Longskirt baby blues on the Oil Can Guitar

Another new oilcan guitar fresh from my workshop being put through its paces...with a version of Louis Jordan's "Long Skirt Baby Blues" in B flat. The last oilcan guitar I built was based on Telecaster hardware, but this has an acoustic floating bridge, and I developed a 'sprung top' with spruce bracing with a maple centre-block inside that lets some of the can's own natural resonance come through.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• diddley
• bow
• mojobow
• slide
• bottleneck
• lapsteel
• lap
• steel
• guitar
• electric
• blues
• americana
• strumstick
• cigar
• box
• cigarbox
• mo

[bzablo1]

oh, wow. how did you get the sound hole in there, and still have plenty of support for the body?

[ChickenboneJohn]

It's got a maple thru block and some pretty clever spruce bracing going on inside to support the top, two layers running at right angles to oneanother to create a "sprung top"...difficult to describe..and even more difficult to fit inside the can!

[bzablo1]

what did you use to make the resonator? where can i find one?

[ChickenboneJohn]

There's no resonator, the top is supported by double layers of spruce bracing..and that's just a soundhole with a computer fan grille...

[chambam]

i have been in love with the oil can guitar for like two days and i have old guitar parts and i wanna build on... is there any way you can send me plans on how to build one... or at least advice... thanks!

[ChickenboneJohn]

I don't do plans, and work out each one as I go....the basic principal is to put a block or neckstick thru' the can so you can fix the neck to it...it's tricky work and needs a fair bit of forethought. I always use recycled wood, so it's whatever I've got to hand, so no hard and fast rules on what to use..you just have to use your ingenuity. Supporting the top can be tricky, and this one was quite complicated, as it is effectively an acoustic-style top with spruce bracing.

[Ericclapton325]

nice guitar and playing what kind of neck or head is that? its very cool looking headstock

[bluehorse888]

wow youre good man!

[bankanka]

that sound really nice!

[NewYankee01]

a canjo for the best and worst results needs as little wood support as possible, good points that its easier to build and has the very bluesy tinny bright sound unplugged bad point is that tuning problems are possible, strongly possible depending on build rigidity of can but for £5 build costs not all bad, there are ways to improve though if you put a few small blocks in though like a hollow then itll end up sounding like a normal acoustic guitar with just a little bit of the cheapo canjo sound

[bzablo1]

well, congratulations on an amazing guitar! would you ever duplicate this for sale?