Episodes

  • Three-foot-long diddley bow demo

    Three-foot-long diddley bow demo
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode, I describe a single-stringed instrument called a "Diddley bow" and play some improvised blues riffs. The Diddley bow is typical of the American Southern States and is often associated with blues music. The simplest Diddley bow consists of the side of a house or a wood board, two nails, a length of wire and something serving as a bridge, such as a small rock, glass bottle or jar. My Diddley bow features a three-foot-long piece of lumber, two sixteen penny nails, two two-inch common nails, a piece of picture wire, a mini-paint can, a piece of scrap wood, a wood block and an L bracket. The wood block and L bracket keep the can from moving around. The scrap wood nut is held in place with wood screws. In addition, my Diddley bow features a guitar pickup.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues riffs on an acoustic cigar box Diddley bow

    Blues riffs on an acoustic cigar box Diddley bow
    Aug 7 2025
    In this episode, I play a cigar box Diddley bow. This is a single-stringed instrument similar to a guitar. My source of inspiration was a similar instrument I built from a kit.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues riffs on cigar box bass with broom stick neck

    Blues riffs on cigar box bass with broom stick neck
    Jul 20 2025
    In this episode, I play some blues riffs on a homemade cigar box bass featuring a broom stick neck, steel wire string, a screw eye, an eyebolt with accompanying nut, two washers and a wing nut, along with a scrap wood bridge.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues on a two-string cigar box guitar

    Blues on a two-string cigar box guitar
    Apr 26 2025
    In this episode, I play some improvised blues riffs on a two-string cigar box guitar of my own design. A previous episode features a similar instrument. The only difference is probably just the cigar box I used to build the instruments and possibly the actual strings I used, along with the respective tunings.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues riffs on two string cigar box guitar

    Blues riffs on two string cigar box guitar
    Apr 26 2025
    In this episode, I play some blues riffs on a two-string fretless two-string cigar box guitar of my own design. This instrument features tuners consisting of eye bolts with accompanying nuts, wing nuts and washers.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues riffs on a cigar box guitar with zither pin tuner and screw eye for a nut

    Blues riffs on a cigar box guitar with zither pin tuner and screw eye for a nut
    Apr 13 2025
    In this episode, I play an experimental cigar box guitar with one string, a zither pin for a tuner and a small screw eye for a nut.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues on a one-string cigar box fiddle

    Blues on a one-string cigar box fiddle
    Apr 13 2025
    In this episode, I play a one-string cigar box fiddle of my own design. Here I play the instrument as if it was a guitar, such as a cigar box guitar, instead of as a fiddle or a violin.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins
  • Blues riffs on three string acoustic cigar box guitar

    Blues riffs on three string acoustic cigar box guitar
    Apr 13 2025
    In this episode, I play an acoustic three string cigar box guitar of my own design. Most of the parts, specifically the neck, bridge, strings and tuners, come by way of a local supplier of cigar box guitars, kits and parts.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    2 mins