Samm Bennett solo videos: songs using the diddley bow
Page 1 (10 videos with the Marron Glace Guitar, performances from 2010 & 2011)
Page 2 (videos from 2014 - present)
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Hello friends, Samm Bennett here. The diddley bow is the generic name given to one-string instruments from the American folkloric music tradition. The diddley bow may take the simple form of a piece of wood (for example, a 2x4) with a wire stretched across it, and some sort of resonator, like a can or box. Otherwise, it may appear as a guitar-like instrument, with a neck and a resonating body of some sort.
The diddley bow I started with (now retired!) was the "Marron Glace Guitar", with a short wooden neck, a piece of grill from a small oven, a plastic handle like one is given at a store to carry a large box home (serving as the bridge) and an aluminum tin which once contained Marron Glace pastries. In other words, it's made entirely of cast-off junk. You can read more about it here. I also use a couple of different diddley bow made for me by James Floyd (aka Billy Sunday) of Pensacola, Florida, who I believe is out of the cigar box guitar game now but who used to make all manner of artistic stringed instruments (diddley bows, 3-stringers, 4-stringers, lap steels and more) out of all sorts of fanciful found materials. I've enjoyed playing his instruments over the last few years. In addition to creating simple accompaniment by plucking the string, I also use the diddley bow as a percussion instrument from time to time, by playing the body like a drum, or by playing the string with sticks. Whatever gets the job done, you know. |