Freak One-String Instrument from Vaudeville - 1920
A scarcely recognizable, but truly lineal descendant of the humble cigar-box fiddle has made its maiden appearance on the American vaudevill
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Shane Speal
May 11, 20221 min read
1924 Cigar Box Contest - Guitars, Pin Hole Camera, more...
The publication challenged its readers to create new things from empty boxes. Of course, a one-string cigar box violin is mentioned
470 views1 comment
Shane Speal
Mar 13, 20222 min read
Photos: Cigar Box Instruments from 1922 Book
Photos of cigar box fiddles, cellos and other instruments from 1922 book, Creative Music for Children by Satis N. Coleman.
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Shane Speal
Dec 24, 20212 min read
Bob Ice's Homemade Bass - New Orleans, 1959
New Orleans musician, Bob Ice and his 2-string plywood bass fiddle. Zanco says, "It produces a very effective sound; if you would
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Shane Speal
Dec 18, 20211 min read
Insane Guitar/Drum Patent
John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful discovered this patent and mailed it to Shane Speal several years ago. It shows a rectangle guitar...
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Shane Speal
Jul 29, 20211 min read
Four-String Cigar Box Guitar Part of MIM Museum Collection
Photos taken from MIM.org Among the 15,000 instruments under curation at the massive Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix AZ, the...
220 views3 comments
Shane Speal
Sep 18, 20202 min read
1886 Cigar Box Guitar Story: Little Boy Musician in Galveston, TX
Imagine digging through countless newspaper articles for any mention of a cigar box guitar and then discovering a full story of a young...
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Shane Speal
Sep 14, 20206 min read
Cigar Box Guitar Heroes: Music legends and their cigar box guitars
The Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, New Orleans LA, 1899 “So I went ahead and made me a guitar. I got me a cigar box, I cut me a round hole in...
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Shane Speal
Sep 4, 20201 min read
Henry Wood's Cigar Box Violin Story, 1940's
I’d snatch a violin bow and I’d play that one-string fiddle while Mr. Statz would try to make his announcements...
189 views1 comment
Shane Speal
Sep 4, 20203 min read
Is this the original Hurdy Gurdy Man?
There was a Turk, of a most pompous appearance, who entertained crowds in the street by playing on an instrument of five strings passed over
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