Sunderland man built a guitar out of a school desk and a hub cap - this is how it sounds

Dave Murray, also known as The Mackem Folk Singer, has spent his time during the lockdown building a whole music instrument – known as a cigar box guitar – out of pieces of junk.

The result? It plays like a dream and Dave has even recorded a song called Living In A Lockdown Blues to show it off.

In fact, it is one of four that youth worker Dave has built during the pandemic.

He said: “I became so bored I started to messing around in my garage looking for something to do.

"So thought why not build a cigar box guitar which has a great history of being played by the early farmers and blues and folk artist in America.”

Cigar box guitars are so named because they are made from old wood, string or wire tied on a piece of wood and played by hitting it with stick or using a metal object to make sound.

“Artists such as Sea Sick Steve are now famous for playing the cigar box guitars that are built with 2, 3 or 4 strings on them," said Dave.

"I got the bug, got some old wood and started my mission to build my own instrument”

It was not all plain sailing and Dave said: “Boy was I in for a shock. Loads of measuring and it was a real learning on the job project.

"Throughout the build, I learned how to wire pickups, build and fret a guitar neck, and more.

"To be truthful I made many mistakes and dismantled and rebuilt several times to get the harmonics, wiring and the neck position right,

“But to my own amazement I did succeed. I have now built a guitar which consists of a hub cap from a old Morris minor, a lid from an old school desk, old screws and bolts and even bits of jewellery.

"To celebrate the completion of my first ever cigar box junk guitar build, I wrote a song related to why I built it in the first place.

"It is called, ‘Living In A Lockdown Blues’ and it has had 7,500 views on Facebook.”

Dave has now built four cigar box guitars which ‘was real fun to do. I aim to use my new skill to introduce young people and adults to building them and how to play it.

"The overall cost to make one is so low. There is no right and wrong way to play it or even build it. It is all about your own inventions.

"I would tell anybody to give it a try and what a beautiful sound it has for folk or rock and blues.”

Dave is no stranger to the Sunderland Echo and has previously written numerous songs, including one about going to the Mecca nightclub and to Genevieves.

Have you achieved something amazing during the lockdown, such as achieving a long-held dream, completing a course, or challenging yourself to pick up a new talent?

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