Steampunk Guitar Gears

by Chris Berry

Title

Steampunk Guitar Gears

Artist

Chris Berry

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography

Description

Shot outdoors using natural sunlight. As a member of the ABC group, I need to clarify why this image symbolizes a journey to me...I had anticipated attending a cigar box guitar show, having been invited by a prominent Kansas City Musician, I was excited for the possibilities. When the date came, we were flat BROKE. The show was an hour away at one of the most popular blues n BBQ joints in the area....so, I made that journey...ended up on the patio, it was standing room only inside and out. I missed almost every performance and could not get any shots when I did go in...It was hot, really sticky. Then, it rained. After finding a dry spot to sit, I got a glass of iced tea...and drank it around the half eaten food others had left behind...SO, it was worth the journey, to me. I love this image and would love for it to find a home. It's a detail shot of a three string guitar made in the cigar box style with a hint of steam punk.

The cigar box guitar is a primitive chordophone that uses an empty cigar box for a resonator. "Guitar" refers to the traditional instrument and to a string bass. The earliest predecessors had one or two strings; the modern model typically uses three or more. Generally speaking, strings are connected between the end of a broomstick or 1" x 3" wood slat and to the resonator, the cigar box. A sound hole is an opening in the upper sound board of a stringed musical instrument.
The sound holes can have different shapes: round in flat-top guitars; F-holes in instruments from the violin, mandolin or viol families and in arched-top guitars; and rosettes in lutes. Bowed Lyras have D-holes and mandolins may have F-holes, round or oval holes. A round or oval hole is usually a single one, under the strings. F-holes and D-holes are usually made in pairs placed symmetrically on both sides of the strings. Some electric guitars, such as Fender Telecaster Thinline and the majority of Gretsch guitars have one or two sound holes.
Though the purpose of sound holes is to help acoustic instruments project their sound more efficiently, the sound does not emanate solely from the location of the sound hole. The majority of sound emanates from the surface area of both sounding boards, with sound holes playing a part by allowing the sounding boards to vibrate more freely, and by allowing some of the vibrations which have been set in motion inside the instrument to travel outside the instrument.

Uploaded

September 3rd, 2012

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