3 String Cigar Box

[SteveF]

anyone built one ?

my neighbor asked me if i could
i said i doubt it...but it intrigued me

Steve

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I built one, and featured it in a previous issue of British Woodworking. Was surprisingly easy and fun, and it even has a pick-up. There are a few books on the subject, but you could do it from our article. It was in Feb/Mar 2013, BW34. We may have a back issue or you can buy a digital version from Pocketmags/Apple Newstand.

All you really have to do is cut a wooden neck into a cigar box, reinforced a bit. What do you need to know?

 

[SteveF]

I built one, and featured it in a previous issue of British Woodworking. Was surprisingly easy and fun, and it even has a pick-up. There are a few books on the subject, but you could do it from our article. It was in Feb/Mar 2013, BW34. We may have a back issue or you can buy a digital version from Pocketmags/Apple Newstand.

All you really have to do is cut a wooden neck into a cigar box, reinforced a bit. What do you need to know?

I need to know lots
I am not a guitar builder..is an amateur capable?
if so I will download the article
it needs to have a pick up
if too much \ technical for an amateur I will tell them NO
Steve

 

[joethedrummer]

Built a couple and got one partly made,, nice thing to do,, but not the sound according to the good lady, but she don"t like the blues.
Try the Cigarboxnation web site and away you go !!
Loads of six string pluckers on here, so look forward to some unusual advice !!!
,,,,,joe,,,,,,
Not that I want to over encourage you,, Oh yeah!!,, check out Red Dog Guitars,, had some great stuff from him,,,

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Very easy for an amateur. Ok, so I'm quite an experienced woodworker, but I really could not believe how successful it turned out to be. I copied the fretting from another guitar. Seems to work ok. Our article had some references to books worth reading. It was one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever made, and didn't take very long. I installed a pickup and couldn't believe how well it worked.

 

[marcros]

do you have a source of cigar boxes- they seemed hard to come by when i was looking to make a humidor using one.

 

[SteveF]

I guess it is cheating to make your own box?

Steve

 

[joethedrummer]

Marcos,, I get mine from a tobacco (OOPS, perhaps thats not PC) shop in London and they are about a fiver each,,, I will have a rake around and find their details and post them up.
A few years back we went to Cuba and visited a cigar producer and they had a store of boxes which had the musky smell of cedar,,,, wish we had bought some home,, but hey ho,,
,,,,,,joe,,,,,

 

[joethedrummer]

I guess it is cheating to make your own box?

Steve

Hi Steve,,,,, Guess a negro slave in the Mississippi delta would have made his own box if he could have,,,, so go for it if you cannot source a box, but I would try and get a cigar box if possible.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,joe,,,,,

 

[marcros]

i would think that using the box with the label on is a key part of the look of the item. They are probably very thin sided too which will make a difference.

 

[joethedrummer]

Hi marcros,,, too right the labels give the box its identity,, and hey I need to get out more "cos I"ve just been and measured a Montecristo box and it"s just under 7mm thick sides and top,,,, but the interleaf is only 0.8 mm thick, it looks like a veneer,,
,,,,,,,,,,,joe,,,

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I got mine on eBay for £10 I think. It turned out to be made of cardboard, but that doesn't seemed to have mattered much (but then mine was made for me, not as a commission!!!).

 

[Nick Gibbs]

If you email me, Steve, at [email protected] I can send you a pdf of my article, which includes details of the books we used as source material. Please don't PM me as I can't do it that way. Thanks.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Hi Steve.
After reading Nick's article I set about making one with my son. I bought the Handmade Music Factory book and used one of their projects using an old wine box. it was really easy and great fun. The guitar has a surprisingly good tone.
Don't hesitate, get on with it, the only limitation is your imagination.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Hi Steve.
After reading Nick's article I set about making one with my son. I bought the Handmade Music Factory book and used one of their projects using an old wine box. it was really easy and great fun. The guitar has a surprisingly good tone.
Don't hesitate, get on with it, the only limitation is your imagination.

Great to hear the article had an impact. It was one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever completed (which is a miracle in itself), and if I had more time I'd love to a) make another, and b) learn how to play my first one!!!

 

[nev]

What a great idea for my brothers xmas pressie! I thought. so followed Joes suggestion to cigarboxnation and found a link for advanced cigar box guitar making. Wow! that may take me a few Christmases to complete - 179 pages!
Is the BW34 version a lot simpler?

 

[Nick Gibbs]

What a great idea for my brothers xmas pressie! I thought. so followed Joes suggestion to cigarboxnation and found a link for advanced cigar box guitar making. Wow! that may take me a few Christmases to complete - 179 pages!
Is the BW34 version a lot simpler?

Not sure. It took me about two days to make, but I was busy so I had to hurry.

 

[SteveF]

I ordered the back issue

bit of light reading

Steve

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I ordered the back issue bit of light reading Steve

Hopefully it's not too light!!! Thanks for ordering it. Enjoy.

 

[DannyEssex]

I like the look of these and if its in the amateur bracket I might give it a go