In early America starting sometime in the 1860's, poor people of all walks of life began to make homemade guitars and other stringed instruments out of old wooden boxes and scavenged or found wood from places such as barns or old homes.
These homemade instruments were popular through out much of the history of early America. Many of the pioneers of Blues and Rock n' Roll music got their start in music by playing these long forgotten guitars.
In the South, it's common to hear stories about those Old School Bluesmen such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Scrapper Blackwell, Little Freddie King and many others who got their start in music by building their own homemade guitar.
If you wanted to play guitar and didn't have any money - you'd have to build a guitar yourself.
Sometime between the 1850's and the 1870's, the Railroad was formed in the United States. It used wooden boxes in many shapes and sizes for railway shipping, empty tool boxes, food crates, cigar boxes, just about anything that needed shipping was put into a wooden box.
It didn't take long for people to notice that you could build an instrument from one of these leftover empty boxes. This form of guitar building was really just old fashioned ingenuity at work.
Just an old used wooden box, a stick made into a guitar neck, and simple down home music is the true history of the Blues.
1920's Watercolor - Bluesman from Saint Louis
From the Mississippi Delta to the Appalachian mountains, poverty did not stop people from wanting to create music. In fact, it made the desire even stronger.
Many people just went out and built their own instruments from stuff they found in their house, shed or barn.
Homemade guitars are part of the past, but still part of the present.
Many times people have emailed me and said that just by hearing one of these guitars or seeing a photo online has helped them find a new direction in life. Many of these people were coping with serious illness, trauma or some type of sadness. I have seen time and time again all kinds of people, from military veterans to lost teenagers, male and female all find a new path in life and even break out of the bondage of sadness.
It's also worth mentioning all of the people that have always wanted to learn how to play a regular guitar in the past but never could learn the complex fretboard math and music theory. Once people discover how easy it is to play and create great music on a simple cigar box guitar, a new spark of excitement and creativity happens in their life.
These guitars are easy to understand and fun to play. It's especially easy to learn how to play a 3 string guitar, and slide guitar is a great choice to start with. So, what am I saying with all this?
I've spelled out a clear reason to NEVER bury your desires or give up on your dreams of learning to play guitar, try playing a cigar box guitar...Even if you're 70 years old, it's never too late!
Blues music is simple by its nature to learn. It's a primitve music that is played without a fixed structure, or having to use music theory.
If playing a standard guitar has given you problems in the past, you'll enjoy the freedom and simplicity of playing a cigar box guitar. With a little dedication and practice, you'll sound like a champ in just a few months.
Since the 1990's and the creation of online forums and auction sites, these old homemade guitars have been turning up for sale all across the country. The more that people search though their attics and barns, the more history of these instruments is uncovered.
It's exciting to see new stuff when it shows up for sale online. Ebay is king for finding old instruments.
Even though Blues music is over a 150 years old, many people today have a desire to recreate this unique form of music. Because of the vintage tone that a cigar box guitar naturally produces, there's a world of creative recording possibilities with them.
If you're the type of person who would like to play old time Blues and Slide guitar in your living room or on your porch, try playing a 3 string guitar. When there is less competing notes as you strum the guitar, their seems to be more of an open palate for a beginner to paint with.
Perhaps thinking of Blues music like this,
.....instead of using fine point pens to create art full of detail, with just 3 strings you can create music with wide brush strokes full of color.
If only this picture could talk...I think I know what it might sound like!
What is "The Blues?" how do you discribe music with words? Where would you start???
....it's part music, and part art?
Muddy Waters was asked this exact same question and his answer was "it's music from them days gone by."
If you're someone trying to replicate vintage 1920's and 30's music, a resonator guitar will take you back in time. They're awesome musical time machines that were invented and played in the 1920's and 30's before electric guitars were in use.
The strings sit on top of a bridge that pushes down on a metal cone inside the body of the guitar and as you strum the instrument, it vibrates the center of the cone and projects volume out of the face of the guitar with a distinctive bell like metallic sound.
There's instant amplification, No electricity needed...but plug one into an amp and they become gritty little screamers!
Old guitar amplifiers and vintage recording gear is abundant and cheap to buy. If you are looking for creative and fresh sounds to seperate yourself from other musicians, try using vintage electronics and older recording gear. Best part of all is that much of that old analog gear from the 60's, 70's and 80's was made with quality and still works today.
I recorded myself with a 1980's Fostex Tape deck - I haven't got rid of my cassette tapes just yet!
Let's take a trip out west with Dave Lynas. He was a pioneer from the goold ol' days, I guess you could say like Johnny Appleseed....well, kind of....
The only thing is, Dave drove a 1955 Chevy truck and went from town to town looking for treasure from the Wild West.
He seems to only bring home rusty junkyard parts to use as yard art.
The history of homemade instruments is everywhere. In most people's family history, there's usually someone in their past who had a passion for music, yet didn't have any money for a proper instrument.
They just did what everyone else did a 100 years ago, they made their own.
We ship guitars Worldwide - If you've got a house, we'll get it there ; )
Yep, we also make swamp deliveries too ...and in person!
The Homemade Electric Cigar Box Guitar - Just plug in and play, No knobs...No frills...Just Fun!
Just strait wired to the electric pickup and right out to the output jack. It delivers a full sound with no cutoff of any of the signal. You can adjust your tone and volume on the amp, it's easy to dial in just about any type of tone you like becuse all of the signal from the guitar is pouring through the amplifer's speaker.
What's old is new again - it's like we've went Back to the Future!
Looking for the perfect instrument to take you playing into the past?
A resonator has a naturally vintage tone, they're easy to play and fun to record with.
Remember life before cellphones?
Here's a short reminder of those times, do-it-yourself crafts, "Popular Mechanics," and a teen's first Hot Rod
This guy here! He's the one who sold me those bootleg cassette tapes I was telling you about
These simple guitars are built with just a few basic hand tools that most people already have.
You mostly use screwdrivers and glue along with some basic hardware store odds and ends. As for tools, you don't need many tools at all to build a homemade guitar.
The body is just an old used wooden box and that part is already done for you, once you find one that you would like to turn into a guitar, you're already half way done!
That's what is so fun and interesting about this type of guitar construction, these guitars are simple to create. They can be built using old or used guitar parts, or you get creative and make your own parts with stuff from around your house.
If you've read this far, you're now down in the fine print, we're at the bottom of the page. You should try playing one, you'll have a blast. There's a lot of history that you'll hear and feel every time you play.
Well, I'm officially at the bottom of this page and out of room to type. If you would like to hear more music, or see more videos and art. I have more posted on the next page.
Questions or inquiries concerning licensing any of the Trademarks / Audio or Visual Copyrights
or anything else you've seen on this site,
contact John McNair - Email john@reddogguitars.com
