News
Ben's Blog: "The Place You Want To Be"
Inspired by a customer's photograph, C. B. Gitty owner, Ben Baker takes a moment to concentrate on why we make these instruments, kits and parts. Sometimes, you see a snapshot of a time and place, a little slice of life, and immediately realize
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18th May 2021
VIDEO: Brett Gardner Plays Jazz on His Custom Hubcap Howler
When we developed the Hubcap Howler, word started getting around the Gitty workshop that this was going to be one of the most unique, old-time sounding kits. At some point, one of us said, "we should send one of these to Brett Gardner and
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14th May 2021
Youtube Superstar Plays CBGitty.com Canjo - and It's AWESOME!
Youtube guitar sensation, Samurai Guitarist has just published a new video featuring "ridiculous" instruments he purchased on Etsy. One of those instruments just happened to be a C. B. Gitty one-string Canjo! The canjo was actually t
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19th Apr 2021
![[Video & Photos] Green Heron's Banjofiddle Mutant Instrument](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jpvnhi/images/stencil/160w/uploaded_images/banjofiddle.jpg?t=1618427201 "[Video & Photos] Green Heron's Banjofiddle Mutant Instrument")
[Video & Photos] Green Heron's Banjofiddle Mutant Instrument
We recently got to know Scott & Betsy Heron of the duo, Green Heron at a gig up here in New Hampshire. Since then, they've appeared on the Gitty Gang show a few times and have quickly become good friends.When we created the 2021 Musical Mutants B
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15th Apr 2021
![[Video & Photos] Jim Morris' Homemade Stroh Violin - Musical Mutant Contest Entry](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jpvnhi/images/stencil/160w/uploaded_images/stroh.jpg?t=1618426059 "[Video & Photos] Jim Morris' Homemade Stroh Violin - Musical Mutant Contest Entry")
[Video & Photos] Jim Morris' Homemade Stroh Violin - Musical Mutant Contest Entry
In the early days of musical recordings, singers and instruments needed to be loud and direct enough to project the music in the acoustic horns or primitive recording equipment. The violin, in particular, was an instrument that needed extra hel
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14th Apr 2021
![[Video & Photos] The Phono-Uke - A Musical Mutant That Combines a Ukulele & Antique Horn](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jpvnhi/images/stencil/160w/uploaded_images/phono-uke.jpg?t=1618419162 "[Video & Photos] The Phono-Uke - A Musical Mutant That Combines a Ukulele & Antique Horn")
[Video & Photos] The Phono-Uke - A Musical Mutant That Combines a Ukulele & Antique Horn
Unbeknownst to most historians Hawaiian music was all the rage during the Steampunk Era. Introducing the Phono-Uke, a wild instrument created by Benand Nellie for our 2021 Musical Mutant Build-Off. Nellie says, I call it a 'Phono-Uke
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14th Apr 2021
The Gittybucker Guitar! Loaded with the all new Gittybucker Pickup
We were so excited about the all new Gittybucker thin cigar box guitar pickups, we sent one down to Shane Speal for him to test it out. Little did we know he'd create an entire guitar around a single pickup! Check out the video
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8th Apr 2021
The Reso-Electro Project Pt 4: Final Touches
Let's finish this axe up with a look at the final assembly parts and some tips on preventing a "cheese grater" playing surface. Unlike past blogs, this entire chapter is in video form.Missed Chapter 3? See it here.This is such a fantastic ci
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2nd Apr 2021
The Reso-Electro Cigar Box Guitar Project - Pt. 3: Create This Pearloid Headstock
I found myself making cool, creative choices 'on the fly' as I built this cigar box guitar. From the body layout down to the string and tuning choices, this axe was just a thrill to build. (Click here for Part 2)Perhaps the coolest creati
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22nd Mar 2021
The Reso-Electro Cigar Box Guitar Project - Pt. 2: Fitting Neck to Cigar Body + Location of Hubcap Reso
Part 2 in Shane Speal's four-string cigar box guitar project shows how to properly align the neck to the center of the Hubcap resonator cone. It also shows a great way to notch out a neck using a Forstner bit on a drill press. The
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16th Mar 2021
The Reso-Electro Cigar Box Guitar Project - Pt. 1: Intro, Parts and Layout
Shane Speal's latest four-string cigar box guitar combines a wide array of CBGitty.com parts into an alternate-reality, retro blues machine. Follow along as he describes the gumbo of parts, techniques and creative ideas behind it. Here
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11th Mar 2021
CONTEST! THE Musical Mutants Build-Off by CBGitty.com - Mix Two or More Instruments Into One New Creation!
Our most outrageous contest yet!
OVERVIEW: Invent & build a new musical instrument that combines elements from at least two other musical instruments. Submissions accepted as photos and/or videos. We will award gift certificate prizes for th
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4th Feb 2021
Top 5 Weirdest Mutant Musical Instruments
In celebration of our Mutant Musical Instrument Build-Off, we've put together a Top 5 list of the weirdest musical inventions that combine elements from two or more instruments. Got something weirder? Post it in the Friends of C. B.
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4th Feb 2021
Samantha Fish CBG Fest Video FINALISTS Pt. 4
NOTE: The videos in this series of 4 posts represent the top 20 finalists for the Samantha Fish Video Contest as chosen by the organizers.Part 4 of 4. C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply proudly supports the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar
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18th Jan 2021
Samantha Fish CBG Fest Video FINALISTS Pt. 3
NOTE: The videos in this series of 4 posts represent the top 20 finalists for the Samantha Fish Video Contest as chosen by the organizers.Part 3 of 4. C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply proudly supports the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival.
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14th Jan 2021
Samantha Fish CBG Fest Video FINALISTS Pt 2
NOTE: The videos in this series of 4 posts represent the top 20 finalists for the Samantha Fish Video Contest as chosen by the organizers.Part 2 of 4. See Part 1 here.C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply proudly supports the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guita
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11th Jan 2021
PART 1 - CBGitty.com Presents the Video FINALISTS for the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival
NOTE: The videos in this series of 4 posts represent the top 20 finalists for the Samantha Fish Video Contest as chosen by the organizers.C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply proudly supports the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival. The
festival
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7th Jan 2021
How to Transform a C. B. Gitty Gold Foil Soundhole Pickup into a Vintage Top-Mount Pickup
The C. B. Gitty Gold Foil acoustic pickup is one of the most versatile and easiest magnetic pickups to mod for cigar box guitars.
They're deliciously cheap and I always have a half dozen of them in my woodshop at any time. It should
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18th Nov 2020
2020 Banjo Build-Off: First round of winners announced!
We’ve been buried in entries for the 2020 Banjo Build-Off! This week, we’re going to announce the first sets of winners.Anybody who entered through Cigar Box Nation dot com, Instagram or our Friends of C. B. Gitty group on Facebook had a chance for a
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6th Nov 2020
Building the "Baker's Friend" Guitar - A Photo Diary
Just as A. E. Staley's baking powder worked wondrous transformations in bakers' recipes a century ago, so a hearty measure of artistry transformed an old packing crate into this beautiful heirloom guitar.
Wooden crates were once the mainst
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29th Sep 2020