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Writer's pictureShane Speal

VIDEO: I Put an $85 Lace Pickup in the Worst Cigar Box Guitar!


HAHAHA! I put a Lace Alumitone Matchbook pickup in a $25 cigar box guitar! This has to be the most unfair gear review ever! This was my version of a Mythbusters challenge where the gnarliest equipment was used for maximum results.


Note: in the video, I say that Lace Matchbook pickups are sold at CBGitty.com. This is no longer the case. Search Google for current sellers.




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7 Comments


groink
Dec 24, 2021

Those Lace matchbook pickups are amazing. I have a number plate cigar box with one. And even makes me, the worst player in the world, sound OK.

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John Kelso
John Kelso
Dec 23, 2021

The pickup doesn't care what it's mounted on. It's an electromagnet sensing nearby vibrating metal (the strings). This demo reminds me how frustrated I get every time somebody starts talking about tone woods on an electric guitar. The wood literally doesn't effect the tone at all.


The pickup sounds great, and of course Shane is talented enough to make anything sound good.

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Shane Speal
Shane Speal
Dec 23, 2021
Replying to

You ain't lyin'. The whole idea of that video was to show the strength of the pickup. When dealing with magnetic pickups, tone wood is so minimal.


On the opposite side of things, I'm starting to see that folks are losing sight of the true tones of cigar boxes... with zero pickups. I used to choose my boxes for their tonal quality. Now anything will do if it has a pickup. Expect to see blogs about the tones of boxes and a push for authentic acoustic construction again.


Thanks for joining in the comments, John!

-shane

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Michael Berkowitz
Michael Berkowitz
Dec 23, 2021

If you'd done a comparison of the stock piezo with the lace pickup, it would have been close. When I plugged into an amp with this guitar ($20 Musicians Friend) I was amazed. Recently put a 12 on the high and tuned e-e-e, each an octave apart, for a super cool diddly cubed. Yes, it's a cardboard box and a stick from China, but still a great instrument for the money.

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Michael Berkowitz
Michael Berkowitz
Dec 23, 2021
Replying to

Tell them to buy Shane Speal strings, endorse the cardboard guitar and you'll both make a million. Nice Walmart for next Christmas!

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Unknown member
Dec 23, 2021

Awesome sound

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