the weirdness of cigar box guitars

I had a weird experience. I was Googling CBG blogs and clicked on one of them to find "yours truly" embedded in someone elses blog. It was one of my Youtube vids and the guy was talking about it in very complimentary way. (Thanks whoever you are Chris). It set me off on a thought train about this whole CBG thing and how weird it is finding myself out there in cyberspace playing a guitar made from a cigar box for the world to see. I've never been one for wanting to attract attention but I got a weird sort of buzz from it. How did I get to that point and all the other stuff it's led me into. It's like one of those conversations you start off on one track and it goes here and there and ends up on another subject and you suddenly think "How did I get here What did we start out talking about"?

So back tracking to two years ago it all started for me when I was idly looking at old guitars on Ebay and I found a CBG for sale. Fell in love with it and had to have it. From there it was having a go at making my own which meant searching for boxes, machine heads, wood for necks etc. Then designing logos, writing up this blog, building a website, learning how to make short videos and putting them on Youtube. Now I'm making amplifiers from cigar boxes and a custom made case for the guitars. Making a bass drum from an old suitcase - it just gets weirder and more exciting all the time. I have people looking at my stuff from all over the world and e-mails from strangers who have become cbg buddies. Brilliant but bizarre when you stop and think about it and all this from a casual mooch on Ebay.

So how much weirder can this get. Well I had this bizarre thought today. How about a giant cigar box coffin? I can just see it now, a 6 foot long Monte Christo box with SMOJO written on the side and "Baby please don't go" playing on a CBG as it slowly disappears through the curtains and on to the incinerator. Talk about "smokin".

some lessons learnt

It was Saturday. I was making two necks for CBGs. This time I had bought the type of machine heads like you get on classical guitars - you need to make a slot in the headstock. I decided to rough drill them out on my big drill press then put a router bit in it to clean up the slot. I knew what I was doing was a bit dodgy to say the least but "I'll be careful" I thought. I had a really bad week at work stress wise and I reckon my brain wasn't running properly. The bit grabbed the wood and pulled my hand onto it in a split second. I felt a sharp pain in my finger end. There was that horrible realisation that I'd damaged my finger and it flashed through my mind "how bad is it"? So you have to look - it could have ben the whole tip of the finger. Well it wasn't as bad as I expected but it wasn't good.

So lessons learnt? Don't mess with machines when you are overtired. Follow safe practises - you know it going to go wrong don't you? Don't think you know better than that inner voice that's warning you. Lastly, don't buy those type of machine heads. It's taken three times as long to prepare the headstock and I'm not entirely happy with the results anyway.

Car boot sale booty

Had a fruitful afternoon at the local car boot sale. For our friends in the U.S. a car boot sale is a bit like your yard sales except sellers load up their car boots (trunks to you guys) and meet up in a field or large space that's been organised for the event. They pay a small fee to enter and usually set up a table of some kind and spread their junk or whatever on it and around the car. Buyers come and browse the stalls and buy your stuff if they like it. It's a very popular event here and is usually going on in most towns on Sundays throughout the UK. Now for a CBG builder they can be a good source of cheap materials for your projects. It's great fun rummageing through boxes for bits and bobs and haggling down the price. They are mostly held between Spring and Autumn but there was an early one today. So what did I find?

The suitcase. I saw an idea for using an old rigid case as a bass drum. I bought a battered old pedal on Ebay a while ago and needed a case. It's got a good "thump" to it. I'm going to make a wooden base to hold it upright and stop the pedal knocking it over. It's a yukky green colour and very scratched. Not sure yet but I might part spray it a better colour then paint a SMOJO cigar box guitar banner across the front.

Just when I was getting over the excitement of this little find, I found something even better. Check out this baby. It's an old (maybe 1940's) extension loudspeaker made for plugging into an old valve (tube) radio. Measures about 12x10 inches. Look at the fantastic retro design of it. Made from bent plywood it has a cool bakelite volume control knob with the makers name embossed on it. The speaker grill has a nice old patterned cloth behind it. So what's the big deal? Well how about fitting a 1/4 jack socket and wiring it to a small battery powered amp inside the cabinet. I can fit a new volume pot but use the original knob. What a cracking little retro amp it will make for playing my CBGs through and I imagine the sound quality will be pretty rich with the heavy ply construction. It will definitley bee a keeper for me when it's done.

Here's a screen rough graphic of a possible design for the case drum. What do you reckon?

two new guitars and other CBG news

Loads of stuff to tell you tonight. Crap going on at work so I need a wholesome distraction and a glass or two of red. I Started work on two new guitars as per last post. The two boxes are both Cuban and one is the green Ramone Allones and the other is a Partagas, which is a sort of orange colour with wood grain pattern on the paper front. It'll go great with the reddy/orange grain of the pitch pine neck. The green one will get an oak neck and maybe stain it dark like the Cuesta Rey box I made last. I picked up some cheap stainless steel sink drain strainers from the Pound Shop. I thought they'd look good used in the sound hole of a guitar. Don't think I'll use them on these though, nice boxes as they are. I'll put some piccies on when they start taking shape.

The case I'm making is on hold for a while till I get some guitars done. Been collecting various pieces of foam packing material for the inside moulding so that's the next stage. I tried the lid for the stomp box idea but it didn't sound too good. I could put a pick-up in it but really wanted one to be useful on it's own. I might ditch that idea for the case and make a stand-alone stomper. I got the old bass drum pedal on Ebay which was meant to be used with an old suitcase as the drum. Haven't got a case yet but might work on that idea next. I tried the pedal on a plastic waste bin (which sounds good when used as a hand drum) but I had problems co-ordinating my foot with my guitar playing.

A few of other ideas. Photograph some of my boxes and put them on the smojomusic website for people to choose to have made into a guitar. Had a few requests for tabs for my tunes on Youtube. I might eventually try to write them down and maybe produce an Ebook with palying tips and some tabbed music but that's a long way off yet.

Over on Shane Speal's forum he's talking about a documentary coming up on tv in the USA about CBG's. He's anticipating it generating a lot of interest in the subject and advising others CBGers to get busy making guitars and sorting out their websites. Which reminds me that I want to improve my smojomusic site. It's free webspace hosted by my ISP. I've used their own template and it's a bit basic. It will take webs made on Frontpage which I'd like to try but as with any computer software, there's a steep learning curve to get it right and it all takes up time. If my plans for semi-retirement come off in Spring I can get stuck into some serious CBG work.

I went to a guitar fair last Summer. I made enquiries about having a stall. There was no-one else doing anything with CBG's or even slide guitar playing. If I can get a dozen guitars made my June I might try a stall there. I think they'd go well due to the brilliant and cool nature of these little buggers.

I've made the decision to try put a short Youtube clip of each guitar I make so potential buyers can see they actually sound good (despite my ropey playing). Youtube has surprised me, I've had a lot more visits than I expected and some good feedback. Well that's about it for now but I'll leave you with this. Clinton and Blair thought they were being cool playing sax and a Strat but what they should have done is got themselves a cigar box guitar. We might have forgiven them a little :)

What can I say about cigar box guitars?

I'm sitting wondering what I can say next. Well I was e-mailing another budding CBG builder and telling him what appealed to me about this business. It's so satisfying for me, I love being creative in general so what's nice about this is the whole process. I like recycling so it's cool when I can find stuff to make into an instrument and I like things that are a bit different and quirky. I enjoy the woodworking and being able to design something unique, then seeing my idea slowly emerge into reality. I love making music and playing guitars so I get a new toy to explore too. I like photography and writing about stuff so doing this blog is nice. Now I'm making some contacts with other CBGers and they are a great bunch to converse with. Lastly when someone gets one of my guitars and I see the excitement and enthusiasm that it generates, I get a huge buzz.

Three guitars have recently found new homes so I need to get busy making a few more. I have two necks in the first stage of preparation. One is a piece of pitch pine. It was varnished on one side so I've left that on and just planed up the other three sides. It's got some old character to it and nice grain. I can't decide yet whether to use that as the fretboard side or the back. The other is a piece of light oak and I might give it the dark stain treatment like the last one I made.

I have a good stock of nice boxes and can't decide which to use. I've a nice green Ramon Allones box which will be one of them. My first finished CBG was one and was meant for me but a work colleague fell in love with it at first sight and bought it of me. I'm a bit possessive when I find a real good one like the Indian Tabac box shown here. I am using one to keep my harmonicas in and another is reserved for a cracking CBG for myself one day. I'll post some pictures when they are taking shape.

A challenge to all you cigar box guitar builders

Not a cigar box guitar but a challenge to your instrument building skills. Check out this baby and see if you can make one for me :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmoJj9cvOJU

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.

Happy New Year to all you cigar box guitar nuts

Happy New Year to all you CBGers. Thought I’d be seasonal and take stock of the old year, CBG-wise. Haven’t done as much as I would have liked but still quite satisfied for a part time effort. I’ve built three or four guitars, started my buskers kit flight case, learnt how to use my digital camera for making videos and put three on YouTube (had a few hundred visits in the first month, much more than I expected). Had some nice comments and e-mails and made some good contacts through it.

My job and serious illness in the family caused a lot of stress and dampened my creativity somewhat but in some ways this CBG thing helped me through. It’s fun and it’s a passion I enjoy very much. It taps into my need for creativity on many levels. I love guitars and playing them. I love music, listening and making it - especially blues. I love making things and bringing my ideas into existence. I like writing and taking photos. This thing combines all those elements – wow how much more can you want. Yeah, ok sex and money might be contenders!

What I also love about this stuff is the simple low tech element. How you can take a few cheap materials and recycle them into something cool, fun, exciting and totally unique. You get a new toy and a terrific buzz because you made it. It has soul. You don’t get that with a 4000 dollar guitar bought from your music store. I think Shane Speal says it all in his post on his excellent Yahoo cigarboxguitar forum. Quote


“MODERN CONSUMERISM AND THE CBG Now think about this following question: How much consuming can we continue to endure as a civilized culture before we say "enough"? We've seen unparalleled growth in spending, the stock market and more. Now there seems to be a growing discontent with "stuff". Have you noticed it? I have, especially this last Christmas. In fact, I kept hearing from families who decided to spend less money on extra crap and became more thoughtful in their actions. People want something DEEPER...more meaningful. Have you noticed that the cigar box guitar seems to be, by it's very nature, a SYMBOL of that back-to-basics spirit? Even though guitarists can buy a fantastically made Chinese guitar for under $200, so many are turning to our CBG Revolution because we offer something that the modern companies can't: TRUE SOUL. A cigar boxguitar cries and growls in ways you cannot control. It offers unexpected adventures when you pick it up. What Stratocaster can give you that? And in the same way, what perfectly packaged "widget" can offer you deep meaning and a true connection with the past like the way a home made piece of folk art can? Let's face it, CIGAR BOX GUITARS MAKE PEOPLE SMILE. They make people stop what they're doing and pay attention. The instrument, in it's magical simplicity, has the ability to break thru modern convenience and plant the seed of meaningful soul.What I'm saying with this is this: RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE ARE GETTING DISCONTENTED WITH MODERN STUFF. There has never been a better time to show the world the cigar box guitar. It's a symbol as much as a fun instrument to build and play. The pump has been primed, the music industry has collapsed on itself and now a doorway to do-it-yourself music has opened...with ready made audiences just waiting.”

Amen

new project - cigar box guitar flight case

I've started it. It's shaped like a flight case and made from wood. It will hold two CBG's and have a battery powered amp built in. I'm pretty excited about it. The case is made from some old pitch pine boards that are painted a sort of grey/greeny blue colour and because it's old, it has gone crazy. That will form the edges of the case, sort of like a deep picture frame with a rebate along one side where a piece of plywood fits to form the main top and bottom of the case. It will have foam glued inside to form shapes for the guitars to lie in. I'm looking for some cheap velvet to cover the foam and make a nice inside. I'm putting some photos on here to show how it is progressing. Probably take a few weeks to finish. Keep dropping in here to see how it's going. First picture shows the bottom section from the outside. There will be a speaker for the amp mounted in it.

Second picture is a close-up of the nice old crazed paint. The actual colour is slightly greener than this.

Third picture is the inside of the bottom section with two guitars placed in to help work out the layout for the foam sponge.

Update 18th Jan - started fitting foam pieces around guitars and made some compartments for the amp, speaker and accessories. I put a wanted ad on Freecycle for some velvet to line it with and some kind lady dropped off two wine red curtains. It will look great when done. I had a suggestion from a CBG freind in the Netherlands to use the lid as a stompbox, so I'm going work on that plan too. Building this is on hold for a while. Three guitars have gone to new homes so I need to make a couple more now.

Cigar Box Guitar questions

I had a couple of questions asked about how to make a pick-up and anchoring strings. I thought it a good idea to post my answer on here too.

Q. - "I'm totally fascinated by the cigar box guitar and am trying to put one together right now. I think the first problem was how to get the strings/tail done, and I'm opting to just make very small holes and let the ball at the end hold things. The other problem is amplifying, a piezo has me stumped. I know Radio Shack has them and I've been told they simply wire over to an input jack ... but I was wondering if you have any suggestions as to how I can easily get the thing wired for amplification."

A. - The neck passes straight through the box and out the back about 5cm to provide anchorage for the ball end of the strings. I drill three holes about 1cm apart. I find that when strung, the strings start to cut into the wood so I make a small metal plate out of brass or alloy which I screw onto the tail just in front of the holes so that it takes the pressure of the strings off the wood and stops it cutting through. It helps keep the thing in tune as it stops you losing tension from them cutting into the wood.

Pickup - easy. It's a ceramic piezo transducer disc. Some people buy a piezo buzzer which has one in and they rip it apart. Hard work when you can just buy the disc anyway. It looks like a thin a brass disc with a white coating in the middle (like a fried egg). There are two wires soldered to it, one to the brass outer and one to the coating. Carfeully unsolder them and discard the wires. You need some screened twin cable and a 1/4 inch jack socket. On one end of the cable solder one wire to the inner of the jack and the other wire and the screen wire together to the outer. At the pickup end trim the outer covering back about 2 cm and cut off the screen. Very very carefully solder one wire to the brass and one to the coating where the old wires were. Be carfeul because the coating is fragile. If it breaks off when soldering just try soldering another small blob on another area, it usually works OK. Before fixing to the guitar, plug it into an amp and just tap the disc, if it clicks it's OK, if it's dead then you got it wrong. When OK I fix the socket into the body then glue the disc (brass side) with Araldite to the inside of the box just under where the bridge/saddle is going to be. I also add a blob of hot glue to stick the cable to the lid just to stop it flapping about and ripping your wires off. I don't bother with vol. or tone controls, just use those on the amp. Job done.