then move the bridge back or forward slightly until it is. De-tensioning the strings a little will take pressure off it and make it easier to move. If you have to change the strings, it's easier if you do one at a time. That way the bridge will stay where it is and avoid you having to do this each time.

Now to tune up - I normally tune to an open chord such as E, A or D. You can't change the tunings very far by winding the machine heads up or down so if it's currently in low open E and you want it in A, you need lighter strings. You need to make sure the tension on them is right. So how do you know what to use, this is how I do it and it works well. Think about standard tunings EADGBE. Now think about the popular open D tuning on a six-string - DADF#AD. Now if I wanted the guitar in low open E and only have three strings I would tune it to (low)EBE. Look at the standard tuning on the bottom three strings - its E(low)AD. So it makes sense to me that if I use the 6th, 5th and 4th strings from a standard set (I usually use 12s for CBGs), the tensions are going to about be right to give me my low open E chord. Tune the 6th as standard to E and the 5th and 4th can comfortably be tensioned up two semi tones to give me the B and higher E.

So using this principle I would use the 5th 4th and 3rd strings (ADG) from a 12 guage set to give me an open A which would be AEA. I just need to tune up two semi tones on the 4th(D) and 3rd(G) to get me there. This tuning up on some strings is the main reason I make my guitars with a short scale. Using standard strings on a short scale guitar means they need slightly lower tension to put them in true concert pitch, so that gives me some scope for over tensioning them slightly to get my open chords.

Lastly, a word about the necks. If you were buying a standard guitar, one of your main priorities would be making sure the neck was dead straight. These CBGs don't have anything as sophisticated as struss rods and so you will see there is often a substantial bend in the necks. Also that the action is incredibly high. This is perfectly fine for slide playing, in fact it's an advantage so don't be concerned about it. I use hard woods such as oak, mahogany, beech etc so there is no danger of them snapping under normal use.

Hope you found this helpful. Next post will be slide playing basics.

Intonation and saddle position on cigar box guitars

Intonation is the ability of the guitar to sound and play "in tune" at the correct fret positions and if it's wrong, a guitar won't play good at all. Not quite so critical on a fretless instrument as you play mainly "by ear" but you still want to get it right. Here's my method for setting the bridge/saddle position on my CBGs.

The neck will have already been marked out with the correct fret positions from a template which also includes the approximate position of the saddle. As you probably know, the 12th fret lies halfway between the nut and the saddle and gives you the first octave of the same note found on the open string. So that is the important position to get right.

I set the neck in the box to place the saddle about 1/3 from the tail. Don't know if that's the absolute best place for it but it seems right to me for aesthetic and playing purposes. When the neck is fixed and the lid fastened down, I string it up and place the saddle roughly where it should be. I keep the string tension low at this point so I can move the saddle easy. I use the shaft of a small screwdriver as a "slide" (easier to see the exact position over the frets due to it's narrow diameter). Next pluck a string open and either tune it to a set note with an electronic tuner or just listen to it if your pitch ear is good. Put the screwdriver slide over the 12th fret and pluck again. Is it the same note an octave higher exactly? If it is you were lucky and job done.

Assuming it's not spot on, keep plucking and move the slide up or down the string till you find the exact spot. Is it nearer or further from the saddle than the 12th fret position? If it's nearer the saddle (above the 12th) then move the saddle nearer to the nut thus shortening the nut-saddle distance until it's bang over the 12th. If the octave is below the 12th position then move the saddle nearer the tail of the guitar. Once you've got it in the right place you can either mark it's position, slacken the strings and glue it in place or just leave it unglued and tension up the strings to the pitch you want them. My preference now is not to glue because that gives me the option of fine tuning it in the future without ripping it off the box.

5 Basic Tips for Playing Slide Cigar Box Guitar

These basic tips are for out and out beginners and relate to my own three-string fretless CBGs but equally relate to more conventional guitars that you intend to play slide on where you would normally tune to an open chord.

1. Tuning the guitar - Decide what tuning you are going to use. My preference for blues on CBGs is an open "A" tuned either A-E-A or A-D-A the two A's being an octave apart. It depends what guage strings have been supplied too as to whether an open "A" will result in a suitable tension for the guitars. CBG's supplied by me will have a help sheet telling you what has been fitted. A-E-A is a good starting point - try it and get familiar with it before experimenting with others. Make life easier when tuning by getting a decent electronic tuner like the Korg CA-30 which will show you exactly what note you are playing rather than the basic ones with just standard EADGBE tuning. It will be really handy when trying alternate tunings later.
2. Type of slide - There are many things you could use as a slide. Some prefer metal, some glass, some bone! I find metal gives a bit more volume with CBG's than glass and it doesn't break. Get a decent heavy one too - it helps when applying vibrato. I use a bought brass tube slide. Again you can experiment later with different types once you've got the basic techniques off.
   
3. Using/holding the slide - Again there are diferences of opinion and what suits one doesn't suit another. You can play the guitar on your lap and hold the slide in your left hand (if you're right handed) but most will hold the guitar in the conventional way across the chest. Which finger? I recommend the little "pinkie" finger. The reason being it leaves three of your best fingers free. Not important here but if you eventually apply your slide skills to a conventional fretted guitar, you might want to form some fretted notes or chords as well in which case you can leave the slide on the pinkie and still get by with three good fingers.
   
4. Applying the slide to the string - The slide acts as a "movable" fret, that's why there is no need for actual metal fret wires on the neck. The fret positions on mine are marked on purely for a visual guide as to where to place the slide for a given note. The first important rule is to place the middle of the slide right bang over the fret mark where the wire should have been - not over the dots. The second important thing is to just apply enough pressure to make a clear note without the string rattling against the slide. A common mistake is thinking you need to press down hard enough for the string to touch the neck. You definitely don't want that. Pluck an "open" string first without using the slide anywhere, then try the slide at the 5th fret, you should be able to hear when you have it in the right place unless you are tone deaf in which case take up golf instead!!
   
5. Plucking hand technique - once again there are preferences, plectrum (pick) or fingers. I used to be mainly a plectrum man till I started with CBG's. I find there is much more scope with fingers. You can use them to "dampen" strings you don't want to ring out and finger picking styles sound great on these guitars. I let the nails grow a little bit long on my right hand for this. If you are worried about looking a little bit "girlie" with them you can soon restore you're macho cred by giving a demo on your CBG. They are incredibly cool instruments.
   
   So that's the rudiments for a complete novice. Watch this blog for some more tips that will soon have you playing and grinning all over your self satisfied mug. Enjoy!
   
   Check out my other website too at www.smojomusic.co.uk