Build an Inexpensive Cigar Box Guitar at Home

Step 9: Finished!

And here is the finished guitar. It wasn't too difficult to make, just a bit time consuming. It was a great learning experience, I hope to improve on it in the next one. And i hope it helps anyone else making these fun DIY instruments.

Here it is in action:

Acoustic:

and electric:

And one more of it playing on video:

 

Comments

[valveman]

Very nice instructable.
I see the action is kinda high. Is that normally where cigar box guitars are set?

[duane jameson]

I've made a bunch of cigar box guitars but I've always use really hard exotic woods like blood wood and purple heart. I always use a truss rod on them as well, so i am trying to see how others hold up with out a truss rod. I'm starting to think i am wasting my money on truss rods. any feedback on that note?

[nickdrj]

Thanks! The action is really high, you can t really play with without a slide. So maybe a truss would control the action better. I bet yours are probably more durable as well, this ones done on the cheap, but whats fun is even if its made out of a tissue box itll have some sort of sound.

[duane jameson]

Like the tone on yours by the way.

[FIAT RACING]

what strings are you using? E,D,B and e or?

[bryandhispup]

great question i am wondering as well...

[tiny3o92]

hey! Awesome work done hey! Just one question... I saw you used steel strings... didn't you need to put in a truss rod or did the neck held up? Thanx!

[nickdrj]

Hi! Thanks for the comments. The neck is holding up ok, I think that since the neck goes through the entire body, plus its only 4 strings, it doesnt stress it out too much. The action is a bit high towards the higher frets but i think thats more because i made the bridge a little tall. Hope that answers your question.

[tiny3o92]

Haha no problem! Thanks for the reply. I want to know if I made a 6 string one do you think that would be a problem with the tension or should I add a truss rod then ? I'm just a beginner though but I really want to start building guitars. So I have tons of questions. Thanks for the help!

[Canas]

I know I keep jumping in on these comments, but mainly because I keep coming back for reference on one I'm building now. If you're a beginner, a 4-stringer is much easier to make. 6 strings is very difficult to work with. I was able to build a 6 string CBG without a truss rod. All I had to do was add a few wood ribs to the inside of the box.

[tiny3o92]

okay cool thanx for the help i'll probably start next year when i'm finished with school! all the best

[opsite]

This is one of the neatest projects I've seen on Instructables. Nice work young man. You may have given this ol' fart something new to build. Thanks for publishing it here and all the work you put into this.

[Philoso-Raptor]

Beautifully done my friend. On a side note, who is that psychedelic painting done by in the third video? It's very cool.

[nickdrj]

Thanks! The painting is by my brother 

This is his site: http://www.avrodesign.com/dima/

[92033]

wow...your brother is one heckuva fabulous artist...and ONLY in his twenties, yet. God sure Blessed him abundantly with his Talent...wish I could afford to buy his work.

[Philoso-Raptor]

Whoa nelly. I love all of his stuff. Does he sell prints or anything?

[gizmology]

Beautiful guitar -- very nice work! Ever since I saw an intstructable for a cigar box guitar, I am sort of obsessed with the idea, and I keep coming across instructables for them or videos with one in it, etc. Sort of scared though, because my only excuse for never learning to play the guitar when all my friends are musicians is, "my hands are too small and the strings are too far apart!" I think this problem would be solved if I made my own... and I collect cigar boxes, so... OH, THE PRESSURE! :p

[nickdrj]

Thats how i decided to make one, i was fascinated by them and kept reading about them, slowly building the will to make one. I guess i set myself a purpose, to make one for my brother as a birthday present, which motivated me. But after I made this first one i want to make more! You should totally do it!