The Diddley-Bow.. "...Grandfather of all blues guitars!..."

[dedicateddad]

Sir,

You've left me speechless - ask anyone who knows me, that's a FEAT!

Now I've got to build me a 'lectrificated diddley-bow too!!

[BottleneckJohn]

@dedicateddad

Thanks for the comment!! Good luck with your own Diddley-bow, bro!

[MrMdevaney]

great playing great voice ,im gettin me a diddley bow

[BottleneckJohn]

@MrMdevaney

Thanks!

[briish17]

what are you useing for the slide?

[BottleneckJohn]

@briish17

A broken off bottleneck.

[BaddMuzic]

Fantastic! I've just built a few myself, You are an inspiration.

[BottleneckJohn]

@BaddMuzic

Thanks for watching! Always good to hear that you can find inspiration here!

[ihazafunny]

What is the string made out of?I can't tell if it is guitar string or some nylon.

[BottleneckJohn]

@ihazafunny

It's a 0.58 nickel string.

[raveyard]

nice box! I love primitive! 

[BottleneckJohn]

@raveyard

THANKS!!

[407bug]

Inspirational, great sound, is that a piezo inside or something special?

[BottleneckJohn]

@407bug

Simple piezo.. :-)

[cybermaster2000]

Awesome sound! Building one should not be too complicated, and I always wanted to play a string instrument... Perfect fit to my ol' rohner echo harp.

[dannyd1224]

Amazing

[BottleneckJohn]

@dannyd1224

Thanks a lot!!

[winkles2314]

Really want to know how you built it. Brilliant

[FerociousAmbrosis]

you should make a video of how you made it

[lavishmcronald]

Great! I had a question I was hoping you could answer, I made my first diddley bow yesterday and I hit the next octave way higher (closer to the nut) up on neck. Do you know why that is? At first I thought "Oh okay that's a little weird" but I quickly realized it was a bit of a problem because some of the notes on the neck are so close to each other. I plan on make a lot more guitar type projects so I need to learn where I went wrong, if you could give a few pointers that would be great.

[meshuggahismylife]

I watched this video over and over again about 2 months ago, and just now I got that first tune stuck in my head and had to listen again. Great playing!

[CubeableGame]

The diddley bow is awesome, but the real star of this video is your voice! Man, I'm blown away! How did you learn to sing so well?

Gus

[BottleneckJohn]

@CubeableGame

Oh man, thanks a lot! My voice is my main instrument so I'm really happy to hear that you like it! Never tried to learn to sing, I'm just singing a whole lot, been doing that since I was 3 years old.. Thanks again!

[sbitard]

Oh Lord, I sure didn't expect this kind of awesomeness when I saw the first frame of the video.

[BottleneckJohn]

@sbitard

LoL, thanks a lot for the great comment!! Happy you like it!!

[dmoore714]

Where is the pickup located? And is the sound hole functional or just decorative?

[BottleneckJohn]

@dmoore714

It's a piezo stuck to the box top. Soundhole might be functional, in theory it should be but I never thought about it, just drilled the holes for the look of it.. :-)

[negrowhiteblues]

how much for that ! nice sounds !

[MyMoppet52]

part 2...builder, Urban?, did a super job. I remember my great-grandpa playing a comb and cigarette paper as a kazoo since he didn't have a kazoo. Us mountain people made do with what we had! :) I moved away at 18 months old, but still remember going back to visit. LOVE your video!!! It takes much talent to play a one string! Thanks for the video.

[MyMoppet52]

Great video & great sound! You can play really well. I have a collection of string band on my channel & this is pretty much the concepts & instruments used. Anything they could find, in southeastern USA years ago. They were dirt poor & often black, so anything was used. Carolina Chocolate Drops are string band & they follow the last living man who performed in old times. They're trying to keep his songs alive. You are fantastic. You have a great voice also. Guitar is super. Almost too pretty.

[BottleneckJohn]

@MyMoppet52

Thank you!! I always loved the simple stuff in music.. This is as simple as it get's, haha!!!

[MyMoppet52]

@BottleneckJohn Yes. This is "so simple" that it makes it very difficult! Good job!

[shipyardbob]

Excellent vid.. Encore encore

[BottleneckJohn]

@shipyardbob

Many thanks, more to come for sure!!

[boxblues1]

Just curious what is the neck made of?



[BottleneckJohn]

@Aerozine50

THANKS! Yeah, gonna play it with some rhythm machine later on.. :-)

[boxblues1]

What string is did you use and what is it tuned to? THX really cool!

[BottleneckJohn]

@boxblues1

I think it's a 0.58 nickel string. I like to keep it bassy! Thanks!

[cinderellalifestyle]

Hi there----i missed this--trying to update my subs to update me!....excellent Demo,..i caught Urbans upload and he shifted me back to you......are you on CigarBoxNation? I lose track of who is , or not...!!!too much for my puny brain, LOL.....

most folks there have a window here as well...like me. I will look for you there, --way cool demo, loved the kazoo!!...you made Urban a happy slider.......

Cheers, Laurie

[BottleneckJohn]

@cinderellalifestyle

Thanks for the comment!!

[StewFairweather]

Good job. Liked your Wade In The Water. Top man

[BottleneckJohn]

@StewFairweather

THANKS a lot, bro! This is fun, gonna build another soon..

[sky12066sed3]

Just proves when you are gifted like Bottleneck John you can take something simple and turn it into a blues masterpiece.

[BottleneckJohn]

@sky12066sed3

Much appreciated, thanks a lot!!

[3360651]

Bottleneck you coollllll!!!!!!!

[DrAntonPhibes]

pure GENIUS !!!

[BottleneckJohn]

@DrAntonPhibes

Wow, thanks for that comment!!

[HondaSuperSport1100]

i like the Diddley-Bow

[Smrtokvitek]

great!

What amp do you play? :)

[BottleneckJohn]

@Smrtokvitek

Thanks, it's a Roland Micro-Cube..

I like it but it sure ain't no cool tube amp.. :-)

[KeniLeeBurgess]

Ya, now ain't that slick as $#@%!!! You should put that Kazoo on a Harmonica holder. That way you could add some of that Golden Fog too. I especially like the parts were you were singing and playing. I bet with some experimenting and experience you will come up with some real tasty ways to harmonize with it. Glad to see you are part of the Nation. Always a pleasure. Wade in the Water was tops. Enjoy.

[BottleneckJohn]

@KeniLeeBurgess

Thanks buddy, I'll keep on playing it and get the feel for this, very fun to play!!

[KeniLeeBurgess]

@BottleneckJohn Yes loads of fun! What I have discovered having less strings is that it really makes you reach out for "doing more with less". Additionally, using a 3 string CBG tuned 151 (DAd) has increased my undertanding and usage of the full 6 string 151351 (DADf#ad). I view it as a bass instrument (DAD)f#ad or a monotonic bass and treble instrument DA(D)f#(ad). Exploring doublestops and harmonizing scales on those first two strings makes this humble instrument a great music learning tool

[phill903]

Can't get more unique than that...

[BottleneckJohn]

@phill903

I agree.. Sure is a special sound from the stick-on-a-box, hehe..

[kickingmule]

COOOOOOOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BottleneckJohn]

@kickingmule

You know it is, brother!!!! YOU made it happen, Mr Kicking Mule!!!!

[IJeskeI]

Truly an instrument with personality and yet so primitive but so fun to play !

[BottleneckJohn]

@IJeskeI

Yes!!