This podcast features music from simple folk instruments I have built myself. These instruments include cigar box guitars and diddley bows. Diddley bows are similar; to guitars but are basically &#34;minimalist&#34; instruments. A simple Diddley bow may consist of a wood board or even the side of a house, two nails, a piece of wire and an object such as a bottle, sea shell or metal can to serve as a bridge. Diddley bows are typical of the American South and are often used for playing blues music.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/29/22/040a8c4b-b2eb-4f23-8ebb-a2472dd02920_tabak.mp3

In this episode, I play some blues riffs on a three string cigar box guitar I built from a DIY (do it yourself) kit.

Blues riffs on a "Tabak" three string cigar box guitar built from a kit

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/29/21/90bd12bd-c0f2-444a-a8c4-b7bba102c222_blues-on-3-string-fretlesscbg.mp3

In this episode, I play some improvised blues riffs on a three string acoustic fretless cigar box guitar of my own design.

Blues riffs on three string fretless cigar box guitar

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/28/0/0c14a300-19b0-4db3-8d81-65812581c972_fat-bottom-guitar.mp3

In this episode, I play a somewhat modernized version of an American folk tune, &#34;She&#39;ll be comin&#39; round the mountain&#34; on an acoustic guitar I built myself from parts supplied by a local vendor. The guitar features a neck with a threaded bolt along with attached fretboard and frets, as well as tuners, string anchors and strings. This instrument has three strings. Also, the bridge is a part of a broken hockey stick.

Homemade acoustic guitar

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/26/21/fcdb0765-574a-4c5a-b927-c4b1e00b5d26_diddleybow-piezo-pickup.mp3

In this episode, I play a cigar box diddley bow with a piezo disk pickup. This is an instrument of my own design. The instrument includes a piece of steel picture hanging wire, two brass ferrules, a tuner consisting of an eye bolt with accompanying nut, as well as two washers and a wing nut. There are also two wood dowels serving as a nut and a bridge, though this sort of instrument requires only some kind of object to serve as a bridge.Also, the tune I sing is totally improvised.

Cigar box diddley bow with piezo disk pickup

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/26/1/8d04b4ff-72c3-4848-871c-dad1b59fecde_onestringbroomstickbass.mp3

In this episode, I play an original composition called &#34;Silk Road&#34; on a one string bass featuring a cigar box, a broom stick and a steel wire &#34;string.&#34;

Broomstick and cigar box bass

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/25/21/ba5536d6-4501-479b-8c92-cc960aa18d9d_cigarboxdiddleybow.mp3

In this episode, I play a cigar box diddley bow of my own design. Diddley bows are American folk instruments typical of the Deep South. My version consists of a wood board, a cigar box guitar, two screw eyes, an aluminum can, two nails and a steel picture hanging wire &#34;string.&#34; Note the wood dowel in the photo. The dowel is an unnecessary feature and was left over from another project. My sources of inspiration include Diddley bows featuring nails instead of screw eyes. I found this arrangement to be challenging because the &#34;string&#34; would not stay in place. Also, I have seen Diddley bows made with broom wire. I have tried working with broom wire and find it is difficult to straighten out. Actually, those who made instruments such as this one used whatever they had available. There are no actual rules when it comes to making and playing the Diddley bow.

Cigar box Diddley bow

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/25/1/2d301ef3-b514-44b7-8e30-2bc59cd6951f_boat-paddle-guitar.mp3

In this episode, I describe and play boat paddle guitar of my own design. My source of inspiration was a video featuring a boat oar guitar with a magnetic pickup. My version has a piezo disk pickup but for this episode, I play the guitar as an acoustic instrument. The guitar itself features fret lines and dots I burned into the handle with a wood burning tool. The bridge and nut consist of wood dowels.

Playing a two-string boat paddle guitar

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/24/21/d0af6e12-528e-4a06-8e9d-ba0b6fcd2b04_blackstifckonboxcbg_.mp3

In this episode, I describe and play a three-string cigar box guitar I built from scratch, using a maple neck supplied by a company who supplies Do it yourself kits, as well as supplies related to cigar box guitars and similar instruments. The tune I play is an original piece I call &#34;Dream of the steppes.&#34; I play this fretless guitar with a medicine bottle glass slide. This cigar box guitar features fret lines and dots I drew onto the neck with a sharpie. Frets are optional and helpful for playing specific notes and chords.

Playing  "stick on the box" cigar box guitar this time

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2025/7/24/1/12b8ac2c-1148-48ee-8907-e0b519737f0f_intro-musical-instrument_podcast.mp3

In this episode, I introduce this podcast and demonstrate one of my homemade instruments. This is the first cigar box guitar I ever built. My source of inspiration was a website about how to build cigar box guitars. More recently, I started building cigar box guitars from DIY kits. Some of these kits are a lot easier to build and inspired me to build cigar box guitars of my own design.

Introduction to Music from Home made instruments

This podcast features music from simple folk instruments I have built myself. These instruments include cigar box guitars and diddley bows. Diddley bows are similar; to guitars but are basically "minimalist" instruments. A simple Diddley bow may consist of a wood board or even the side of a house, two nails, a piece of wire and an object such as a bottle, sea shell or metal can to serve as a bridge. Diddley bows are typical of the American South and are often used for playing blues music.