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

CRY BABY: THE PEDAL THAT ROCKS THE WORLD - teaser trailer

Learn how a simple effect became one of the most important tools of expression for guitarists everywhere. Full film coming this month!


Featuring:
Eddie Van Halen
Jerry Cantrell
Slash
Buddy Guy
Kirk Hammett
Zakk Wylde
Dweezil Zappa
Eddie Kramer
Paul Gilbert
Bob Bradshaw
Brad Plunkett
Wah Wah Watson
Jim Dunlop
Jimmy Dunlop
Jasmin Powell
And many more…

Fender Factory Tour 1959

Amazing old footage...

enjoy ~

Cigar Box Guitar

From Wikipedia

"The cigar box guitar is a primitive chordophone whose resonator is a discarded cigar box. Because the instrument is homemade, there is no standard for dimensions, string types or construction techniques. Many early cigar box guitars consisted of only one or two strings that were attached to the ends of a broomstick that was inserted into the cigar box. Other cigar box guitars were more complex, with the builder attempting to simulate a traditional string instrument such as a guitar, banjo, or fiddle."

 This is the first Cigar Box Mr. B built.

The hunt to find good boxes isn't always easy.

Wood, thickness and age all change how it will sound.

This has the most amazing old school sound...

sort of a Blue Grass tone to my ear.

An old skeleton key is used as the bridge.

 The neck is from a Banjo

The necks seem to be the most difficult part to find...

This is the back of the box.

It doesn't show the age like the front does.

Because there's no exactness to this,

they are all one of a kind,

each with their own

history

and sound.

This one is smokin'....