| EMAIL ME at john@reddogguitars.com OR CALL: JOHN 1-787-671-9790 |
Red Dog Guitars Copyright © 1997 MADE IN AMERICA. All rights AVAILABLE, feel free to cut, copy and paste any guitars you see on this site... be sure to tell 'em it's a Red Dog!!! |
click below to continue, the GOOD STUFF is yet to come
check out my 3 string guitars and 4 string killers>>>
check out my 3 string guitars and 4 string killers>>>
| This is where the "Blues" all started at...the American Southern Delta, a cigar box, a stick and homemade music! This photo is dated 1868 "George D Flynn Jr.Fall River MA" by, L.Rupert |
In this video I play an old fashioned 3 string homemade cigarbox guitar. Many of the Legends of
Blues and Country music got there start in music on a simple 3 string guitars and 4 string homemade
cigar box guitars. It's why their music was so distinctive and it's a sound that can't be made on a 6
string guitar. If you listen closely to the sound of a cigar box guitar you'll immediately hear many
familiar sounds that have seeped into our modern music, the origins of these tonal qualities are not
found on regular 6 string guitars. The reason is simple, Early American music is derived from the
banjo (4string) whereas modern 6 string music is tuned and derived from the Spanish guitar. For
Blues, 4 string is the root, that's why it's is difficult to recreate early Delta Blues on a 6 string. That's
also the reason why when you hear a simple blues licks played on a guitar with 6 strings it just
doesn't sound as authentic as the sounds you would have heard in the 1880's.
The main reason it's so difficult to get a vintage sound from guitars with 6 strings is that in late 1800's
and early 1900's the banjo and Tenor guitar (4 string guitar) was the base of Folk music in America,
the Parlor (6 string guitar) had not become popular yet, In a 6 string guitar the octaves repeat and
during play, even when you don't pluck certain strings as you play and move up and down the neck,
the notes compete with the open strings. By moving from string to string you lose the long vibrato
which is key for that trademark "bluesy" sound that is easier to express on 4 strings or less. With a
platform of less strings you can achieve that "slack" sound that provides the dissonance that is
distinctly "folksy' or "early American" without using European 6 string (Spanish) guitar scales, chords
and voicings. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and all those guitarsligers sound great,
yes, and yes there music is found in the "Blues" section of the music store, but there not really
playing anything that would be truly defined as "The Blues."
Now, yes I have my own personal taste in music that might differ from yours, I like 3 the string guitar.
To me great Blues is 1920's and 30's ...Allot of people see Son House, Hopkins, Mississippi John
Hurt and the all those Blues Revival greats reborn in 1960's and say, "Hey, he's playing a Strat or
Dobro, that's the Blues!"...I am sorry to say that isn't were the Blues started, that was some 60 year
old guys with guitars there managers gave to them. Stratocasters and Dobros were expensive even
back then!
But before then, in simpler times and poverty there was the cigar box guitar. Playing one will take
your sound back to a time long before electricity and before the Resonator was even invented. The
rural South and the roots of the Blues. As for me I really like the that primitive, gritty, homespun sound
and that's why I follow tradition and build mostly 3 and 4 string guitars. That truly vintage sound will
never happen on something bought in the store, it will sound way too sanitary, generic and
precise....there's nothing wrong with a great store bought guitar.... but for me that completely misses
the point of trying to recreate what might have been played 100 years ago.
If you would like to play Delta Blues, it's "airiness" that you hear comes from the music's simplicity, it's
not suppose to be complicated, over refined, lickity split fretted notes, complicated jazz chords and
scales, beefed up high power, or masked with computer effects. A great cigar box guitar sounds best
as just slide 'n play ....plus, for the guitarist, what more could be easier than playing simple slide
guitar with a pluck here and there??? It's basically one finger guitar!...Just connect the dots in your
mind up and down the strings as you play, add slide and you've got that sound you've been after all
those years but just couldn't never find it no matter what guitar you've bought before.
That is the key and link to the Delta Blues that has long been forgotten in the mass market guitar
world.
Blues and Country music got there start in music on a simple 3 string guitars and 4 string homemade
cigar box guitars. It's why their music was so distinctive and it's a sound that can't be made on a 6
string guitar. If you listen closely to the sound of a cigar box guitar you'll immediately hear many
familiar sounds that have seeped into our modern music, the origins of these tonal qualities are not
found on regular 6 string guitars. The reason is simple, Early American music is derived from the
banjo (4string) whereas modern 6 string music is tuned and derived from the Spanish guitar. For
Blues, 4 string is the root, that's why it's is difficult to recreate early Delta Blues on a 6 string. That's
also the reason why when you hear a simple blues licks played on a guitar with 6 strings it just
doesn't sound as authentic as the sounds you would have heard in the 1880's.
The main reason it's so difficult to get a vintage sound from guitars with 6 strings is that in late 1800's
and early 1900's the banjo and Tenor guitar (4 string guitar) was the base of Folk music in America,
the Parlor (6 string guitar) had not become popular yet, In a 6 string guitar the octaves repeat and
during play, even when you don't pluck certain strings as you play and move up and down the neck,
the notes compete with the open strings. By moving from string to string you lose the long vibrato
which is key for that trademark "bluesy" sound that is easier to express on 4 strings or less. With a
platform of less strings you can achieve that "slack" sound that provides the dissonance that is
distinctly "folksy' or "early American" without using European 6 string (Spanish) guitar scales, chords
and voicings. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and all those guitarsligers sound great,
yes, and yes there music is found in the "Blues" section of the music store, but there not really
playing anything that would be truly defined as "The Blues."
Now, yes I have my own personal taste in music that might differ from yours, I like 3 the string guitar.
To me great Blues is 1920's and 30's ...Allot of people see Son House, Hopkins, Mississippi John
Hurt and the all those Blues Revival greats reborn in 1960's and say, "Hey, he's playing a Strat or
Dobro, that's the Blues!"...I am sorry to say that isn't were the Blues started, that was some 60 year
old guys with guitars there managers gave to them. Stratocasters and Dobros were expensive even
back then!
But before then, in simpler times and poverty there was the cigar box guitar. Playing one will take
your sound back to a time long before electricity and before the Resonator was even invented. The
rural South and the roots of the Blues. As for me I really like the that primitive, gritty, homespun sound
and that's why I follow tradition and build mostly 3 and 4 string guitars. That truly vintage sound will
never happen on something bought in the store, it will sound way too sanitary, generic and
precise....there's nothing wrong with a great store bought guitar.... but for me that completely misses
the point of trying to recreate what might have been played 100 years ago.
If you would like to play Delta Blues, it's "airiness" that you hear comes from the music's simplicity, it's
not suppose to be complicated, over refined, lickity split fretted notes, complicated jazz chords and
scales, beefed up high power, or masked with computer effects. A great cigar box guitar sounds best
as just slide 'n play ....plus, for the guitarist, what more could be easier than playing simple slide
guitar with a pluck here and there??? It's basically one finger guitar!...Just connect the dots in your
mind up and down the strings as you play, add slide and you've got that sound you've been after all
those years but just couldn't never find it no matter what guitar you've bought before.
That is the key and link to the Delta Blues that has long been forgotten in the mass market guitar
world.
Cigar box guitars traditionally had only 3 or
4 strings, rarely if ever did they have 6,
check out the museum to see the many 4
string examples in history.
In this guitar below I wanted to recreate what
I've see in early photos and give the closest
possible sound to what it might have
sounded like in 1868.
4 strings, rarely if ever did they have 6,
check out the museum to see the many 4
string examples in history.
In this guitar below I wanted to recreate what
I've see in early photos and give the closest
possible sound to what it might have
sounded like in 1868.
| Stop!!!! Go no further until you watch this short video below It's a must see, you won't believe it's not butter! |
It seems the music world has moved on to a different sound a feel and I am but a builder of Dinosaurs. It's sad
that machines have taken over the craftsman's hand and eye.....but, if your tired of seeing the same old store
bought guitars you'll love the real American Bo Diddley guitars I have made in the past.........Hey, here's an
idea????...instead of strumming air guitar in your tube socks when no ones home, call me and I can send you
something alot more funner to play!
that machines have taken over the craftsman's hand and eye.....but, if your tired of seeing the same old store
bought guitars you'll love the real American Bo Diddley guitars I have made in the past.........Hey, here's an
idea????...instead of strumming air guitar in your tube socks when no ones home, call me and I can send you
something alot more funner to play!
Check out my Left handed guitars and Dobros
I've spent many years teaching myself the ins and outs of building Left handed cigar
box guitars, I myself am right handed but if you are a lefty I can still build you
something you'll totally love!.....Email me anytime at john@reddogguitars.com
I've spent many years teaching myself the ins and outs of building Left handed cigar
box guitars, I myself am right handed but if you are a lefty I can still build you
something you'll totally love!.....Email me anytime at john@reddogguitars.com
Another one of Paw Paw's Dobros
He love's pickin' on de porch!
This is Paw paws Dobro. I have made countless of these and these rank high on
my list of favorite guitars to make. They are almost the same as another guitar I
make alot called the the "Delta Field Harp" except that I brace it slightly different to
give it more low end and sound a little more country...I guess to say more country
blues than a city blues that it has the sound scooped out of the bass.
Check out these few examples.
my list of favorite guitars to make. They are almost the same as another guitar I
make alot called the the "Delta Field Harp" except that I brace it slightly different to
give it more low end and sound a little more country...I guess to say more country
blues than a city blues that it has the sound scooped out of the bass.
Check out these few examples.
Here is one I just did a few weeks ago with a
Light maple stain. I also make them in 3 string.
Light maple stain. I also make them in 3 string.
If I have no sales pitch with any guitar I make or sale. I just make what ever comes to mind and
that is what it is. I don't do any custom work, I do not sign or number my guitars. The guitar itself
is the signature.
If this is the first time you've seen one of my guitars allow me to tell you about myself. I've never
been trained in any type of woodworking or luthier construction but I am a sought after guitar
builder due to my creativity. Since I'm not trained in any form of carpentry I prefer to call myself a
craftsman with a passion for history. I have been building all forms of homemade guitar since I
was in my early teen's, because of this and my experience and willingness to try something
unconventional is why I have gained an strong instinct of a guitars strengths and weakness and
what cigar box will work, and what ones will not.
I sell my guitars as playable art or "Outsider Art" that doesn't just rival Martin or Taylor but easily
outshines them in originality due to my construction themes. Of coarse there laser guided
machines produce much finer guitars then I will ever do...but I'm only going to make so many
guitars in my lifetime, so because of that I try to build the best to my capability and always try to
build better than I did before. There are allot of people in the collectible and Vintage Guitar market
that are switching from well built production assembly line guitars like Guild, Martin and Paul
Reed Smith to hand built guitars because of the quality and the fact that their a safer form of
investment as the market gets overly saturated with Fenders and Gibsons, or even worse copies.
Often people tell me they buy my guitars strictly in the since of rarity and the quality of a true Red
Dog Guitar's sound. Something I've spent many years to "coin" and build in my guitars. I am a one
person builder. Everything I do is by hand, pocketknife (ol' Timer or McCoy) wood file, sandpaper
and chisel. It's not because I don’t want to use power tools, but for the simple reason that I
achieve far, far superior results sanding and cutting by hand. I think machines are wonderful and
they help other people save time. But for me, they always seem to create a lot of dust and
because they work so fast they make me nervous when they start skipping and jumping around,
they always seem to cause more problems than they solve. By hand I am more in touch with the
instrument and believe it's a defining factor in any guitar's quality. I do not desire to build the
best...only to build the best to my ability that God has given me. I've built guitars for people all
over the world, there found in numerous art galleries and museums and I've sold them to just
about every type, from the Rich and Famous to the starving artist.
I say this in all modesty as best as I can convey without sounding either corny or boastful, this is
the God honest truth about the tone on these guitars I make, continue reading or just watch the
videos posted below, You can listen for yourself and decide if this is the style and type of music
that interests you or you would like to play.
Here below is a video example is Paw-Paw's Dobro, It is one of the most exquisite sounding
guitars ever made in America. It emphasizes tone, has rich harmonics, haunting sustain and
unsurpassed overtones that combine for astounding balance and exceptional volume for being
made with a used cigar box, This mixture allows for dynamics equaled by only a small handful of
extremely high-end, handmade guitars. Any guitar I have built is rarely ever tied for that true
vintage Blues sound, regardless of the maker or price.
that is what it is. I don't do any custom work, I do not sign or number my guitars. The guitar itself
is the signature.
If this is the first time you've seen one of my guitars allow me to tell you about myself. I've never
been trained in any type of woodworking or luthier construction but I am a sought after guitar
builder due to my creativity. Since I'm not trained in any form of carpentry I prefer to call myself a
craftsman with a passion for history. I have been building all forms of homemade guitar since I
was in my early teen's, because of this and my experience and willingness to try something
unconventional is why I have gained an strong instinct of a guitars strengths and weakness and
what cigar box will work, and what ones will not.
I sell my guitars as playable art or "Outsider Art" that doesn't just rival Martin or Taylor but easily
outshines them in originality due to my construction themes. Of coarse there laser guided
machines produce much finer guitars then I will ever do...but I'm only going to make so many
guitars in my lifetime, so because of that I try to build the best to my capability and always try to
build better than I did before. There are allot of people in the collectible and Vintage Guitar market
that are switching from well built production assembly line guitars like Guild, Martin and Paul
Reed Smith to hand built guitars because of the quality and the fact that their a safer form of
investment as the market gets overly saturated with Fenders and Gibsons, or even worse copies.
Often people tell me they buy my guitars strictly in the since of rarity and the quality of a true Red
Dog Guitar's sound. Something I've spent many years to "coin" and build in my guitars. I am a one
person builder. Everything I do is by hand, pocketknife (ol' Timer or McCoy) wood file, sandpaper
and chisel. It's not because I don’t want to use power tools, but for the simple reason that I
achieve far, far superior results sanding and cutting by hand. I think machines are wonderful and
they help other people save time. But for me, they always seem to create a lot of dust and
because they work so fast they make me nervous when they start skipping and jumping around,
they always seem to cause more problems than they solve. By hand I am more in touch with the
instrument and believe it's a defining factor in any guitar's quality. I do not desire to build the
best...only to build the best to my ability that God has given me. I've built guitars for people all
over the world, there found in numerous art galleries and museums and I've sold them to just
about every type, from the Rich and Famous to the starving artist.
I say this in all modesty as best as I can convey without sounding either corny or boastful, this is
the God honest truth about the tone on these guitars I make, continue reading or just watch the
videos posted below, You can listen for yourself and decide if this is the style and type of music
that interests you or you would like to play.
Here below is a video example is Paw-Paw's Dobro, It is one of the most exquisite sounding
guitars ever made in America. It emphasizes tone, has rich harmonics, haunting sustain and
unsurpassed overtones that combine for astounding balance and exceptional volume for being
made with a used cigar box, This mixture allows for dynamics equaled by only a small handful of
extremely high-end, handmade guitars. Any guitar I have built is rarely ever tied for that true
vintage Blues sound, regardless of the maker or price.
I have built 3 of these over the years..here is one I
just finished in left hand. The photos don't do the
gold work justic..this guitar is stunning in real life!
just finished in left hand. The photos don't do the
gold work justic..this guitar is stunning in real life!
This guitar sounds like catfishin'
on a Sunday afternoon!
on a Sunday afternoon!
These Macanudo boxes make great guitars...check
out Shane Speal's 3 string guitar all over the
net...here is a slight twist on the Dirty made clean!
out Shane Speal's 3 string guitar all over the
net...here is a slight twist on the Dirty made clean!
| EMAIL ME at john@reddogguitars.com OR CALL: JOHN 1-787-671-9790 |
Listen to this three string guitar. Here below is a really difficult sound to get on a 6 string
guitar, but when you play a cigar box guitar with just a few strings, all the non essentials and
unused parts are stripped away.. Watch this short Hot Rod video and I know it will flip your
boring store bought guitar world upside down and completely cure you of mass market hum
drum insanity.
Now grab hold of the steering wheel and let's drive off into somewhere dreamy!
guitar, but when you play a cigar box guitar with just a few strings, all the non essentials and
unused parts are stripped away.. Watch this short Hot Rod video and I know it will flip your
boring store bought guitar world upside down and completely cure you of mass market hum
drum insanity.
Now grab hold of the steering wheel and let's drive off into somewhere dreamy!
That is a sound that can NEVER be made with 6 strings!...go try and report back here immediately with
your tail between your legs!!!!
...but look seriously, not to beat a dead horse some more, but not only is a 3 string guitar easier to play,
but it is funner to play...and most important??? you look 10 times cooler when you whip out a cigar box
guitar with just a few strings and blast the Les Paul snobs out of the room!
Drop your Strats...leave your Les Pauls in the closet....burn your Chinese made guitars...there is much
more to music than the status quo!
your tail between your legs!!!!
...but look seriously, not to beat a dead horse some more, but not only is a 3 string guitar easier to play,
but it is funner to play...and most important??? you look 10 times cooler when you whip out a cigar box
guitar with just a few strings and blast the Les Paul snobs out of the room!
Drop your Strats...leave your Les Pauls in the closet....burn your Chinese made guitars...there is much
more to music than the status quo!
| Perhaps you want to play something really spooky ??? It's easy with a 3 string guitar made from a cigar box! The Victrola Delta Tramp can take you back to the battle fields long ago, have a peep! |
Here is a spin off from Paw-Paws Dobro , It is made with recycled American Oak
This is another one of my 1884
guitars. This one is built in
solid mahogany to give it a
slightly more rustic feel and
look, I have several different
1884 style ones with videos
that are posted on
you-tube...check them out
when you have some free time.
guitars. This one is built in
solid mahogany to give it a
slightly more rustic feel and
look, I have several different
1884 style ones with videos
that are posted on
you-tube...check them out
when you have some free time.
In fairness and for contrast, here is a
video of a wooden Bo Diddley
6 string guitar in action.
You can clearly hear how they
CANNOT compete with 3 and 4
string guitars and how a 6 string
guitar can only produce "modern"
Blues sounds and progressions.
It's a great sound, yes... but a 6
string guitar just cannot reach way
back in time for that truly vintage and
traditional Delta Blues and Folk
Americana sound.
video of a wooden Bo Diddley
6 string guitar in action.
You can clearly hear how they
CANNOT compete with 3 and 4
string guitars and how a 6 string
guitar can only produce "modern"
Blues sounds and progressions.
It's a great sound, yes... but a 6
string guitar just cannot reach way
back in time for that truly vintage and
traditional Delta Blues and Folk
Americana sound.
If you have enjoyed the cigar box guitar
and Blues music on this site, I have many
more great songs....In fact I have
recorded a super fun CD and I can send
you one...Great for listing to while driving,
working around the house, or upload it to
any MP3 or CD player or even your cell
phone and you can listen to cigar box
guitar music on a sunny afternoon at the
park or where ever you want.
click here for a copy
and Blues music on this site, I have many
more great songs....In fact I have
recorded a super fun CD and I can send
you one...Great for listing to while driving,
working around the house, or upload it to
any MP3 or CD player or even your cell
phone and you can listen to cigar box
guitar music on a sunny afternoon at the
park or where ever you want.
click here for a copy