"The Legend of the Hobo Fiddle" Book by Ben "Gitty" Baker

Part songbook, part history, part fiction and part memoir, "The Legend of the Hobo Fiddle" is author Ben "Gitty" Baker's attempt to introduce his musical instrument creation and share some of the "why" behind it. In this 60-page book, Ben shares some of the history and lore of the American hobo, provides 20 song tabs of old train and hobo-related songs, shares some of his own memoirs and stories (including the tale of how he got the hobo moniker "Quarter-Hour"), gives some how-to information, includes many photos and other related images (many of them vintage), and more. 

Ben has been researching Hobo lore for the past few months, and has uncovered a couple of fleeting references to these traveling people making their own musical instruments while riding the rails. His search for more references continues. To help fill in the gap, he has penned a fictional story of "3-String Sam" the hobo who built himself a 3-string guitar out of a cigar box, and called it a Hobo Fiddle. 

This not a "how-to-build" book, in that no detailed plans are presented. We print these right here in the C. B. Gitty workshop in New Hampshire, with a glossy cardstock cover and heavy weight paper pages. Each one is signed by Ben.