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One string diddley bow

Mark Frauenfelder at 9:14 pm Wed, Apr 8, 2009

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I found this video of Wade playing his homemade one-string diddley bow on Cigar Box Nation. Fantastic.

Only the best pallet wood, chicken can and drywall screws money can buy to build this fine instrument. This is an off the cuff song I came up with to go with this mean piece of wood.
Be sure to check out the other videos of one, two, three, and four-stringed homemade musical instruments.

Read more in Music at Boing Boing

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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  • Anonymous

    That is darn cool. It’s like the soundtrack to a drunk hobo that has disappeared a few train station masters in his day. Anyway, I want to make one.

  • dragonfrog

    Crispinus – I suspect that the diddly bow, as fine as it is, isn’t really a CuteGirl instrument – more of a GrizzledRuffian instrument.

    If anything the gentleman above is too cute – unshaven, sure, but the sunglasses and hat only partially conceal the lack of facial scarring, and the fact that his skin isn’t tanned to an Eastwoodesque leatheriness.

    Not that I’m complaining – I definitely enjoyed the video.

  • Anonymous

    great work!

    Seasick Steve rocks one of these in addition to his 3-string guitar:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi_0k3hzNS4

  • Anonymous

    Why haven’t I heard of this Guy? BBBbbbad….!
    Also try satan & adam. Street performers from Harlem..

  • Crispinus211

    Now all we need is a CuteGirl Plays RetroSong on the Diddley Bow, where “CuteGirl” = a cute girl and “RetroSong” = a retro song.

  • Angstrom

    I’ve made myself a few of these, including a 3-string folding one that uses the string tension to keep it in a straight line when it’s set up to play. I took that with me when I went on a 2 month journey without any instruments and it kept me sane.
    it folds down to about a foot in length and all the workings (tuning pegs, etc)pack into the soundbox.

  • Mark Frauenfelder

    Photos, Angstrom, photos!

  • Anonymous

    Reminds me of Morphine.

  • stuhfoo

    creative

  • Anonymous

    holy crap that guy’s sound is incredible! the whole thing is great — the string, the vocals, the amplified growl of it all.

  • eustace

    thats some damn authentic blues there