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real honor to be part of this film and I hope we can get it aired on many PBS stations throughout the country. “

Just like Bo Diddley bringing his cigar box shaped guitar to the masses (people – it was really a rectangular-bodied Gretsch), while reinventing music by riding on the same chord over and over again, (found in songs like “Who Do You Love?”), Speal is reinventing this ancient deep movement as he comments: “I encourage everyone to make their own cigar box guitar. There are free plans at www.cigarboxguitar.com (reprinted here as well) and a whole community of builders and performers who will offer assistance at www.tinyurl.com/cigarboxguitar. I could continue on with many other observations, but nothing comes as close to the magic of somebody building their own instrument and discovering their own songs inside.” When asked about describing the difference between playing a cigar box guitar as opposed to a store bought instruments, Speal responded: “When I play a standard guitar, I sound like a dismal version of Jimi Hendrix. When I play a cigar box guitar, I sound like Shane Speal. One is imitation, the other is identity.”

In Speal’s opinion, one outstanding cigar box guitar player is Rollie Tussing. “Rollie Tussing of Portland, Oregon, is by far one of the best musicians/cigar box guitarists I’ve ever met. He’s a former National Slide Guitar Champion, too. Also, One String Willie (aka David Williams) of Philadelphia is the greatest diddley bow (one-string guitar) player I think ever existed.”

“We like things deep. Real deep,” Speal often says. And with Uncle Enos Magazine, his website and the soon to be released documentary, it’s no doubt that he will successfully and singlehandedly educate the public during this great depression known as ‘whopsided’ pop music.

There was a time when pop princesses (who Anvil Linguine?) couldn’t pronounce the names of prominent rock stars who actually paved the way for them (who David Bowee?) to dress up like members of the opposite sex. And that just makes me want to ‘slap so hard, my eyes are crossed.’ Sadly, this is the way the world is. But with Speal in our corner, I have all the hope that a chosen few will earn the right to covet the special key that unlocks what it means to be a cigar box guitar lover, maker and player.

Stop by Speal’s website @ www.cigarboxguitar.com for info on Shane Speal’s National Cigar Box Guitar Museum Collection, editorial on the “History of the Cigar Box Guitar,” tons of links and much more. – edie* *I took a crash course on “southern” at www.southernsass.com Gerry Thompson can be found at www.myspace.com/colorofskies 84