Cigar Box Guitar Articles

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Freak One-String Instrument from Vaudeville - 1920
Shane Speal
  • May 16
  • 1 min

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
142 views2 comments
1924 Cigar Box Contest - Guitars, Pin Hole Camera, more...
Shane Speal
  • May 11
  • 1 min

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
173 views1 comment
Photos: Cigar Box Instruments from 1922 Book
Shane Speal
  • Mar 13
  • 2 min

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.
297 views2 comments
Bob Ice's Homemade Bass - New Orleans, 1959
Shane Speal
  • Dec 24, 2021
  • 2 min

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
251 views1 comment
Insane Guitar/Drum Patent
Shane Speal
  • Dec 18, 2021
  • 1 min

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...
404 views2 comments
Four-String Cigar Box Guitar Part of MIM Museum Collection
Shane Speal
  • Jul 29, 2021
  • 1 min

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...
164 views3 comments
1886 Cigar Box Guitar Story: Little Boy Musician in Galveston, TX
Shane Speal
  • Sep 18, 2020
  • 2 min

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...
257 views1 comment
Cigar Box Guitar Heroes: Music legends and their cigar box guitars
Shane Speal
  • Sep 14, 2020
  • 6 min

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...
710 views0 comments
Henry Wood's Cigar Box Violin Story, 1940's
Shane Speal
  • Sep 4, 2020
  • 1 min

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...
125 views1 comment
Is this the original Hurdy Gurdy Man?
Shane Speal
  • Sep 4, 2020
  • 3 min

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
128 views1 comment

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