William J Jehle, detritomusicologist and cigar box guitar historian, has collected fragments of these forgotten instruments to create the first written history dedicated to these humble instruments. Mr. Jehle’s fascination with cigar box guitars led to a wide-ranging search for any and all artifacts to learn more about these instruments, and this research has yielded a wealth of information that you now hold in your hands. Spanning over 150 years of artifacts, this book is a collection of the history of the cigar box guitar, its origins and its changes in value and perception from the mid-1800s to the present. Mr. Jehle assembles the disparate parts, snippets, one-line mentions, newspaper and magazine articles into a cohesive whole, and, deciding to share his discovery, shares this information with others, so that ultimately guitar players and makers of all skill levels may grow through their own experience of producing sounds with their fingers on strings, working with their hands on the instruments they play. May you enjoy learning more about these instruments, and may your own experience be enriched by this book.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Lana L.
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Bill Jehle managed to do what no one person has done so far - compile a complete history of the cigar box guitar into one reasonably-sized book, and to do so in a way that doesn't require consuming large quantities of stimulants to remain awake for the read.
Being a cigar box guitar enthusiast, builder, player and collector, I've been waiting quite some time to get my hands on a book such as this one. I am happy to report that Jehle does not disappoint the reader with redundant literature and images that can easily be found online. He takes the reader through the history of the cigar box (which one needs to understand in order to grasp the evolution of the instruments that are built with them), into the Civil War era where the first images of cigar box instruments appear in publication, and then all the way through the Depression era revival of these instruments. He accomplishes this task with his own commentary along with a judicious use of images and excerpts from publications that discussed their existence throughout the relevant time periods. It's a wonderful collection of the difficult-to-find literature and images on the subject as well as Jehle's own insights and interpretation. Readers can feel comfortable with Jehle's authoritative voice in the book simply by examining the sheer volume of material that he has collected and reviewed through his exhaustive research on the subject. He also includes numerous historically relevant plans for instruments.... Read more ›
Being a cigar box guitar enthusiast, builder, player and collector, I've been waiting quite some time to get my hands on a book such as this one. I am happy to report that Jehle does not disappoint the reader with redundant literature and images that can easily be found online. He takes the reader through the history of the cigar box (which one needs to understand in order to grasp the evolution of the instruments that are built with them), into the Civil War era where the first images of cigar box instruments appear in publication, and then all the way through the Depression era revival of these instruments. He accomplishes this task with his own commentary along with a judicious use of images and excerpts from publications that discussed their existence throughout the relevant time periods. It's a wonderful collection of the difficult-to-find literature and images on the subject as well as Jehle's own insights and interpretation. Readers can feel comfortable with Jehle's authoritative voice in the book simply by examining the sheer volume of material that he has collected and reviewed through his exhaustive research on the subject. He also includes numerous historically relevant plans for instruments.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
One Man's Trash: A History of the Cigar Box Guitar by William Jehle is an informative and thought-provoking labor of love that deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in cigar box guitars or other home-made instruments. The book brings together excerpts from newspaper and magazine articles, illustrations and photographs from a wide variety of sources, and interviews to provide a history of homemade stringed instruments made from discarded boxes, including cigar box violins, ukuleles, banjos and mandolins, as well as cigar box guitars. The documentation is thematically grouped together in chapters, beginning with a brief history of cigar boxes themselves and concluding with a collection of published plans for building cigar box instruments dating from the late 19th century. The tone of the book is scholarly, and the author's commentary throughout the work provides considerable perspective on the place of the cigar box guitar and other home-made instruments in our culture. Because the book is self-published, I would suggest picking up a copy while it is still in print.
One String Willie
One String Willie
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
It's truly delightful following Mr. Jehle on his happy quest for any and all historical bits pertaining to the humble cigar box guitar. The book provides an entertaining read while at the same time delivering an historical and academic catalog of references on the origins of hand made music, the cigar box guitar, and many other kinds of musical instruments created from cast-off materials. Detritomusicology is born!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Dave G
Amazon Verified Purchase
Bought this book for my wife, (Bemuzic on Cigar Box Nation), she is very pleased with it. Excellent service from Amazon.com to the UK
By Dave
Amazon Verified Purchase
I've had this book now for a year or more and keep returning to it for the historical photos and illustrations of great homemade guitars and fiddles from old boxes or built from scratch scrap wood. I've come to love the book. I only wish the photos could be of higher quality. This would make it a truly wonderful resource.
This volume is the only written history of a very American instrument: The cigar box guitar or banjo. Interest in these instruments ebbs and flows, of course, and just now it is ebbing, making the publication of this book particularly timely.
It is well-researched and clearly presented, and provides enough context that it is a great read for the aficionado of found-object instruments as well as anyone with a curiosity about the history of the musical landscape in rural America.
I highly recommend this book to musicians, blues enthusiasts, music historians, and everyone else.
It is well-researched and clearly presented, and provides enough context that it is a great read for the aficionado of found-object instruments as well as anyone with a curiosity about the history of the musical landscape in rural America.
I highly recommend this book to musicians, blues enthusiasts, music historians, and everyone else.
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