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Because of the weight, it's easier to play as a lap steel. 

This started out as a military box of some kind.

There's more information about it in the last post.

Come on in to Boys' Fort and check out the latest one of a kind art guitar.

It includes a hand sewn leather bag, vintage bottle slide and pick.

Tin Box Guitar

This is the inside of Boys Fort, which has it's new home with Salvage Works PDX

 Salvage is the key part of the name. Possibilities are everywhere you turn.

The body of the guitar below was found there! 

Wonderfully old and aged guitar neck - not found there.

There's a line in a song by The B52's that is hard to understand.  It took me years to finally know just what the words really happen to be...it's at the very end of LOVE SHACK.

The line Cindy Wilson wails is "Tin Roof Rusted" 

Well, this isn't a tin roof, but rusted, it is.

Bullet casing for bridge.

 The tail piece or retainer for the strings are held in place by a clock part.  I love it's music lyre shape.

Vintage "B" button.

An old metal Fisher stamping.

Blind Buddha added onto the side of the box.

 

This will soon be back for sale at Boys Fort and Salvage Works, completing the circle of salvage.

The weight makes it more of a lap (rusted) steel and yes, it does sound great! 

The Sum of All Parts ~ Box Guitar

I need to apologize for the quality of these photos.

 If I find the shots taken with the good camera, I'll either replace these or just put them in another post.

"The whole is more of the sum of all it's parts."

~ Aristotle ~ 

It's much the same with the construction of Blind Buddha Guitars. 

Here's a look at what's inside this particular box. It's a diagram of a guitar. 

Not this one, by any means, but a copy of a patent from long ago.

 Detail of the mother of pearl inlay on the re purposed banjo neck.

 A closer look at the beautiful grain of the wood that was used to make this vintage box.

Any guess as to what kind of wood this might be? Maybe it's Walnut? In any case, it had a good thunk when knocked on and the sound of the end results proved true.

The neck attached or probably just tried out for size at this point in construction.

 The sound hole is covered with a vintage clock gear.

 Bullet casing as bridge and a Victorian age hinge put to new use as the string retainer or tail piece.

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

The final product.

This one was made as a gift.

Thanks for taking a look.

Red Cross Box Guitar Details

 Up close and personal with this lovely handcrafted guitar.

 It comes with an old brown bottle slide in a handmade leather pouch.

If you are interested in this one of a kind box guitar, drop me an email.

This will soon be up on Etsy - I'll add the link here when that happens!

First Aid Box Guitar

 Old Maui Dollar transformed into string retainer.

Vintage Valve Cover from a tire. 

 Chinese coin and old Banjo Tuner.

First trial run ....

it was suggested I warn the player that I'm actually recording...

but I kind of like the fact that this is the first tune to come out of this new/old box guitar.

 

If you are interested in this handcrafted guitar, just drop me an email and I will send you the information.

thanks for listening ~

One In The Works

What is or will be hiding inside this box guitar. 

We thought it would be fun to add a little something for curious people (like us). The boxes are all sealed shut and the only way to discover what maybe inside is to look very close through the sound holes. Some have had old tintypes, sheet music or vintage playing cards, others like this one have vintage engravings.

Here is just the very beginning of the outside. I'll try and get photos during the rest of the creation process of this box with the red cross.  I think this one was an old first aid box.

Most times, there are changes made to the original concept depending on how all the vintage parts go

or don't go together. 

It's always a happy surprise!



Later that next day....

   Or more like later last year...

This box guitar was made in the fall of 2011 and sold over the holidays. 

Someone here is still regretting selling it... but there are more in the works.

Below are close up shots of many of the details.

The box itself was such a rare beauty, besides the age showing in it's time worn rich patina, it had a great tone.

              

Pretty, isn't it?

Four other box guitars were also built and sold over the holidays. Somehow we messed up big time and didn't get photos of the last two! I know!?! can you believe it??? But it was a combined case of being happy in how they turned out, plus it was only a few days before Christmas and we were rushing to get them downtown to Boys Fort (the best pop-up shop in Portland, Oregon)...they both sold in two days.

Check back soon for the other photos and some teaser shots of boxes in the works.

xoxo

gretchen