In this episode, I had the privelage of interviewing Preston Laisure while at the US 10 Cigar Box Guitar Festival. Preston is a member of the CBG Minded Michigan'ders and we had a great conversation on our shared love of building and playing Cigar Box Guitars.

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music for Season 1 performed by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

Cigar Box Guitar Music for Season 2 performed by Dean Dostal

Season 2 Opener with Dean Dostal who is putting on the US 10 Cigar Box Guitar Festival. In this episode we discuss all the specifics to include the venue, activities, food trucks and sponsors along with the Charity that will be supported by the revenue that will be generated by the event.

Location: Custer, Michigan on

Date: 19 July 2025.

Time: Noon - 9pm

Cost: FREE

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Dean Dostal

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this episode I invited my best friend and wife of over 42 years to give us her unique perspective on a variety of topics to include: Antiquing, Dumpster Diving, Visits To My Shop, The People in the Cigar Box Guitar Community, Her Favorite Builds, Post Surgery Purchases (and my no longer being able to use the phone to make them while still under anesthesia), and finally, her advice to Builders and their Spouses.

Chris's laughter and views are infectious. It is a fun one and we always laugh when we talk so, brace yourself!

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this episode I was able to sit down with Anthony Walker of Southpaw Cigarbox Guitars. Anthony lives in Blythewood, South Carolina and has a long history in Local, State and Federal Law Enforcement. He is a prolific builder of high quality, hand crafted Cigar Box Guitars and aside from being a regular vendor at the Soda City Market in Columbia, South Carolina he is also a supporter of school band programs within the state. In that capacity Anthony has partnered with MGB Guitars and and provided over 130 Cigar Box Ukuleles so that kids in his state have an opportunity to play an instrument.

You can find more of Anthony's builds and information on his Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/southpawcigarboxguitars

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this episode, I am deviating from the norm to have a little bit of fun with my son Dan and his wife Haley. They traveled about 9 hours from their home in Florida to spend some time in Gadsden, Alabama seeing the Cigar Box Guitar exhibit at the Mary G. Hardin Center For Cultural Arts Museum - and to spend some time catching up with me! We decided to film our time catching up and treat it as a normal episode on the Suitcase Sessions Podcast. If you want to spend a few minutes exploring just how many things we can talk about and find humor in, this is a fun one!

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this edition, I had the privelage of interviewing Tom Banks, Executive Director of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, and the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts. Tom is excited to host a permanent display of Cigar Box Guitars in Gadsden, Alabama and ensured that some 60 Cigar Box Guitars had a promonent location on the wall adjacent to the Performance stage within the Museum. Gadsden sees and hosts concerts and music festivals, attracting both performing artists and music lovers representing everything from Bluegrass to Rock, Country to Heavy Metal. It is exciting to know that many of those people will be patrons at the museum who will enjoy learning about Cigar Box Guitars.

If you would like to know more about the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, you can learn more at: https://culturalarts.org

or you can reach out to Tom directly at: tombanks@culturalarts.org

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this episode, I sit down with Roberto Vasquez. If you're paying attention, you'll note the 3-string, paint can lid resonator leaning against the suitcase at a crossroad in my podcast logo. Roberto made that cigar box guitar for me about 7 years ago as a part of a Christmas exchange among a group of builders, and it has been my favorite to noodle around on. Roberto lives in beautiful San Bernardino County, California in Fontana and talks to us about how he found the cigar box guitar and started making, playing and selling them. We wrap up with a great story on an opportunity he had to build a CBG for Cheech Marin of the comedy and movie duo Cheech and Chong!

If you want to see more of Roberto's cigar box guitars you can check out his listings on his Etsy site: Etsy/rvmusic.etsy.com FB/RLVCBG

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin

In this episode, I had a chance to sit down with Mark "The Harp" LeClair. Mark is a Cigar Box Guitar builder and performer. He is known for playing his cigar box guitars with his harmonicas and has an ability to tell stories with musical accompaniment on the fly. Here, you will learn how Boys Life Magazine and his natural curiousity led him to building his first cigar box guitar and then how his time in the U.S. Army found him carrying a harmonica into the field to pass the time. Mark is a lot of fun to watch perform and it was equally as fun to learn as much as I did from our conversation.

If you want to learn more about Mark LeClair

Watch the epidsodes on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@BobBowman962/videos

Cover Art by Alice Saurber: Alice Design Studio - 513-907-9878
Cigar Box Guitar Music by Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin