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Meet John Sawyer

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Meet John Sawyer

August 4, 2022
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Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Sawyer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

John, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

 

I was born in the late 60’s.  We certainly weren’t rich.  My father was a machinist, and we loved to camp and go off roading.  He often worked weekends so we could afford motorcyles, a motorhome, and to go camping.  This also meant we fixed our own stuff!  My father always worked with us, and made sure we could change a tire, rebuild a carburetor, or take care of any level of mechanical issue.  We also did our own home repairs.  I recall at a young age, hammering roof shingles down.   We did everything because we had to.

As a kid, I remember taking EVERYTHING apart… Telephones, televisions, (Including helping Dad by collecting tubes from the TV to go test at the drugstore.) Most of the time, I managed to put it back together, but I was always fascinated how things worked.  I self-studied electronics as a kid, with books and kits from Radio Shack (yeah, I’m that old).  I learned to build electronics from parts scavenged from broken things people would give me.  One of the neighborhood dads was an electronic engineer.  He gave me my first soldering iron, and would occasionally help me with some project.  (He also had the first computer in the neighborhood, but that’s another story.)

Eventually, life got in the way, as did being self-employed as a computer consultant, kids, and such. But I always found my way back to making things… (I even helped run one of the most successful Hammock backpacking forums, and made my own hammocks to camp in! — Try camping at sub-freezing weather in a hammock, it’s far better than sleeping on the ground…) but I digress… yes, I wander a lot…

Eventually, I discovered the Cigar Box Guitar… and made one.. and made mistakes… then another and so-on… I’ve manufactured over 200 guitars, sold kits, and amplifiers, and have shipped them all over the world! So, you want to know HOW I got here… What is the creative process? how did I figure it out? well… it’s pretty simple:

Stand on the backs of giants… It’s hard to find something that hasn’t already been done… so when I find a topic I’m interested in, it’s all about the research. I read voraciously, often starting with my friend Google, but once I find a credible source, it’s paper. paper to read and reference, and paper to write notes. My memory isn’t perfect, and lot’s of technical information is extremely detailed. So I build my knowledge in layers. Starting with a Cigar Box Guitar, there are a few rules… (well, laws of physics) to guitar building… the length of the strings is important in relationship to the diameter… so I COPY what the greats have done. Generally, guitars have a scale/string length of 25 inches (ish). So start there, DO WHAT WORKS, and then modify on the next one to tweak it where I want to go.

Working in electronics is no different.. find a schematic that works, build it… but try to understand how it works, and why certain things are done, and don’t be afraid to fail.  Lately I’ve gotten into Vacuum Tube amps… and I look at the components of an amp like building a house… There’s plumbing (wires) under the foundation (transformer), then there’s the structure (chassis), drywall, flooring, doors (resistors, capacitors, switches, jacks) that are built in small sections to perform a certain purpose, and impart a particular sound.

John, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a San Diego native, and love the desert.  I have 2 awesome adult kids and a wonderful wife (who puts up with my slightly crazy).  I work in IT, but spend my spare time making musical devices.  Sure, I play, some… but I really enjoy working on things that make music.  I love supporting artists, and other budding makers.   I truly enjoy the thrill that people get when they learn to make music.
 I always wanted to play guitar, but never had the discipline to put the time in. One year, friends and I went to our first Maker faire, where I met a cool dude and his band (The Budrows) who was selling Cigar Box guitar kits. I was fascinated. He put a slide on my hand and I was hooked. So, I went home and made one. Then another… pretty soon, they were in demand. Eventually, I found out about the Maker movement through the San Diego Maker’s Guild. They helped put on the first Maker Faires in San Diego. I was given a free booth, and I started by showing my craft. I wasn’t selling anything. The response was crazy! So many people wanted them, that at the next Maker Faire, I built kits for people to build (after all, it was about making, not buying) Every faire was bigger and better. Ultimately, I created my hobby business: SawBox Music. I make a number of products: Cigar Box Guitars (Kits and more), and Guitar amplifiers from some crazy stuff: Mason Jar guitar amps, Cigar Box guitar amps, and even custom amplifiers from old Tube radios with working vacuum tubes! One of my favorite products are my Busking amplifiers. Imagine an 80’s vintage briefcase with an 8″ speaker that will rock on for around 6 hours on a set of built in rechargeable batteries! I’ve sold quite a few, and shipped them all over the US. One of my favorite customers plays his music on the weekends near the bar scene for tips using one of my amps. Go check out some of my stuff at SawBoxGuitars.com, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/sawyercbg
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Absolutely! There are communities of creatives and makers out there to help and inspire you! For me, this was the San Diego Maker’s Guild… this loose group of crazy creatives are so diverse and different, yet inspire each other to do cool things or collaborate on awesome projects. The skills in this group are wide ranging, and we all pitch in to help each other. Find a group like this!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Wow, I’ve never thought of my self as an artist.. more of an engineer, but I think it fits! The most rewarding thing for me is sharing the love of music. Everybody loves music, and it makes us all just a little happier. Every once in a while, I see that spark of realization that somebody can create music with something as simple as a stick and a cigar box. I have numerous interactions with crazy talented people, but a few stick with me and drive me forward. In one instance, I met a man who loved to play guitar, but had to give it up after his hand was crushed in an industrial accident. Though he kept his hand, he wasn’t able to contort his fingers into useful “chord shapes” to play, and hadn’t played guitar for over 10 years. The simplest Cigar Box Guitar has no frets, and is played with just one finger in a slide (normally made from a wine neck). I sat him down, showed him the basics of playing, and stepped away to let him figure it out. As I spoke to other potential customers, I watched as the lightbulb went on… after a few minutes, he had the basics down and was playing a recognizable tune. The smile on his face made all the work worthwhile. Sure, he bought a completed CBG and a kit for his mom, but it wasn’t about the money. I had helped him find his music again. I will never forget that day, or the happiness on his face.

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