If you plan to play or build cigar box guitars it’s a good idea to be familiar with the guitar parts, terms and their related definitions. As did my research to get started with this hobby I came to realize two things I think are important to share.
Terms and definitions
The first was that I needed to learn the terms and definitions being used so I knew what the heck was being discussed. I felt I needed to do this so I didn’t assume a definition that was wrong, and therefore I would end up being even more dis-informed than I might already be. The way I looked at it, it was my responsibility to do this so I didn’t falsely accuse my sources or falsely assume I got bad info off the web as I did my research. For example there is a bridge and a saddle. The two work together to support your strings down close to the tail, but I came to quickly learn those two terms were not interchangeable as I had assumed. Working together, they both serve two very different and important purposes related to the proper construction and playability of a cigar box guitar. Until I knew the difference I was in some ways misinterpreting some of my research. Trust me that can lead to mistakes when building a cigar box guitar. And, sometimes those mistakes may make your build unusable, causing a lot of wasted time and materials. You might even render that awesome cigar box you finally snagged no longer useable!
Learn to filter the info you gather
The second thing I came to learn was that there is a lot of information out there being shared by people, who maybe like I was, and not on purpose, are misinformed. I found many are using the wrong terms or assuming the wrong definitions for these terms as they share their expertise. I do want to be clear. I am not making judgement of them. I look at it as they are doing a great service for me and the rest of the cigar box community by offering their knowledge and experiences. As I stated above, I feel it is my responsibility to know and be clear about these terms and definitions. That way I can filter through the research I’m doing in an informative and confident way. And, when I question what I am hearing or seeing, I can always refer back to a source of accurate information to make sure I am filtering my research properly.
Learning choices
As an educator myself during my career I know people have preferences that work better for them about the way they want to learn and take in information. Some people prefer to read to learn, other prefer to watch videos, and still others prefer to learn by doing. Keep in mind however if you only learn by doing you may spend a lot of time in the Cigar Box School of Hard Knocks! If you’re looking for sources here are two to start with, they were certainly helpful for me. CigarBoxGuitar.com offers a Cigar Box Glossary in a searchable form with an organized list of terms you can click on. So it’s a good one to go to for finding that one definition you’re looking for. If you prefer videos check out the one below by Michael Bianconi of Southern Fire Guitars titled Beginner Basic – Cigar Box Guitar Terminology. I found it to be a great overview. Seeing the guitar parts and their purpose as you learn the terms can really help understand the big picture about how to build or even adjust a cigar box guitar you already own. Plus, the guy is definitely an interesting and entertaining character for sure.