Cigar Box Guitar: Nice Looking vs. Ugly but Working.

Jun 09

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Few weeks ago there was some interesting discussion in the FB group “Cigar Box Guitar Builders”.
Someone started it with the statement, kind of: “I don’t like the idea of using any expensive guitar parts on cigar box guitars.
Because there were no expensive parts at the times when first CBGs had been created.
And the creators never had money for these parts. As well as for real instruments.
Actually this was the point and main reason why cigar box guitars have been appeared on the edge of 19th and 20th centuries.

I personally have mixed feelings about this subject.
On one side I like to browse the eBay for really cheap “Made in China” pickups (I remember I bought the standard single coil pickup for just $0.99, free shipping. And it worked well).
And it’s an amazing feeling: it looks like a box but sounds like a real electric guitar.
And I believe that it can be a real fun: volume control, tone control, pickups switch etc.
I myself have built one and I like it:

But…
As I said before there were no electric parts when first cigar box guitar was invented.
So there is always a feeling of something weird happening in CBG world when I see a luxury shiny CBG piece with the price tag well over $400.
I repeat I’m not against it.
It just feels not right to me personally.
That’s why I tried to make another instrument, a CB Ukulele.
It looks like this:
.

The only part I had to buy is an input jack. Well and those 2 screened grommets but these were the leftovers from another projects.
Those 3 pickups-bobbins are hand made. Here are more details on it.

So, yes. It’s fun to make “next to professional” CBG instrument.
And no. It’s another fun to make some stringed instrument which is built from any garbage at your home.
And it should not be a cigar box. Any suitable box (or can) can be used.

My first CBG was built from tea box lid and bottom: