If you enjoy authentic Delta Blues and cigar box guitar music from the early 1900's to the 1950's, this CD disc is full of long lost sounds from America's past. This is old-time Blues music and Southern Bottleneck cigar box guitar that has been recorded on only 3 and 4 string homemade guitars. If you liked the movie Crossroads or the guitar playing from Ry Cooder, you will enjoy the vintage cigar box guitar playing that has been recorded on this Disc.

   To record this music, I've played 3 string cigar box guitars, Electric Bottleneck 4 string cigar box guitars, and Cigar Box Resonator guitars.  I have also used old and vintage 1960's and 70's guitar amplifiers. Some were naturally overdriven some were clear as a bell. I've also used the legendary "Pignose" amp to record several songs to get that old time Southern Bottleneck gritty sound. 

 I have also recorded several songs with some old Retro "Radio Guitar Amps." They were antique radios from the 1940's and 50's that have been converted and turned into guitar amplifiers. They record with a really unique and vintage tone. 
The music and songs are all sounds that are vintage and southern in flavor, perfect for study if your trying to learn early Americana or slide guitar, or just enjoy it as a relaxing way to step back in time. There is also some music from Fuzzy Whitener, one of that last old school Bluesmen, and yes, he's playing cigar box guitar. NO regular guitars were used and NO singing and NO band, this is a full music CD disc with only cigar box guitar songs.  The best way to learn how to play cigar box guitar, is to listen to cigar box guitar guitar!

Here below is an old-time "Cigar Box Jukes" song played on a 4 string cigar box guitar. It's colorful and recorded only using a old fashioned 4 string cigar box guitar and a glass slide,  

Cigar Box Americana & Old Time Jukes - YouTube

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Here in this video below I tried to record authentic Americana and make it sound as close to "the real thing" as I could. I wanted to capture that original early 1930's feeling and sound in this recording. I only used a homemade 4 string cigar box guitar and a broken Bottleneck from an old wine bottle. 
This recording is made by adding a piezo microphone inside the box ( Acoustic-Electric.)  It was then just plugged strait-wired into a small recording Tascam device. 


1930's ~ Cigar Box Americana ~ Homemade Guitar - YouTube

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 This art above is the cover of this CD. It was drawn by me and this art is hand drawn to look old. I am so confident that you will love the music and packaging so much, that the anticipation of ordering and waiting for your gritty and neat homemade Disc to show up, that when it does show up, the fulfillment of receiving an actual item, you will both enjoy it that much more but also have a greater appreciation for all the time and effort I put into it. 

I have recorded and put together this music CD I myself would love to receive. I take allot of pride in the simple fact of making sometime handmade with homemade. It will brighten your day so much more than simply hitting a "download" button and having it as a folder on your computer desktop. 
 

  


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 A brief history of the cigar box guitar
 
 
 


 What is a cigar box guitar?
In the South it's common to hear stories that Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins and all those other old-time Blues guys started playing guitar on a cigar box guitar. Not many people who follow Blues and Country music know this, but many famous Blues and Country singers started their career on a simple homemade cigar box guitar. One reason most Blues and Country music has such a distinctive sound is because it was derived off of music made on these simple instruments.
The precursor to the cigar box guitar as an instrument was the diddly-bow. It was a one stringed instrument where the player would take a glass bottle neck and run it up and down a string while plucking the opposite end of the string to achieve the tone they where after. Because those basic "guitars" did not have frets, that early form of crude guitar playing is what evolved into the form of slide guitar we are familiar with today. That is what is thought to be the creation of Delta Blues and slide guitar from the "Southern Delta."

Lightin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, they were all influenced in some way by these early homemade instruments.  Many of them following along in their career as slide guitar players.  That's where the blues and slide guitar truly started at. On those plantations and cotton fields, homemade guitars and 'field hollerin' went hand in hand. Blues players didn't play Gibsons or Martins, they couldn't afford them. If you grew up in poverty and wanted to play guitar, you had to build a guitar yourself.
 
Those humble beginnings of the cigar box guitar are what eventually gave this little known guitar a home in music history. This tradition of making and playing a homemade guitar continued from the 1880's and for many decades up until the 1950's, but this form of guitar construction never really went away. Many Blues musicians from the 60's, 70's and 80's kept this long forgotten art form alive.  Even though homemade guitars have faded into obscurity, some Blues and Rock musicians still enjoy playing them today.

Today's modern and Chinese made guitars can't even come close to the true primitive sound these handmade guitars make. Cigar Box Guitars can be channeled into a creativity that many musicians desire for in their playing, giving them a more authentic sound. Blues guitarist, in particular, really enjoy playing cigar box guitars in the search of hearing "Delta Blues" in its purest form. Today you can still find guitar players who are looking for that raw and authentic sound from the past and they chose to play cigar box guitars.

Here is a wonderful example of one being played today, it really does take you back in time.  
Watch this video of Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top playing a homemade cigar box guitar.


Billy Gibbons' of ZZ-Top playing Cigar Box Guitar ~ Ry Cooder's Billy The Kid - YouTube

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This sound recording of Ry Cooder's song "Billy The Kid" is performed by Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top and is an excerpt from a Mark Maron interview. I have presented it here for educational and commentary purposes only in relation to the brief discussion about of the history of the cigar box guitar as a long forgotten instrument in American history. (Copyright Law 107-Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use section; 40) All Copyrights for this material are the property of their respective owners.

 
 If you want to learn more about cigar box guitars and the history about them. I have a website with lots of historic photos. Cigar Box guitars are my passion to build and play. I enjoy seeing other people play them and seeing the joy they create in peoples lives.  
Goggle "Red Dog Guitars" to see more of my work.
 
   
 

 If you are interested in the hobby of Cigar Box Guitars. I have 4 different disc available on the subject.

Here is the list,

1. Understanding 3 string Guitar - How To play lessons DVD

2. How To Build - 3 & 4 String Cigar Box Guitars DVD

3. Dust Bowl Blues - 3 string Cigar Box Guitar Music CD

4. Cigar Box Americana - 3 & 4 string Cigar Box Guitar Music CD

The 3 string Lessons DVD is called "Understanding 3 string guitar." It covers all the playing styles heard in Blues guitar playing, both slide and finger style to help you get that Old-time vintage sound. Even if you've never played guitar before, it's never to late to learn how to play cigar box guitar, even if you are 70! 

...Slide guitar is basically just one finger guitar. You can learn to play theses guitars, It is not hard at all.

The How to Build DVD covers in-depth how to build 3 & 4 string cigar box guitars. These guitars are just as much fun to build as they are to play. Anyone can build a great guitar, even on you first time if you have correct instruction and explanation, you only need a few common hand tool that most people already have.

I also have 2 different Cigar Box Guitar music CD's, 

The best way to learn how to play great cigar box guitar, is to listen to cigar box guitar music.

One is called "Dust Bowl Blues." This is an all Delta Blues and cigar box guitar CD recorded with mostly 3 sting cigar box guitar Blues music.

The other music CD is called "Cigar Box Americana." This is old time Delta Blues and Southern Bottleneck cigar box guitar that has been recorded on both 3 and 4 string cigar box guitars and also using vintage amplifiers and recording gear.

All of the Music and Videos I have recorded are only on the topic of Cigar Box guitar, no regular guitars are used.

  You can see the DVDs and Cigar Box Music CDs - Click Here

Email me if you have any questions, John