Biography
Mike Snowden is fascinated with Cigar Box Guitars. He builds them. He writes and records music with them. He also performs live with his cigar box guitars. I guess you could say that Mike has “joined the revolution” in full force.
Mike Snowden has played the electric bass guitar for over twenty years in several touring and recording bands. He has been in bands that toured the United States and Canada, opening for bands such as The Indigo Girls, Joe Cocker, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Dave Matthews Band, and others. He also has several studio recordings to his credit. “Having been in the music business for so many years, I just got burned out on touring and the grind of the business,” Mike says about his years on the road. “I took some time away from music all together… I didn’t even pick up a guitar for a few years.” That all changed when he discovered a cigar box guitar. Cigar box guitars have given him a new outlook on music and what is possible when things are simplified. A three-string cigar box guitar has endless possibilities!
Mike’s new CD “The Legend of Boondock Jones and his Faithful Cigar Box Guitar” is a collection of original songs written by Mike Snowden. All the guitars on the new CD are hand crafted by Mike. Most of the guitars recorded are of the three-string variety. “I wanted a record that you could play from start to finish and have each song tell a part of the story…. Like a movie for your ears”. Mike has been playing some of these songs in his live set. “The new songs are really fun to play live. Georgia Mountain Train and 18 Wheeler are real cigar box guitar rockers!” Mike says. Travel through the American South on this musical adventure with the main character Boondock Jones. You get a little bit of everything with Boondock Jones…Cigar Box Guitar music with a dash of Rock, Funk, Roots and Blues. This self-released title is now available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and at www.snowdenguitars.com.
Mike Snowden’s first cigar box guitar record “Summer in the Fields – Cigar Box Guitar Instrumentals” is also available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and at www.snowdenguitars.com. It is a collection of all original songs written by Mike Snowden and performed on his Cigar Box Guitars. “I have been working with Jason Lafarge in Brooklyn NY to record the music for a few years now. He has a great ear for these little guitars. He does a great job getting the sound I want down on tape.” Porch Song, The Mo Shuffle and Dark Highway are real stand outs from this collection of songs. “I have gotten a lot of feedback from Porch Song Mike Says “It was recorded in one take with a reverb effect on a three-string cigar box guitar with a glass slide. Sometimes you just get luck in the studio, other times, not so much.”
Mike Snowden also builds and sells cigar box guitars at art shows and at his online store. He takes a simple approach to the way he builds his cigar box guitars. Mike tries to let the cigar box be the main focus of the guitar. “It is so much fun to see the look on peoples faces when they hear a cigar box guitar for the first time. Most people can’t believe the sound you can make with one of these little gems. You can really do a lot with just three strings” Mike uses exotic hard woods to hand craft each guitar neck. While building each guitar he matches the cigar box and hard woods to create each instrument. “I have sold several cigar box guitars to people that just hang them on the wall as art” Mike says. “I strive to make each cigar box guitar look great and play even better! I want everyone to enjoy these guitars as much as I like to build them.” Having made over 200 cigar box guitars, Mike still learns new ways of doing things. “The great thing about these guitars is there are no rules and there’s just something so cool about that.”
To see a current list of available cigar box guitars, where Mike will be performing, CBG music and other related information visit Mike at www.snowdenguitars.com.
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