NGD four string cigar box guitar!

[mojosman]

My brother came home for a visit over the weekend. He builds cigar box guitars for a hobby. They come out pretty cool. We live quite a distance from each other, so I've only seen most of them on Facebook. He brought four of them with him as gifts.

He gave me one with a humbucker pickup. Four strings with red oak neck and fretboard, and little skull shaped tuners. It's very cool.

I need help. It came tuned to some chord, but had lost its pitch at some point. I tried tuning it like a normal guitar, but didn't like it. I now have it tuned to open G, like the middle four strings of a six string. I can't play slide, and I have no experience playing in open tuning. Please, any advice is welcome.

So far I'm having fun picking on it and trying to learn. He gave one to another friend of his who is a better player than I am. He plugged into my amp and played slide with the back of a folding knife. It sounded awesome. Thanks.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

Wow, super cool!

If I had that, I would probably tune it to E-A-D-G (same as a bass or the bottom four strings of a six-string). From there you could experiment with some basic open chord tunings. You could also try a banjo/mandolin/violin tuning interval: G-D-A-E, but you'll confuse yourself moving between a standard guitar tuning and this.

Something like that would be perfect to build a little amp right into. I've dismembered one of these "mini Fender" amps with that goal in mind:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/fender-57-mini-twin-amp

What kind of pickup is in it?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

I'd tune it like a tenor guitar . . . CGDA. Then you can play the same chord shapes as a mandolin/cello/violin:

http://www.tenorguitar.com/basic.html

 

[mojosman]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

I'd tune it like a tenor guitar . . . CGDA. Then you can play the same chord shapes as a mandolin/cello/violin:

http://www.tenorguitar.com/basic.html

Thanks.. That's good advice. I have a mandolin chord chart. I didn't even think of that.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

thats cool! I never paid much attention to guitars like this, but after watching a live performance of Seasick Steve, it amazes me how much music he gets out of the oddest things..

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

Here id mine, they are a lot of fun I built this one last year, I've learn a lot more since then but still they are a lot of fun.

 

[Matt42]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

My brother makes them also. They are really fun to play.

As far as tips for slide, practice a ton to make sure your intonation is good, and try to find a comfortable slide. You wont want to play much slide if you don't like how your slide feels.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

I could teach a 6 y/o how to play 3 string in a hour. Super easy to play lots of fun!

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

Those are really cool, but I can't say I've ever seen anyone play anything other than slide on one.

I like this guy.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

 

[Artie]

Re: NGD four string cigar box guitar!

These are something I've been interested in ever since discovering this webpage. I've gathered up lots of cigar boxes. Just haven't built one yet.

These things are cool though. I love the ones your brother built.