at the time of writing it is at $46 (£28.54) which to me seems a bit cheap considering the amount of cigar box guitar fans and players there are. Surely this is a very rare chance to own a real bonafide genuine one. Why am I not bidding? I am skint and if I started to bid I would have to win it so I'm not even starting.
Update: It reached a grand total of $212 (£131) which I guess is quite respectable.
It's been a bit busy on the personal front these last couple of weeks but still badgering away in between.
Picked up two cheapo guitars of Ebay last week one of them is a Chinese Squier Affinity Strat. I've had Squier Bullet Strat before which was bloody awful but I really like this one and I haven't put it down. Sounds pretty good and the action is superb and apart from a couple of scratches in very good condition so an Ideal candidate for a future shonkification.
The flip side of the coin the other one (They where both for sale in the same auction) Was some really cheap plywood strat copy. It Is possibly the worst guitar I have ever seen. Sound wise typical cheap strat copy. The neck is a bit ropey with some damage to the sides but it's straight and serviceable at least but the body! Oh! the body is amazingly bad.
It looks like it has been roughly cut from B&Q plywood and then to save money dipped in really thick paint without sanding or shaping. It's lumpy as hell the inner curves in the cutaways are not smooth. you can see the relief of the plywood through the paint I really didn't think it was possible to make a guitar this badly.
The funny thing is someone was so embarrassed about it they scratched the name of the headstock. Not that anyone would be fooled even from a distance. I think it's one for the bin although I might chuck it on Ebay for a couple of quid.
I have embarked upon a project to make a guitar out of pieces of driftwood which is actually nearly completed I know I should be doing regular photo's etc but I never really think of taking pictures I would rather be getting on with it. It's constructed out of several pieces (mainly pine) all glued and dowelled it has a very tarnished tuneomatic bridge and a brass plate with a compass in it from a sextant the tailpiece is a piece of driftwood broomstick cut in half length ways. The neck is from an old strat copy which I have carved the headstock and painted to look like driftwood. It will feature just the one volume control and one old single coil. The control knob is a shell. Watch this space.
The 3 string upright Bass Is still in development I did have it on my website but thought that everything was looking a bit brown so I decided to paint it. I also need to change the control pots as the ones put on where a bit crackly and didn't seem to work very well. again watch this space.
I have had a bit of a rethink with my first cigarbox. If you've read this post then you will know that the intonation was a bit off.
This was one of the first Instruments I had built and I thought I might have been running before I could walk by attempting to fret it. Any how I was not to be beaten and got my files out.
I lowered the string slots on the nut. took about 2 mm of the saddle. I had also tried to do a compensated saddle to try and correct the intonation previously so returned it back to a straight edge.
The result? Well! much, much better. Don't get me wrong it ain't perfect but it's liveable with. I certainly feel much happier now as I was very happy about the superb rustic look and it does sound very good. i only wish now that I left enough room on the headstock for proper tuners.
This Stumpf Fiddle is from my own personal collection and is a wonderful thing.
(Click on pictures to see bigger versions)
It is basically a shortened broom handle with various things attached that make noise.
On the bottom is a rubber baseball. A bassdrum sound is achieved by bouncing the whole contraption on the floor. A wooden floor or a stage is preferable.
There is are two welded together pie tins filled with corn situated about a third of the way up. By shaking and striking you can produce variety of snare type sounds. There are two big springs stretched over the tin that are attached to either end of the stick. these resonate the sound you can also scrape your drumstick along them to get some other weird percussive effects.
Above the tin Is a woodblock with a ribbed top. a bicycle horn (Not the original as it didn't have one when I bought it but a vintage one I bought) a Bell and a bicycle bell. Also attached to the sides of the stick are jingle bells.
The Stumpf Fiddle is actually an american marketed version of homemade rythm sticks also known as Pogo cello, Bumbass Devils Fiddle etc. These type of instruments have more than likely been in existence for many years and many cultures.
The Stumpf fiddle is reputably named after a Harry Stumpf who apparently had a wooden leg.
And talking of rythm sticks (no Stumpf present but just an excuse to play it)
