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My Cigar Box Guitar (with cigar box amp)

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These were made as x-mas presents for my Dad last year. I was too lazy to write up a full instrucable, so I just put together a quick slideshow instead. I used some free cigar boxes, some scrap wood, and a few scavenged electronics parts. My only expenses were the tuners, strings, and fretwire. It was a fun project inspired by a Lightning Hopkins quote about his musical beginnings. It sounds surprisingly good, although probably not as good as it would have sounded in Lightnings hands.

8 comments

Sep 12, 2011. 2:36 PMsuperrust says:

What do you use as a pickup/? Is it some form of a piezo transducer? Nice build i like the bottle cap pot knob

Oct 15, 2011. 4:53 AMkornellas says:

This is really beautiful, and what I want to make. It is nice to have the pictures... but it would be really cool to see how you did it... with instructions. :) Keep Rocking! :)

Jun 14, 2010. 3:10 AMgizmology says:

You're right -- this isn't a "full instrucable" -- it actually isn't one at all. Yes, it looks cool, but isn't the point of putting it on this site to instruct people how to make it? You said you were too lazy to write it up, so why post it here at all? Of course, I haven't been keeping up with this site as much for the last couple of years -- maybe things have really changed a lot and this is now more like friendster or something, a place to post pictures of yourself, etc. If so, sorry for the mistake. If not, how about adding a supply list and some actual instructions? Believe me, there's no shortage of photos on the web -- I just did a google search for pictures of a "cigar box guitar" and guess what? There are 93,500 pictures. But I came looking for instructions on how to build one myself, so... tell us how, please! :)

Mar 23, 2011. 7:26 PMSuperCoPilot says:

There are a lot of "just display" instructables on this site, I think it's cool to look at it at least, plus there are loads of instructables on how to make a cigar box guitar, plus the fact there are a lot of outside instructions, hell I made my first one using instructions from a depression era newspaper! Saying you can find instructions for it online is like saying you can't find Asia on a globe, damn near impossible

Oct 11, 2010. 4:21 PMdirtyroger says:

I completly agree, same reason i came here. Although I am impressed with the outcome and like the fact you made one for your father as a present.

I shall be writing a blog on constructing my first CBG here dirtyguitarguide.com

May 9, 2010. 11:42 AMMichael S. says:

You really [i]should[/i] set aside some time to write up a summery of your build for both the CBG guitar and amp, as you have done quite a nice job on both.