Create Your Own Musical Instrument: Crafting Cigar Box Guitars, Frying Pan Banjos, and Other DIY Instruments

moonzo46: I love this book a lot of interesting stories and pictures.

United States on Mar 25, 2023

allan c robertson: Shane gives you the history of the Cigar Box Guitar, great pictures and easy to follow step -by -step instructions. The book is easy to read and is full of great ideas for the DYIer that wants to try and build a handmade instrument. I highly recommend !!! Thanks Shane, I have 6 beer can microphones on the go right now !!

Canada on Jan 17, 2023

Cpt. Tater Chip: Price was good until I realized the book isn't at all what I thought it was still had a bit of what I was looking for though, still a cool book

United States on Jan 08, 2023

João Ricardo Kindle: Fonte de ótimas ideais!

Brazil on Dec 19, 2022

John PJohn P: Excellent and interesting reference book, full of tips and hints to build your own guitars and other instruments. Shane Speal has been building and performing with home made instruments like these for years and years so he's got plenty of experience to share.
I've built the one in the photos, and have already selected my next projects which I would never have thought of before reading this book.

United Kingdom on Jan 13, 2021

McBrian: At first I was disappointed as I was hoping for more “How To’s” & saw it was more like a “collection of cool weird instruments” - BUT I quickly got drawn into all the creativity and it ended up inspiring me for some of my guitar builds. Great if you want to see “out of the box” design & aren’t expecting a bunch of manuals, & and aren’t looking for how to become a master luthier. It’s bursting with fun, creative instruments

United States on Jul 24, 2020

Jon Bennett: OK, if you want to make some music without spending a fortune then this is the book for you. The second chapter covers building the cigar box guitar, which you can do for about $30 (wood for the neck, tuners, and strings). Other chapters cover making other instruments such as a 2X4 lap-steel guitar, canjo, and a single-string upright washtub bass (the musical instrument - not the fish). He also covers some history, performance, and general lore.

United States on Mar 21, 2020

Michael Koszler: Shane Speal hat hunderte von Zigarren Box Gitarren gebaut. Die Bauweise ist derb und roh. Das muss man mögen. Das soll aber niemanden daran hindern schöner zu bauen. Bei der Umrechnung von Zoll auf das Metrische System haben sich viele Fehler eingeschlichen, z.B. wird eine Hozleiste mit 2x4" umgerechnet auf 38x89 mm. Das ist falsch. 2x4 Zoll sind ungefähr 50x100 mm. 1 Zoll sind 2,54 cm. 1/4 Zoll wird mit 2/3 cm umgerechnet, das ist zwar nicht falsch, aber keine übliche Schreibweise, es sollte heissen 6,35mm. Seien wir doch froh, dass wir im Metrischen System keine Brüche haben! Leider auch Fehler bei der Angabe über die Abstände der Bundstäbe im Anhang: 1,2 Zoll sind nicht 245 mm, sondern 30,48 mm. Im Internet gibt es Tabellen mit den Abständen der Bünde bei der jeweiligen Mensur (Saitenlänge), zu finden z.B. unter "FRET CALCULATOR", es gibt es auch eine App fürs Handy, sehr praktisch in der Werkstatt! Hier habe ich noch keine Fehler entdeckt.
Sonst sehr nett gestaltetes Buch mit schönen Fotos, persönlichen Geschichten des Autors und anderer Musiker.

Germany on Jul 27, 2019

Mike Whitfield: It’s a pretty good book, nice pictures interspaced with personal anecdotes, stories about builders, and build directions. Fair warning: Shane loves the crude, low fidelity end of homemade instruments. So you won’t find useful build info on better quality instruments here, nothing on truss rods or dimensions on six string versions. For that matter, there’s not a wealth of dimensional info for anything; Shane likes the more rough and tumble, anything goes method. If this describes you, then this is your book. If this isn’t you, but you’re still interested in cigar box guitars, you’ll still enjoy reading the book, it just won’t be very useful. You’ll probably see something that you’ll be interested in building or playing anyway.

United States on Dec 27, 2018

Len: I've been looking forward to this book since I pre-ordered it. Although I get a little turned off from Shane Speal because I find him a little in your face when it comes to his, "brought to you by Stubby Slides", etc, etc, he certainly knows his stuff.
This book shows his love for these magical little guitars and everything associated with them. I have only spent a hour flipping through but it is full of tricks and tips, as well as a few builds.
You get loads of ideas regarding playing, as well as percussion. Also there is a good bit of history thrown in.
Often you get bogged down with books but Shane has kept it interesting with lots of clear photos and has kept instructions clear. He has even given measurements in metric along with imperial which saves converting all the time. There is enough in here to start your own one man band!
A fantastic book by one of the most knowledgeable people out there.

Well worth the wait.

United Kingdom on Oct 13, 2018