SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Cigar Box Guitar playing may be hazardous to your health. Symptoms can be sleep depravation; diminished hearing; cramping of hands and feet; failure to respond to your spouse's requests; spousal indifference; failure to appear for employment; significant body odor including that of wood, sawdust, stain, varnish, and sweat; language difficulty - speaking in sharps, flats, chords, slides, hammerons and pulloffs; unexplained wailing, grunts, and stamping of feet, and a general disregard for what may be politically correct.
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monster Amp
After creating a dozen, as in 12, cigar box guitars, I decided to try my hand at building a CBG amp. These little critters are a hoot to see and listen to. Big sound out of a small box!
After researching construction ideas on the web, I headed off to the Shack to pick up the required parts. No problem converting a cigar box. All I need are parts to light it up. Forty bucks later and enough anxiety to cripple a Clydesdale, I put the crap back in the bag and thought about another day to build. I'm just not an electronic wizard, and besides I figured I'd screw up the stuff, burn hell out of my fingers with errant solder, and then what . . . I returned the stuff to the Shack for a refund.
To soothe the frustration, I accessed eBay and went searching for amps. Not long into the search, I discovered a CBG amp harness supplied by guitarfuel.com. A 9-volt battery- powered harness complete with tone and volume controls; dc adapter so it can work off the current in my house; headphone jack; four-inch speaker; and all necessary parts to complete the build.
Yes, a 9-volt battery powered system. Don't laugh, this thing is a MONSTER! It produces GREAT sound, and it's LOUD, too. It'll blow the paint off most factory amps, while being small enough to fit in my hip pocket.
Why would anyone who has a serious urge to make big noise not want one of these things. They're inexpensive (box - $5; parts - $44; carrying handle - $2.50; speaker screen - $? whatever you can salvage; labor - priceless) and they're easy to build.
If you have questions, ask me. If you're ready to build, write Ty at Guitarfuelsales@aol.com or visit http://www.guitarfuel.com/. Ty knows what he is doing and he is a great source of information and help. . . to say nothing about the wonderful customer service he provides. You will do no better elsewhere!
It's easy, it's fun, it's inexpensive, and it's a great way to get big sound out of your CBG!
Here are some pics of my creation.
After researching construction ideas on the web, I headed off to the Shack to pick up the required parts. No problem converting a cigar box. All I need are parts to light it up. Forty bucks later and enough anxiety to cripple a Clydesdale, I put the crap back in the bag and thought about another day to build. I'm just not an electronic wizard, and besides I figured I'd screw up the stuff, burn hell out of my fingers with errant solder, and then what . . . I returned the stuff to the Shack for a refund.
To soothe the frustration, I accessed eBay and went searching for amps. Not long into the search, I discovered a CBG amp harness supplied by guitarfuel.com. A 9-volt battery- powered harness complete with tone and volume controls; dc adapter so it can work off the current in my house; headphone jack; four-inch speaker; and all necessary parts to complete the build.
Yes, a 9-volt battery powered system. Don't laugh, this thing is a MONSTER! It produces GREAT sound, and it's LOUD, too. It'll blow the paint off most factory amps, while being small enough to fit in my hip pocket.
Why would anyone who has a serious urge to make big noise not want one of these things. They're inexpensive (box - $5; parts - $44; carrying handle - $2.50; speaker screen - $? whatever you can salvage; labor - priceless) and they're easy to build.
If you have questions, ask me. If you're ready to build, write Ty at Guitarfuelsales@aol.com or visit http://www.guitarfuel.com/. Ty knows what he is doing and he is a great source of information and help. . . to say nothing about the wonderful customer service he provides. You will do no better elsewhere!
It's easy, it's fun, it's inexpensive, and it's a great way to get big sound out of your CBG!
Here are some pics of my creation.
The guitar is #11 ('Punch') made from a cigar box by the same name. It's my favorite to date, and sounds awesome on the little amp.