Afghan Girls!

Let me introduce you to Navy Corpsman Charles Setzer's Afghan girls, 'Crystal' and 'Blondie'.

Crystal's long, sleek, dark, neck accentuates her slender, honey-colored and art-adorned body, and when you carefully move your hands over her smooth form, she purrs like a kitten.  The more you stroke her the better she performs.

Blondie's more compact body radiates a certain warmth, and when you turn her on, the sound can be deafening.

Whoa!  Now that I have your attention, I confess that I'm describing the cigar box guitar and mini amp that I built and shipped today to Chuck, who is stationed at Bastion Hospital in Afghanistan.

'Crystal' is a 25.25" scale, four-string, electro/acoustic guitar, based on an Ashton Crystal No. 1 cigar box, with an oak neck and maple fretboard.  The art on the front of the guitar is a selection Chuck enjoys; the eagle and Blondie are my idea; and the Caduceus is the insignia.  Chuck is a Sailor, but he considers himself more a Marine, thus the 'Devil Doc' art on the inside of the box.

 

 

 

'Blondie' is a mini amp constructed from an Acid Cigars Blondie Belicoso cigar box.  The GuitarFuel harness and speaker is powered by a 9-volt battery (AC, when using an adapter) and controls include volume, tone, and tone expander.

Stay safe and well Chuck, and come home soon.

Remember Our Servicemen/women

Remember Them!

The men and women who serve our country,

so we can be free.

May God Bless Them

Anthony Got 'The Bee'

EO2 Anthony Dennis, a US Navy Seabee, stationed somewhere in Africa received his cigar box guitar today, and the following is what he had to say:

"Jess,
I received the coolest thing anyone has ever made for me.  This cigar box guitar is amazing and more than I expected to receive when I made the post (CigarBoxNation).  I will have this one for the rest of my life and I'm sure it will be passed down to my son one day.  This guitar will always remind me of the appreciation people have for what we do and mark another deployment down.  This is truly the highlight of this deployment, thank you very much.
Anthony Dennis"



Stay well, and safe, my friend!

A Bee In Africa

Anthony Dennis is a Seabee stationed somewhere in Africa, who is receiving this guitar as a gift to show appreciation for what he and many other servicemen and women are doing to preserve our freedom.

Like other GIs, Anthony placed a message on the CigarBoxNation site asking if any of us creators could make a guitar for him to help pass the time in a place most of us would never think of visiting, especially under his conditions.  So, I took the opportunity to give back a little for all the good things that I've experienced.

This three-string electro/acoustic uses an Oliveros cigar box as a basis for the build.  A neck made of oak and a poplar fretboard is the setup.  Strings pass from an exposed tailpiece to one-piece tuners for a sleek transition, and the action is low for finger style playing (amplified sound may be a little scarce in Africa).  But, if Anthony gets the urge to crank out a little Delta Blues, he can easily adjust the saddle to add a bit more string action.  The electro part is a Piezo pickup located under the top near the bridge, which transfers sound nicely to an amp.

Give it hell Anthony!

Oh, Momma!

I took a brake from building CBGs and amps this week to volunteer at the rummage sale for our church.  Anyone who has ever done this knows that it's a boatload of work, no money, a handful of strong backs doing the heavy lifting, a weak mind or two telling everyone else what to do, but the rewards far outnumber the weaknesses.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to where the music was coming from, but when I did get curious, I spotted this old cathedral style mantle radio surrounded by TVs, computers, other radios, and miscellaneous junk, pumping out great sound.  I looked around to make sure no one was watching me sneak up on this jewel, 'cause I wanted it, no matter the cost.

Oh, momma, this is awesome!  What an amplifier this will make.  So, I beat feet over to the lady running the show and asked her if I could buy it now?  She thought about it and said, "I guess so, but can you leave it plugged in for the sound around here?"  How much?  "Is twenty bucks OK?"  I nearly kissed her.  Sold!

After I got it home, I decided I just couldn't rip it apart, it really is an awesome radio, so I'm going to install my super-duper-monster GuitarFuel amp harness inside the radio cavity with all the other wires and crap, for a real sanitary creation, which I can use in many ways for entertainment. 

It now commands a very special spot at the end of the bar in our basement, which is finished in a music theme honoring our dog Wyatt, who passed several years ago . . . the 'Black Dog Blues Bar'. 

And, after drooling over it for awhile, I got the screwy idea to build a guitar shaped like the radio, complete with cutouts and recesses, which would match the radio. 

Geez, I can't wait to get started, but I gotta finish a couple guitars and an amp for servicemen in Afghanistan and Africa, first.

See ya later, gotta go!

'La Gloria'

'La Gloria' is a three-string electro-acoustic guitar using a very unusual La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco cigar box as the basis for the construction.

This is a beautiful cigar box with unbelievable finish throughout, and the shape screams to be made into a guitar.

I chose to retain the beauty of the top by not creating any sound hole openings, and to only add string ferrules and a thin Corian bridge to the surface.  To compliment the bridge, I crafted a nut from Corian to hold the strings in place at the head of the maple fretboard.  This is my first attempt at using Corian, but it surely will not be the last.  The Corian material is easy to work with and it maintains the same sturdiness of bone, and it polishes out very well.

So, where would the acoustic opening be placed? . . on the back side of the box.  The opening is designed to fit the lower contour of the box, and it is more than adequate to let sound resonate well.  The recessed output jack plate works nicely from its position near the top of the box allowing the amp cord to be used without getting in the way.

To finish the backside, I chose to add a hand painted graphic flower arrangement, which lends itself nicely to the clean front. 

I played this guitar for the first time yesterday, and I fell in love with the resonance of sound, the shape, and the sustain is awesome, so I guess this will stay in my stable along with a few other special creations I cannot part with.

Please let me know what you think of 'Gloria'.

Alarming Discovery!

Last month, Montreal University scientists released the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer.

That's right, beer contains female hormones!

Men should take a concerned look at their beer consumption. 

The theory is that beer contains female hormones (hops contain Phytoestrogens), and that by drinking enough beer, men turn into women. 

To test the theory, 100 men each drank eight schooners of beer within a one-hour period.  At the end of the hour, it was observed that 100% of the test subjects demonstrated the following symptoms:

1 -- They argued over nothing.
2 -- They refused to apologize when obviously wrong.
3 -- They all gained weight.
4 -- They talked excessively without making sense.
5 -- They became overly emotional
6 -- They couldn't drive.
7 -- They failed to think rationally.
8 -- They had to sit down while urinating.

It was deemed by the researchers that no further testing was necessary.

I Want Your Comments!

OK, all you folks from the US, and from around the world!

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT OR TWO on the blog posts that you review.

Or, email me with comments at the address listed here...
jallred489@gmail.com
I want to hear from you.  And, I want to know what you think, and what ideas you may have to share with me.

You're visiting my blog, so, DON'T BE TIMID!   Leave a message for me.

I don't bite!

The 'Sully' is on it's way to Afghanistan

I mentioned in a post yesterday that I created a CBG for US Navy Nurse LT Virginia Sullivan.  Well, It's on it's way to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.

This is not only one of the most personally rewarding guitars I've built, but I think it is the best sounding of all.  It has a nice mellow tone, which is attributable to the hardwood nut and saddle, I suspect.

The basis for the guitar is a Cohiba cigar box, oak neck and poplar fretboard.  It's a very straight-forward three-string guitar, which I chose to make acoustic only, because it will be easier for Virginia to enjoy in the Afghan sandbox, without messing around with an amp.

A TotalRojo CBG Goes to Afghanistan

I recently joined in with some other guitar makers from around the country to provide cigar box guitars to service men and women who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The group was started by a friend (Diane) from Chicago, and it has really taken off.

We provide instruments at no cost to help them find a little enjoyment in what must be a most difficult time in their lives.  They never complain, but one only has to imagine, right!

A Navy nurse (LT Virginia Sullivan) serving at a field hospital at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan contacted the group about providing a guitar for her friend and fellow caregiver Carrie.  LT Sullivan wasn't asking for herself, because she claims she is not musically inclined, but I convinced her that she should give it a try.

Virginia's guitar will ship tomorrow, and I think Sam is sending his to Carrie tomorrow as well.

They promised to send us photos to post on our web sites and on CigarBox Nation.  Stay tuned for that, but in the meantime, I will post photos of the guitar I built for Virginia.

I'll provide guitars all day long for those folks!  It's the least I can do to show appreciation for what they are doing for our country.

Neck Stock

I mentioned recently that I had made contact with a cabinet shop that was providing me with custom stock from which to create necks for my guitars.

Well, it happened.  My new friend Matt (co-owner) at the shop cut me a boat load of neck stock using ash, maple, and walnut, and he also tossed in an equal number of fretboard pieces to round out the order.

While we were cruising around the shop, Matt showed me the area in which they produce the solid surface (Corian) counter tops.  I noticed that the scrap pieces of Corian being discarded were just the right thing for nuts and saddles on my guitars.  So, I now have another boatload of Corian material from which to do more creation.

The real shocker came when I asked Matt what I owed him for the stuff, and he said, "Nothing!, I like what your doing."

So, yesterday, I surprised Matt with a three-string guitar as a gift for being so damn kind to me.  He didn't say much, he's a real quiet guy, but I could tell from his expression that he was real pleased . . . but, not nearly as much me.

Thanks Matt!

'Camacho'

I love building the little 'monster' amps in cigar boxes, and the 'Camacho' is the latest to get the GuitarFuel harness treatment. 

I wanted to do something a little different with this amp, because the box is so unusual.  So, instead of exposed controls and speaker, everything is inside the box.  The usual setup with volume, tone, and boost, plus the AC adapter connection, headphone and input jacks.

The speaker and harness are attached to a velvet covered wood sheet that is suspended just enough for the speaker to clear the floor of the box, but deep enough for the lid to close over the control knobs.

A small chain keeps the lid from opening too far to damage the hinges, and rubber feet on the bottom of the box keep it from creeping around, when it's fired up.  And, a simple drawer pull is used as a handle to tote the amp from my workshop to the next street corner . . . playing for pennies during the current recession/depression/obsession/and political regression.

Just another brick on my wall.

A Helpless Crew!

My friend Jim, a good ol' Montana boy, went down this morning to sign his dogs up for welfare.

At first the lady he spoke with, said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare."

So, he explained to her, "My dogs are a special case.  They are mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can't speak English, and have no frigging clue who their dads are.  They expect me to feed them, provide for them with housing and medical care.  So why not?"

The lady looked in her dusty ol' welfare policy manual to determine what it takes to qualify.

The dogs' first checks arrive Friday!

Something Special!

There's something very special about watching someone's eyes light up, when they are presented with a surprise they were not expecting. 

It happened several months ago, when I gave son Joe the 'Cujo Mojo'.  Again, last month, when son Jay received his 'Peckerhead' guitar.  And, today was no different.

My friend Jeff's eyes were as big a silver dollars when I unwrapped the 'Maker's Mark' CBG and handed it to him.  Instantly, he looked it over, and said, "It's so much more than I had expected!" 

It was a toss up between the 'Bad Acid' amp, and the guitar for the first few moments, but then Jeff got down to business.  He turned the guitar in his hands, taking in every little detail, and softly touched the surfaces.  When he saw the flames, he said, "Man, this thing's on fire!" 

He plugged in the guitar and proceeded to entertain us with various songs, a couple he had written, and others he just likes to play.  Guys were coming and going at the Burning Leaf, but Jeff wasn't distracted, he just kept pickin' and grinnin', and the guys stood around listening and enjoying.

I'm not sure, but I think I was as happy as Jeff.  There is nothing as gratifying as to see the sparkle in the eyes and the look of happiness on a person's face, when they are pleasantly surprised.

Enjoy Jeff!   Because, I enjoyed building it, just about as much as watching you play it!

I had to check it out before passing it along to Jeff.

Son Joe took it for a test run.

Jeff is in another world right now!

Are those faces of happiness, or what?

Jeff and me, and the git makes three!

'Bad Acid' Monster Amp

This is Jeff's 'Bad Acid' mini-amp.  Don't ask me why he requested that I build the amp from an Acid cigar box, just let it suffice that he has been a rocker all his life and that he loves to chill playing his guitar . . . loud!

It is a very straight-forward build created from a GuitarFuel harness, supplied by my friend Ty, with components installed inside a small (7" x 7" x 3-1/2") cigar box.  

This little blower has power on/off; tone expander (peak, flat, bright); volume; and boost (clean, overdrive, metal drive) controls.  It can be lighted up using a small 9V battery or a 15V AC adapter, to push sound through a 4-inch speaker.  And, if you're brave, you can listen to the blast with headphones plugged into a jack on the side.

It's simple, sanitary, and sounds great!

If you're interested, I'll build a 'Little Monster' for you.

Just write me a note, and I'll take it from there!

'Maker's Mark'

The 'Maker's Mark' is a six-string, semi-hollowbody, electro-acoustic cigar box guitar, created from a rare 8" x 13" cigar box made to commemorate Maker's Mark whiskey. 

My friend Jeff, owner of Burning Leaf Fine Cigars, Columbus, Ohio, asked me to create this guitar for him.   It is my interpretation of what he imagined and shared with me.  His only request was that it breathe fire, 'cause, as he said, "I really like flames."  

In order to make the skunk-stripe Strat neck work with the 3-1/2" box depth, it required a bit of creative fabrication inside.  I didn't want attachment screws to spoil the backside  of the box, so I created a mounting surface inside that would be a rigid base which the neck could be firmly attached to, while still being removable.  This method allowed for maximum open acoustic space for sound to bounce around.  There is just enough added wood to counterbalance the weight of the neck, and when the guitar is played with a neck strap, it feels good and the balance is just right.

Fender light strings travel from the adjustable bridge over a single-coil bridge pickup to the tuners.  The action is set close for easy play, and acoustically it is what one would expect from a semi-. . . moderate resonance, loud enough, but not annoying.  But, when plugged in the sound is vintage Fender, with volume control on the box.

I didn't mess with the integrity of design on the box top, because that is what makes this guitar unique, and besides it is a really cool design. 

Soundhole covers are drawer pulls I found while cruising around The Home Depot, and they're just right for the box.

On the back, I did what I think will satisfy Jeff's desire for fire.  The flames are hand painted 'fire red' 1-Shot enamel laid down with a long bristle gray squirrel brush, and outlined with a 'rust' mixed to a hue that is complimentary, but which does not detract from the flames.  To highlight flame tips, I chose 'ivory'.

And, to allow Jeff his fun while working, he asked me to build a mini-amp to push sound around the smoke-filled confines of his really cool cigar shop.  His friends and customers can enjoy a fine cigar, be entertained by a good musician (Jeff), and relax watching the Ohio State Buckeyes demolish their competition.

You'll see that post soon, so stayed tuned to the blog.

You can be the next Bo Diddley with your very own handbuilt cigar box guitar.

Just drop me a line, tell me what you'd like, and away we go!



That's When the Fight Started!