Doc Stevens and His Guitars and Equipment - Part 12 - Home Made Guitar Number Two

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 6:49 PM Posted by Tondeleo Lee Thomas
HomemadeB

Tondeleo: This is perhaps my favourite guitar of Doc's. It is one of his home made ones. As you know, he has been ashamed of his home made guitars, because of the poverty that makes a person be in the position to have to make their own instruments. Here is what he has to say about it.

Doc: This here is one of my other home made 'lectric guitars. I kept this one because it sounds good. I made this one right after making the other one, down North Carolina. I had a chance to make a few dollars playin' guitar down there, but they wanted electric guitar an' I aint had one. I knowed how to make a guitar, cause it ain't a lot to it, and I didn't have no money.

This one here come from a bunch of parts. Some of them Telecaster parts, which is my favourite guitar of electrics. I like how they sound and I like how they look. I always wanted one, and this was close as I got for a while.

It's made from a redwood box what dried fruit come in, from California. I found it in a bunch of things people was throwin' away over there in Mount Olive, North Carolina. I just found the box and liked it. I got the Telecaster parts off another boy who was hot roddin' his tele and gave me his old parts for a trade for polishing and waxing his pickup truck and shinin' his wheels and tires.

IMG_0159I got the neck from a boy had a guitar he weren't playin' and had already sold all the parts off of it but the neck. He let me have it for mowin' his grass which wasn't too bad. It was his mower and gas, so it just cost me about three hours for the neck. I HomemadeB2have played it enough to wear the shiny off the neck, for sure.

It was as close to a Tele as I could get for a while. Later I got a real one and stopped using this one. I only used these home made guitars til I got some money for real ones. Also I glued a million dollar bill, not a real one to it, to make it worth a million dollars. That is just to be funny, Tondy.

But, like you know, some people have seen these and like them, and I have played them out in public again sometimes. I still don't take 'em out too much because they is home made and look like a poor man's guitar. I got a case given to me what is real nice and it helps me to take them out.

HomemadeB1Now this one here has two bass strings, because I play by myself most of the time or with one other person. You need guitar and you need bass, so what else you gonna do?

I play the bass with my thumb and the guitar with my other fingers. It ain't that hard, but it gives it a full sound and a good rhythm. I ain't never seen no one else with one, but I like to play a guitar like this. It's gots the handle on it for carryin' cause I ain't had no case for it till a year ago when that dude down Atlanta what played music fell in love with these guitars and brought me this case for free, to haul 'em in.

This case holds two guitars and is just right for them. HomemadeA6He even put my name on the case. I am prouder of the case than of the guitars, Tondy! That case is what gets me to take these guitars out in public. This case is not a poor man's case and that makes me proud and makes me take good care of it. It's got wheels on it, and good latches and handles. It makes the guitars look special, even though they is home made. So now I am not so ashamed of them any longer. That was a good man what give me that case, I guarantee it.