Tweet
I believe that in item 130133163989 on eBay - see pics here - we have what appears to be a genuine, or what certainly could be genuine, period box "guitar". If nothing else a good pattern for a very primitive Camp Made Guitar for reenactment purposes.
The seller attributes it as a later era "hobo" guitar but a few things make me suspect it as an antebellum to mid-19th century instrument and no later. In any event it could only have been played in an early banjo, rather than guitar, style. George, please step in at any point here! But note:
- the tuner key box is fiddle-style and likely had simple wood pegs. (The metal geared tuners are of early construction as well but appear to be a later addition). What was familiar to the Rural / slave South were fiddles and gourd banjos, the gourd replaced here with a found object, a cigar box.
- the neck is round, having no flat fretboard. In that respect it is very like an early American gourd banjo neck, or even an African-style Akonting - especially since there are only two tunable strings (allow me to project that a banja- style short string could have been tied up the neck and the instrument played in the heritage stroke-style.
Dan Wykes
Batt G, 2nd Ill.
The seller attributes it as a later era "hobo" guitar but a few things make me suspect it as an antebellum to mid-19th century instrument and no later. In any event it could only have been played in an early banjo, rather than guitar, style. George, please step in at any point here! But note:
- the tuner key box is fiddle-style and likely had simple wood pegs. (The metal geared tuners are of early construction as well but appear to be a later addition). What was familiar to the Rural / slave South were fiddles and gourd banjos, the gourd replaced here with a found object, a cigar box.
- the neck is round, having no flat fretboard. In that respect it is very like an early American gourd banjo neck, or even an African-style Akonting - especially since there are only two tunable strings (allow me to project that a banja- style short string could have been tied up the neck and the instrument played in the heritage stroke-style.
Dan Wykes
Batt G, 2nd Ill.