On the 4th of December a special gig is being held in aid of charity Help for Heroes, organised by “Just Play the Blues”. A provider of custom cigar box guitars handmade by Ian McDonald, he will be giving away an instrument laser cut and engraved by Thinklaser’s Lightblade laser marking machine.
The event is being held at Corringham Hall in Corringham, Essex from 7pm until midnight, with live music, a raffle for the guitar and other prizes, and buffet food. All proceeds from tickets and the raffle are towards Help for Heroes.
Gareth Lewis of Thinklaser says, “When Ian mentioned he was working on a guitar to support the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity we were more than happy to help him to make it something special. The craftsmanship of the finished product is just inspiring and we are proud to have been involved in such a worthy cause.”
Cigar Box Guitars are a type of chordophone that traditionally use empty cigar boxes as their resonators. Early models have 1-2 strings but more modern variants have 3-4. This particular model uses a hand assembled resonator with an oak top, oak fretboard and 4 strings and is electrified with a hand wound flatpup humbucker. There is poppy detailing and the guitar is stained and lacquered to protect the wood and give it an awesome high quality finish.
Ian McDonald of Just Play the Blues adds, “In my experience the Laser technology at Thinklaser give a very accurate finish to the woods being used. The hardwoods involved in the manufacturing process can be very difficult to shape in smaller detailing and gives a pristine finish to my work around the world.”
“The etching facilities at Thinklaser work with all my material bases such as hardwoods, corian and metal.”
This particular item demonstrates wonderfully how traditional manufacturing techniques and modern approaches such as laser cutting can amalgamate to create a truly stunning end result. It also shows the depth of application of the technology, with the lasers providing both cutting and engraving.
More information about the event:
All those who enter the raffle are in with a chance of winning:
- A holiday for 4 worth £2000 with £1000 spending money
- The custom shop cigar box guitar, handmade by Just Play the Blues/IanMcDonald
- A Skype guitar lesson with cigar box guitar player Justin Johnson
- A 40” HD TV
You can see more of Ian’s fantastic work on his Facebook page and his website. His Facebook page also contains more information regarding the event.
About Just Play the Blues:
Ian McDonald has been working in the joinery business for over 30 years and also owns a kitchen business with his brother. Ian enjoys making cigar box guitars, a profession which started as a hobby but now involves Ian providing hand-built one-off models to musicians and enthusiasts.
About Thinklaser Ltd:
Thinklaser are a Reigate based company who design and manufacture laser engraving and marking machines, suitable for a variety of applications. Thinklaser also provide laser engraving and marking services. Thinklaser Limited have provided a variety of companies with their laser machines and services including, Adidas, Aston Martin, Bentley, European Space Agency, Nike and OneLife iD as well as plenty of other exciting projects.
Just Play the Blues Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustPlayTheBlues/
Just Play the Blues website: http://www.justplaytheblues.co.uk/
Thinklaser Ltd: http://thinklaser.com/
Help for Heroes: http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/
