CHICKIBOOM

LE MONDE - collaborative collaged art guitar with images by Kostas Skopelitis Recording King Guitar - $900.

DREAMTIME - collaborative collaged art guitar with images by Joshua Levin Kala Soprano Ukulele - $380.

THE PEOPLE OF WINE AND BULL - collaborative collaged art guitar with images by Simon Buret Carlo Robelli Bass Acoustic - $1300.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFULL - collaborative collaged art guitar with images by RoMaric Recording King Dirty 37 - $900. SOLD

THE EXPOSED HEART - collaborative collaged art guitar with images by Aaron Allen Recording King - $850.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Sony Felberg is the creator of CHCKIBOOM, functional traditional cigar box guitars with a whimsical twist! He has long history with art and music, not to mention audio and visual media production working with groups such as Pearl Jam and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is currently creating instruments with anywhere between three and six strings with a variety of tunings based on their style, including open D, open G, bass guitar, and ukulele.

Sony’s latest endeavor is collaging up-cycled electric and acoustic guitars. Through the process of stripping them down, reworking the fret boards, adding electronics and finally, inspired by the Cubism Movement, layering thematic images, these guitars evoke a message or a memory.

Sony was inspired to build instruments while learning guitar, saying, “Six months into my third attempt at learning to play guitar, the engineer in me struggled out asking, ‘I wonder if I could build a guitar?” Realizing I had all the tools to take on a cigar box instrument, I built a three string. Then I built a few more, found some design improvements and built more!” Now their guitars and other stringed instruments can be found at DragonFire Gallery, where they add color, music, and hints of a long and fascinating history.

The cigar box guitar is a longstanding alternative to traditional string instruments that has its roots in the mid-1800s. Originally designed to make musical instruments available to people of all economic backgrounds, it then evolved into a culture all its own during the rise of blues and the creation of the first jug bands. These instruments continue to grow in popularity as hobbyists, clubs and musicians of all levels celebrate their history, ease of use, and timeless designs.