INTERVIEW WITH SHANE SPEAL: THE KING OF THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR INTRODUCES "SIGNATURE MODEL" INSTRUMENT
Written by Franklin Valco

First of all, what exactly is the Shane Speal Signature Series cigar box guitar?
It's an exact replica of my battered Macanudo cigar box guitar that I've been playing since 1996. That cigar box guitar has been everywhere with me and appears on so many songs I recorded. It just has the perfect tone in my opinion. Tomi-O borrowed my "Mac" from me and took down every measurement and detail. He went out and amassed a massive collection of Macanudo Portofino Café boxes so that every one is just like mine. He's even using the original stencils that I used when I ran Catfish Music works. It has the same scale length, same woodburned frets...he even found the same tuners I used. It also has a built in pickup like mine.

The only thing different is that we've upgraded the neck from poplar to maple. The neck on my old battered Macanudo has slowly warped in the last 8 years. Although my playing style has adapted with the warping, I didn't want anyone else to have to deal with a warped neck.

Tell me about your "Battered Macanudo." What is its history and how did it get all those bangs and bruises?
Oh man [laughs], the bangs and bruises are from all my years of playing it! Each scratch and sweat mark has a story to tell. How much time do we have?

Probably not enough! But how did you build it and what made it so special?
Lemme see... Originally, I had my own cigar box guitar company called Catfish Music Works. I was building 3-string cigar box guitars like this one and I sold them at local shops and music stores. I'd also build a bunch to sell at street fairs where I'd perform with them. Usually, I'd pick a cigar box guitar from the bunch that were for sale and I'd perform a song on it.

At the time, I didn't keep any guitars for myself, so I'd be practicing and performing with guitars I made to sell. After building 50 or so, I decided that I needed to keep one as my own. This was right before a big street fair and I had prepped a dozen guitars for my appearance. I went through all 12 guitars, strumming and comparing each one and found that the Macanudo Portofino Café guitar had the best tone and loudest volume. "Well, that's mine now!" I said and kept it.

It was a good thing I did, because I am a very harsh player and I would tend to put little scratches into the tops of the cigar box guitars I played. [laughs] Now look at the damn thing now. I've started to wear a HOLE into the top of it! It looks like Willie Nelson's acoustic or Stevie Ray's Strat.

I also played it in the rain, on the beach and other places, so it blotched up the clean white box. The neck is blackened with sweat and grime, too. When I play outdoors on humid days, the sweat and dirt start to get gross as I play it...but I'll never clean it up or sand it down. It just has THAT LOOK.

It does look pretty wild!
Yeah. but even with all the scratches and sweat, it's still the baddest instrument in my arsenal. I'll never stop playing it. It just has the perfect tone.

Is this the guitar you used on the Paris Hilton tv show?
Yeah, its in there and also on a lot of Jug Fusion stuff and solo albums. In fact, it's the lone instrument on 90% of my "Stealing the Fire From Heaven" solo album.

Didn't you tell me that cd was out of print?
For now, yeah, but it's about to be re-distributed through Hand/Eye records in 2005. [Ed. note: Hand/Eye's website is www.somedarkholler.com]

So will the new Shane Speal models come with the scratches and autographs?
No [laughs]. Each person can 'decorate' it as he or she wishes! Each cigar box guitar is delivered sparkling white, just like mine was when I started playing it in 1996. Maybe we should have a scratches and sweat contest in a year for everyone who's bought it!

That'd be interesting! I guess the person who abuses his guitar the most, wins? Yeah, something like that! Or maybe, "who can fill it with the most autographs"! I'll have to run that by Tomi-O.

Because it only has 3-strings and no frets, what kind of music can be played on a guitar like this?
I've been asking myself that question for 11 years! I guess the question should be "what can't you play on it."

Yes, but isn't the instrument rather limiting? I mean, the regular guitar has 6 strings and frets...
I guess you haven't listened to those cds I gave you! [laughs] Honestly, I've been playing 3-string cigar box guitars like this one for over 11 years and it still kicks my butt. I'm still challenged by it. I've recorded everything from blues to metal with one. I've even worked out new age music by Michael Hedges on the battered Mac. If you actually sit down and challenge yourself, you can play just about anything on a cigar box guitar.

Is there a reason you only use the Macanudo Portofino Café box? It's louder and has more depth of tone than any other box out there. I've made guitars from every kind of box. This one's the best and loudest.

What's the story on your collaboration with Tomi-O and why aren't you building the cigar box guitars yourself?
I started to build my own Signature Model guitars last Spring so that I could sell them at Jug Fusion gigs, but I discovered that I just don't have the time to do it. The time involved was just too great at the time.

Tomi-O approached me several months after that and said that he wanted to build a custom guitar just for me. He made this incredible double-neck, electric cigar box guitar and I was just blown away by the workmanship and detail. His instruments are TIGHT. Once I found out that he had the capability to make instruments in big quantities, I approached him about working on my signature models. He loved the idea...and here we are now.

Any last statements?
Yeah. I just want everyone to know that I do realize it's totally absurd to have a "Signature Model Cigar Box Guitar!" First of all, Shane Speal is still a total nobody. I mean, who would want a guitar with MY name on it? Secondly, cigar box guitars are humble instruments from the poor folk. Making a signature model is just the height of all goofiness. But that's why we did it. We love to have fun and be goofy like this.

So you DO realize the audacity of all this?
Yes. Exactly. But then again, I live my life audaciously. What the hell...you only live once, right?

Right! Thanks for your time and good luck with the Signature Series cigar box guitars.
Thank you, Franklin. I've never done an interview like this. This was cool. It made me feel like a star.