Poor Man's GuitaR

Derick Kemper, harmonica player for Shane Speal's Snake Oil Band returns to the insane blacksmithing show, Man At Arms: Reforged.  The second episode has just been released and Derick is creating a massive sword along with the cast.  Scroll down…

I'm proud to announce the all new CigarBoxGuitars.com, the Encyclopedia of the Cigar Box Guitar. 

This website was created over 16 years ago by fellow cigar box guitar enthusiast, Ian "Scotty" Scott and it served as the foundation for…

An excerpt from Shane Speal's Book, Making Poor Man's Guitars.  (purchase here.)

Two of the most freakish guitars in my extremely weird guitar collection are by Tone-A-Cane Copper Pipe Guitars and Pete Regan’s Metal Guitars. Both are crafted using metal…

We're thrilled to announce the new season of the wild blacksmithing tv show, Man At Arms: Reforged which features our harmonica player, Derick Kemper!  The first episode has just been released this morning.  Scroll down to watch.

Kemper is a…

In The Partscaster Cookbook, Shane Speal, shows you how to build wild electric guitars from junked guitars, new guitar kits, miscellaneous parts and unusual found objects! 

• Step-by-step details on a Telecaster style guitar with a Mexican "Day of the…

Here's a quick warning to any of my small biz friends in the instrument and arts & crafts world:  When Paypal offers to give you a loan, don't do it!

Paypal Working Capital offers loans to qualified users which is…

Daniel Hulbert of Circuits and Strings network is one of my favorite people on the internet.  Every week, he makes something new, from innovative travel ukuleles and other music inventions to experiments in 3D printing and more.  Each project is…

For the past month, C. B. Gitty, CigarBoxNation.com and PoorMansGuitar.com has hosted an instrument build-off, encouraging people to use this time of quarantine to make some beautiful music art. 

The first winners have been selected from random entries in Facebook,…

Brian Revels of Eclectic Upcycled Crafts & Primitive Music (Dallas, NC) recently created this awesome six guitar stand using a large wooden wire spool, sole carpeting and caster wheels.  The result is a totally funky, yet functional space-saving guitar stand.

…

LIFE IS ABOUT TO GET GOOD.  Are you ready for post-COVID-19?  Is the Church ready?  

I don't think so...

Let's face the facts: the virus will go away at some point.  Are we preparing for what's next?  Are we preparing…

Legendary ska bassist, Horace Panter (aka "Sir Horace Gentleman") recently laid down some cigar box guitar tracks for a star-studded video tribute to Sandy Nelson's song, "Let There Be Drums."  Panter is using a 3-string license plate guitar that I…

Many fans of Shane Speal's Snake Oil Band know my son, Shane Jr. (aka "Deuce") as our stunt drummer, appearing in many of my shows throughout the years.  In addition to being a percussionist, he is a sought-after hip hop…

Ten years ago, I lost my job due to downsizing.  I had a great career in marketing for a company that I loved.  But then they sold out to a large corporation and *poof,* my job was gone.

The first…

These are the oldest known cigar box banjo plans in existence and were written by the founder of the Boy Scouts, Daniel Carter Beard.  They were originally published as part of the story, Christmas Eve with Uncle Enos in newspapers…

If you've seen my concerts in the last year or two, you'll most likely remember the crazy Exit Sign guitar I pull out for "Big Leg Woman (Swing the Hammer)," "Strung Out, Drunk and Busted," "Purple Rain" and "Into the…

Announcement:  Your instruments can be props as much as playable instruments!  This pair is the perfect example.

I've seen many instruments created to give a "steampunk" look, a style that mixes Victorian Era aesthetics with futuristic robotics and technology.  The…

In my book, Making Poor Man's Guitars, I show how to make a microphone from a beer can, Mason jar lid and piezo elements.  This project is even easier than the beer can mic!  

The mic is perfect for blues…

"I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me.” — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 

Ah, junk guitars…I just can’t…

If you're a musician looking for a sound, there are no rules on how you get there. Eddie Van Halen and Les Paul are icons when it comes to hacked and modded instruments.  For example, Eddie Van Halen donated a…

Today, I'm answering a question from a reader: 

Dear Shane: Is it better to learn on a cigar box guitar that has a fretted neck or one that's played with a slide? 

That’s a great question! When I built my…