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The Boat Oar Two-String Guitar by Shane Speal
Shane Speal
  • 2 days ago
  • 1 min

The Boat Oar Two-String Guitar by Shane Speal

A two-string slide guitar made from a canoe paddle. Built by Shane Speal. How to build link included
83 views0 comments
Make a Tin Pan Banjo - 1923
Shane Speal
  • Apr 8
  • 2 min

Make a Tin Pan Banjo - 1923

Vintage plans from 1923 showing a simple banjo made from a tin pie pan.
702 views2 comments
Build a Cigar Box Greek Lyre - 1927
Shane Speal
  • Mar 25
  • 6 min

Build a Cigar Box Greek Lyre - 1927

Build an eight-string lyre with cigar box resonator. The plans call for zither pin style pegs and a wooden frame.
209 views2 comments
How to Make a Cigar Box Lute - 1927
Shane Speal
  • Mar 17
  • 6 min

How to Make a Cigar Box Lute - 1927

How to build a fretless, four string cigar box instrument. Full parts list & step-by-step diagrams. From 1927
391 views2 comments
Build Your Own Hamdolin
Shane Speal
  • Mar 15
  • 12 min

Build Your Own Hamdolin

Build an 8 string mandolin from the tin of a canned ham. Common hardware store parts used. Full instructions.
502 views6 comments
Make An Electric Echo Mic from a Toy & Piezo!
Shane Speal
  • Jan 28
  • 1 min

Make An Electric Echo Mic from a Toy & Piezo!

Here's an easy project that will give you a goofy electric echo microphone that you can use for cool effects in a recording or on stage.
350 views14 comments
Download This Tracing of the Little Joe Instrument to Design Your Own
Shane Speal
  • Jan 9
  • 1 min

Download This Tracing of the Little Joe Instrument to Design Your Own

Several people asked about measurements of the Little Joe banjo, so I traced it and made a PDF. Download it here
378 views4 comments
How to Build The Mailbox Guitar
Shane Speal
  • Jan 1
  • 4 min

How to Build The Mailbox Guitar

A look inside the Mailbox Guitar reveals an extremely simple bracing system made from poplar scraps. The wood was leftover from some cigar
256 views7 comments
VIDEO: How to Make Old Time Copper Wire Frets
Shane Speal
  • Dec 29, 2021
  • 1 min

VIDEO: How to Make Old Time Copper Wire Frets

Create frets for cigar box guitars using copper wire from a craft store. Tools: hammer & needle nose pliers.
327 views3 comments
A Simple Scarf Joint Glue-Up Jig for Cigar Box Guitars
Shane Speal
  • Dec 27, 2021
  • 2 min

A Simple Scarf Joint Glue-Up Jig for Cigar Box Guitars

This simple hinged board gets perfect glue joints on cigar box guitar headstocks. Easy design for any builder.
1,001 views7 comments
Build This Styrofoam Beer Cooler Ukulele
Shane Speal
  • Dec 27, 2021
  • 3 min

Build This Styrofoam Beer Cooler Ukulele

Ukulele body is made from an actual styrofoam beer cooler... and it sounds great! This has got to be the most freakish-looking uke ever!
238 views3 comments
How to Build a Found Object Electric Guitar
Shane Speal
  • Dec 26, 2021
  • 2 min

How to Build a Found Object Electric Guitar

This strange instrument was built in an hour using an antique bellows handle and several modern cigar box guitar parts.
340 views9 comments
Printable 23" Fretting Template from the Book, "Making Poor Man's Guitars"
Shane Speal
  • Dec 22, 2021
  • 1 min

Printable 23" Fretting Template from the Book, "Making Poor Man's Guitars"

Download and print this page for an easy to use 23" fretting scale template, as shown on page 173 of Making Poor Man's Guitars.
686 views0 comments
VIDEO: I Put an $85 Lace Pickup in the Worst Cigar Box Guitar!
Shane Speal
  • Dec 22, 2021
  • 1 min

VIDEO: I Put an $85 Lace Pickup in the Worst Cigar Box Guitar!

I put a Lace Alumitone Matchbook pickup in a $25 cigar box guitar! This has to be the most unfair gear review ever! This was my version o
474 views7 comments
How to Build a Lo-Fi Telephone Mic - Easy project!
Shane Speal
  • Dec 21, 2021
  • 1 min

How to Build a Lo-Fi Telephone Mic - Easy project!

The mic is perfect for blues harmonica or lo-fi vocals...and all you need is an old handset and guitar jack. Follow along with the video.
139 views3 comments
How to Make Your Acoustic Cigar Box Guitar Louder with a Resonator
Shane Speal
  • Feb 16, 2021
  • 1 min

How to Make Your Acoustic Cigar Box Guitar Louder with a Resonator

Have you ever noticed the wooden back piece of a conventional banjo. These are called resonators and their job is to keep the sound...
1,098 views2 comments
How to Build a One-String Vibro Fiddle - 1937
Shane Speal
  • Oct 16, 2020
  • 2 min

How to Build a One-String Vibro Fiddle - 1937

These plans for an experimental diddley bow use an electric door bell clapper as a Dick Dale-style hyper tremolo picker. Fascinating...
1,673 views3 comments
How to Make a Pre-Blues Cigar Box Violin
Shane Speal
  • Oct 5, 2020
  • 5 min

How to Make a Pre-Blues Cigar Box Violin

Before the blues showed up in the 1920's, there were minstrel shows and Vaudeville theater. Central to many of these shows was a...
1,079 views1 comment
How to Make a Simple Diddley Bow Pickup
Shane Speal
  • Sep 29, 2020
  • 2 min

How to Make a Simple Diddley Bow Pickup

This is probably the easiest electric diddley bow pickup/bridge combo I've ever seen. It is based on a one-string "diddley bow" guitar...
2,096 views3 comments
How to Build a Super Tub Bass (an improved upright gutbucket bass)
Shane Speal
  • Sep 25, 2020
  • 2 min

How to Build a Super Tub Bass (an improved upright gutbucket bass)

An old time cigar box guitar sometimes needs some accompaniment, so we offer some classic free plans for a hot-rodded washtub bass guitar....
2,298 views4 comments
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