Showcased at the Cigar Box Guitar Museum in Speal's Tavern from its re-opening until 2019.
Handmade electric guitar, built by Ted Crocker in New Jersey, 2009.
Currently in private curation. Part of the Shane Speal Collection.
Honduran Mahogany body with import neck featuring a custom leather headstock face.
Handwound pickup with purpleheart wood bobbin.
Wraparound bridge. Handmade wood volume & tone knobs.
Dimensions: 42 x 10.75 x 1.75
Ted Crocker (1955-2021) was a guitar and folk instrument builder, most notably known for creating the guitars used in the 2007 John Sayles movie The Honeydripper. Here is a clip with Guy Clark Jr. playing Crocker's Honeydripper.
Shane Speal commissioned this instrument to incorporate elements of The Honeydripper guitar along with a wrap around tailpiece for more sustain. A rounded cutaway was added for a hot rod look. Unlike the three part pickup in the movie guitar, Speal requested a single coil pickup placed in the neck position.
The body was made from a beautiful, 1.75" thick, one-piece mahogany slab. Crocker used minimal finish without grain filler, allowing the various shades of brown, tan and orange to be highlighted.
The neck was an imported 25.5" scale neck. Crocker added a leather face to the headstock and woodburned his signature. Closed-back tuners were added.
In addition to the leather headstock face, Crocker also roasted the neck with a torch to give it an antiqued look.
Even the volume & tone knobs were handmade by Crocker, using simple pieces of wood, semi rounded on a belt sander. Thumb tacks were added to the tops to give the player an idea of levels.
Ted Crocker passed away in the fall of 2021. His legacy includes many fascinating instruments.
Ted was one of the Greats, a true craftsman who shared all he knew to anyone who needed help, RIP my online friend, wish I'd had the chance to meet you and your guitars in person.
😎Hi,from Australia, i get so jealous of the history of cigar box guitars and instruments that you guys find and have .Here in Aus we don't have that history,even today when I travel with my wife and get my cigar box out to play in trailer parks people always ask"is that some kind of ukulele ",when explain that its not and tell them about the origins of these instruments (which learnt from your book)only then do they start to understand the history.I'm also a builder, love looking a your builds and pictures of some of these and weird and wonderful guitars.franhk
One of the coolest looking hand built guitars I have ever seen. Thanks!
That guitar is a sweat rig. The attention to detail and the amount of hand building is really great. Thanks Shane for bring this to us