Perry Alspach:Cigar Box Music

Story By Cindy Reid
Photos By Paul Nurnberg

Born of the combination of poverty, ingenuity and the drive to make music, the cigar box guitar traces back, back even before the blues. The first example in popular culture is an etching published during the Civil War of soldiers around a campfire, listening while one strums on what is clearly a cigar box instrument. In fact, the Smithsonian has one on display from 1861.
The actual cigar box wasn’t in use until the 1840’s, before that cigars were shipped in barrels, and the first cigar boxes were made of wood. Eventually “How To” plans were published in newspapers throughout the country and cigar boxes were used to make guitars, fiddles and banjos. Legend has it that B.B.King’s first instrument was a cigar box guitar made by his father, as the $2 price of a used guitar made it out of reach.
The cigar box guitar was fading out of use and of memory until the efforts of musicians interested in the homespun sound and the “do it yourself” folks rediscovered this uniquely American instrument in the early 2000’s. It has since become a national movement, so much so that there is a “Masters of the Cigar Box Guitar Tour.” a 2008 documentary film, “Songs Inside The Box,” and an annual event in Huntsville, Alabama, the “Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza.”
And right here on St.Helena Island there a craftsman who is keeping the tradition alive through his artistry by creating original cigar box instruments, one instrument at a time. These are not musty museum pieces, rather these are meant to be played, and played hard, whether it be the blues or a funky soul tune.

PERRY ALSPACH

Perry and his wife, Fred’e, have made their home on St. Helena Island for the last 25 years. They built their gorgeous wooden house at the edge of the water, with the entire front wall made of glass to better enjoy the view. On a recent visit at sunset, the marsh hues were as subtle and as golden as the wood walls, making the house seem as if it was an organic extension of the marsh. At one time, Perry made copper fish art pieces which adorn the walls of their home, where they pick up the light and add to the warmth of the room.
Originally from the Homestead, Florida area, Perry met Fred’e, his wife of 40 years there. He grins and says “The first time I saw her she was changing the shear pin in an outboard motor,” which impressed him. Perry has an extensive background in boating; he is a boat captain, a boat builder and a shrimper. He says his next project is, “to finish my boat,” a 31 foot Stapleton named the “Coot.” In fact, he says “Fred’e and I just put the engine back in it” so progress is underway.
Also a motorcycle enthusiast, Perry recently made his annual pilgrimage to Daytona, Florida for Bike Week, and he has run the quarter mile drag bike track at 104 MPH, up at the Rockingham track in North Carolina. And if you are lucky you might see him driving around St. Helena in his vintage 1941 Deluxe Coupe Packard, which can also be seen occasionally at the classic car shows on Lady’s Island and Port Royal.
But it is building things that keeps Perry the busiest and his recent career as a cigar box guitar maker is opening up a whole new world for him and the musicians who love to play the instruments he makes.

CIGAR BOX MUSIC

“Several years ago, I was looking for something to make for my daughter Ardi for Christmas and I saw these cigar box guitars online. She had taken guitar lessons for years and I thought this would spark her interest,” Perry says. Intrigued by the project, he continued making the instruments. He says, “I’ve trimmed houses, built custom cabinets and got to the point where I couldn’t do much heavy stuff so I started piddling around with this.”
He credits the website www.cigarboxnation.com for getting him started. There are free plans available on the site which shows novices exactly how to make them. Thirty five instruments later, Perry now has his own page (under “Perry Alspach”) on the website where he communicates with other aficionados from as far away as France and Australia.

CRAFTSMANSHIP

Each instrument takes a full week to complete and he says, “Each one is different, because I use different woods for different instruments,” he continues, “One model has pieces of mahogany that came from a boatyard I used to work at, the wood is 30 or 40 years old” Another has a completely different look , “This one I made using pieces of scrapped cabinet wood on the neck-that’s what gives it the  beautiful golden color.” Perry shows a model that is a combination of oak and ipe, which is a very hard and heavy wood. “I use ipe because it is so pretty, for the fret boards.”
Without any advertising his instruments are finding homes, sometimes in a serendipitous way.
One of Perry’s instruments is used by Phil McDonald, bassist for the band The Sapphire Bullets of True Love, a 13 piece R&B soul band (featuring the Bonaventure Horns) out of Savannah. “That came about because I was at the music store in Savannah and got to talking to Phil and I ended up making a custom made bass for him,” says Perry.
Phil says, “Perry and I became acquainted four years ago when he came into my place of employment, Portmans Music store in Savannah. He was looking for strings and parts for his cigar box guitars. He had an early example of the instruments he was building and I had a chance to play the instrument. I was immediately interested in having a bass version built for me personally. We conferred over the next few weeks by phone and Perry brought the bass prototype for me to play. After some tweaking, I put the instrument in my bass arsenal and use it often. Perry has become a dear friend and his cigar box guitar vision far exceeds any I have encountered. With everyone jumping on the cigar box bandwagon, they could take a note out of Perry’s’ playbook and learn how it is really supposed to be done.” At a recent show in Savannah, Phil let loose on a bass solo using his custom Frogmore Guitar Factory bass and it sounded wholly original and spectacular.
Also Perry says, “I made a six string for a guy who ended up not buying it so I took it to the Music Co-Op and it sold right away. So I made another six string and someone from New York bought it. Life is funny!” Another time, “Just for the heck of it I made a banjo, not a cigar box instrument, and a professional musician came into the co-op and played it, then bought it on the spot.”
As Perry says, “My instruments are reasonably priced, in fact a bit cheaper than others out there, especially considering the work and the materials I use. You can buy even cheaper ones though, ones without frets and you can make your own. I encourage people to get the plans and try their hand at it! What I try to do is to make them as high quality as possible, using materials like 15 year aged oak.” Every guitar Perry makes has his logo “Frogmore Guitar Factory” on the back and prices range up through $300. (They are available at the Music Co-Op, 1350 Ribaut Rd., Port Royal, SC.)

MAKING MUSIC

Not really a musician himself, Perry says he was a drummer “years and years ago” and still has a drum set in his workshop. Always open to learning something new he says, “Now I am working on learning to play the bass, through self teaching, I’ve got all the tapes. “As for his cigar box instruments, he says “Every one is different, and I have made 35 and none are the same.  I just keep trying to improve it.”
He is currently working on a real rock star guitar for a 14 year guitar player who had asked Perry if “he could make anything.” Perry said he could try and when the young man came back to him with a meticulously drawn plan, Perry got started. The body and the neck are constructed, so he is well on his way.
When asked what gives him the most satisfaction from his instruments he says, “When Kirk plays it. Seeing him play my instrument makes tears come to my eyes.” Kirk Dempsey, one half along with Adam Granade of the duo the “Bull Grapes,” has been playing his Frogmore Guitar Factory guitar all over town and always gets an enthusiastic response. He says, “It is a one of a kind experience. No two are alike and it is a work of art.” He stops for a moment and smiles broadly.” That’s how I feel about it.”