Charles Atchison Folk Artisan
Explore DGD tuning and move beyond Open chord playing
Play Your Favorite Songs on a Three String Guitar. It’s Easier Than You Think.
What if learning guitar wasn’t overwhelming, confusing, or frustrating, but actually made sense from day one?
With my full color book you’ll learn a powerful three string guitar method that not only gets you playing songs quickly, it also helps you see the fretboard more clearly and understand how music works. No clutter, no confusion, just simple, movable chord shapes that repeat up and down the neck. You’ll start recognizing patterns, mastering note relationships, and building confidence with every song you play.
You’ll learn a total of seven easy to play, moveable chord shapes, plus lots of other tips, tricks, and exercises designed to accelerate your progress.
From rock classics like Born in the U.S.A. to bluesy grooves like Love Struck Baby, this method gives you the tools to play them all with a bold, rich tone.
This is more than a shortcut, it’s a smarter, simpler path to real guitar skills.
If you’ve ever felt lost trying to learn the traditional way, this approach strips it down, opens it up, and puts music in your hands fast.
Follow this incredibly easy to learn method and you’ll be playing your favorite songs faster than you ever thought possible!
Click here to download a PDF version for only $6.99
OR
Click here to buy a printed copy for only $12.99 + shipping
Both versions grant you access to private lessons, unlisted YouTube videos, tutorials, tablature and more via a secret area of this website.
Charles Atchison's Three String Guitar Method - Explore the versatility of DGD tuning
Sneak peek of what's inside the book
The three string guitar is where I encourage every new guitar player to start, and my method can have beginners playing popular songs in less than an hour. More than anything, it will help you fully understand the fretboard and see and understand chord shapes and relationships like you never imagined.
Below are some tutorials utilizing DGD tuning. Additional private/unlisted videos are available to everyone that has a copy of my three string guitar method, via a private section of this website. Get yourself a copy today!
Related 3 String Guitar Videos
Discover the newly updated The Folk Art Instrument Builders Reference: Revised Color Photo Edition
Now available as a vibrant PDF download. Originally published in black in white in 2015, this guide for folk art instrument enthusiasts has been reimagined in full color. Dive into a rich collection of techniques, designs, and resources for crafting traditional instruments, now brought to life with vivid illustrations and detailed diagrams. Perfect for builders, hobbyists, and folk art lovers, this 2025 edition offers an enhanced visual experience while preserving the timeless knowledge that made the original a go-to resource. Whether you’re crafting your first instrument or refining your skills, this updated reference is your essential companion. Download the PDF for instant access or order the print edition today!
Click here to download the full color 200 page book for only $7.99
Revised Color Print edition now available here for only $20.00 + shipping
The original black and white printed version is still available at Amazon.com
Sneak peek of what's inside
Reviews
All of the instruments played in these next two videos were created using mostly homemade and repurposed materials. It was way easier to build and record with them, than it was making the videos showing me playing each instrument all at the same time.
The Lucky Us Band
"The Lucky Us Band" was formed in 2012. I Joined them in October 2024 providing lead guitar and I get to sing several songs from our three hour 40 song set list.
Follow me and the band over here and watch for show dates if you are near K.C. Missouri
Homemade Instruments
I began my journey into instrument building by making some upgrades and modifications to my own guitars. Then I learned about cigar box guitars, their history, and impact on music, and then I was hooked. So much that so that I later wrote the book, "The Folk Art Instrument Builders Reference." You can view a gallery of a few my favorites builds here.
I built this custom baritone 27” scale, lap steel guitar for musician Justin Johnson using a 100 year old barometer, and a neck from an old, Johnson brand guitar. I added added a new fretboard, used red and white fret position markers to give the feeling of mercury rising up the neck.
For this instrument I developed a new method for semi-mounted re-positional pickup. Basically, this pickup can be moved, even during play, to any point under the strings, between the neck and the bridge position.The floating bridge sits atop the metal face plate, above a big hollow cavity, which served in making this a resonator/dobro style guitar and adds to its deep, haunted, tone.
This instrument by far took the most thought, planning, consideration, and focus than any other instrument I’ve ever built. The sound is out of this world and Justin utilizes the space behind the bridge and tailpiece to add some insanely cool vibrato/pitch changes using his hand.
Sam Wilson, better known as One-String Sam, captivated me with his incredible story and unique music. His life and legacy drew me into a deeper exploration of who he was and how his one-string guitar left an indelible mark on the blues world. This story shares what I discovered along the way and how his influence still resonates today.
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In addition to building instruments and folk art, I sometimes collect and sell authentic vintage cigar box instruments (and other antique handmade folk art and tramp art), memorabilia and ephemera ranging from books, postcards, records, cigar boxes, cups, plates and more.
