• tandm3
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Topic: Cigar Box Guitar

Ok,  A couple of weeks ago a friend sent me a youtube link to a video of a guy that I had never heard of.  His name is Seasick Steve.  He has numerous videos on youtube.com.  One that particularly intrigued me was one where he is playing a three stringed cigar box guitar.  And it sounds great.  Out of curiosity, I've started building one myself and am at the stage where I am finishing the neck.  It still needs frets and a nut but its getting close. I will post pictures of the finished product when its done.. Should be a couple of weeks from now.   It sounds crazy in a way cause I have guitars that I don't even play and I'm building a new one.  But, this sounded so interesting to me that I just couldn't resist attempting it.   If you're curious, there are quite a few cigar box guitar sites out there.  Check them out!

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  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Ok, here it is, from poplar table leg to 3 string guitar.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5222701990_51d2ebdda1_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5222106351_f3f4930ca0_z.jpg Thats Sophie over by the Dobro.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5222107007_6192ba82b9_z.jpg Getting there.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5082/5222704852_40bd3519c3_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5222105577_12ca4edb98_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5243/5222108273_f5fbfaab1c_b.jpg

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  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,312

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Awesome!!! Good looking work! How does it play / sound?

I want one!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

That looks great,you have done a good job hope to hear it sometime. sopie looks like a  curios cat

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Thanks Topdown. I made the scale length 25.5". I probably should have made it 24.5 but it still plays easy.  Its tuned in GDG. I tried DBG but I like the sound of GDG better.  Its a little thin on the bass side of things but the mid range and treble are both good and loud.  I have not glued or nailed the top down yet.  I'm still thinking of pickup options but I'm sure it would sound clearer with the lid secured with either glue or finishing nails. Its a proto-type for me so I'm thinking it will go through a few more iterations before its finalized. I'll keep up with posting the upgrades/ improvements.  Thanks go to Stewmac.com for providing the fret spacing for free! BTW the neck finish was 6 coats of tung oil applied with a rag. I applied one coat per day and I let it dry til day 8 and sanded it with 400, 600,and 800 grit sand paper then applied 3 thickish coats of nitro-cellulose spray lacquer. The next day I sanded that with 1000, 1200 and 1500 grit paper and called it done.

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  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Thanks Dino, Sophie is a curious cat. She loves eating the wires of Christmas lights.  I hope she makes it through the season! I worry for her.

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  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

I'm also working on a cigar box amp to go with the guitar.  An electrician friend of mine is helping with the hard part.  Here's the box next to a Moviola URS for size comparison.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5227162837_41771bdde6_z.jpg

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  • blakem
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  • Registered: 2008-08-16
  • Posts: 4

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Your uke is awesome!!! With only 3 strings, how are they tuned: GCE...CEA....or something else????

Love it!!

  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Great job tandm.  Looks like you could sell those in any music store.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Thanks Blakem,  Its tuned GDG because of my affinity for delta blues.

Thanks Pete,  I'm currently trying to secure a booth at the Apalachicola Seafood Festival next November. I'm hoping to sell a few there.  In the meantime, I'm having a lot of fun building these things. Currently I'm working on a 4 string guitar and a 4 string mandolin.  I just carved the necks this past weekend.

Now available in 5G !
  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Hi agian tandm3 that is looking great and the amps look cool also,rub your electrical cordwires with some after shave,or something that smells strong and sopie will not chew on the wires. Hate to see you lose your cat,that works well with almost any animal.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • Registered: 2006-07-27
  • Posts: 31

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Welcome to the cigar-box guitar community.  Head on over to THE source for all things cigar-box, Cigar Box Nation :



And check out what our members have been up to.

I've been building for a few years now; in addition to guitars I've made a banjo, a uke, a mandola... My main axe is a resonator guitar using the lid from a girl-scout cooking set for the resonator.

  • tandm3
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  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Thanks Bikewer, I just signed up the other day.  It's a very impressive site.

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  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,707

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

THIS IS TO BIKEWER,

thank you for taking part in the chordie forum, but i'm afraid references to sites selling anything is not permitted, therefore i have removed the link you posted.

if you have any queries please check the chordie guide lines on the main menu.

again sorry, advertising is not allowed without permission from per the administrator.

phill williams (moderator)

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • From: Deep Run, NC
  • Registered: 2010-01-29
  • Posts: 90

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

Tandm3 I'm glad you started this topic.  I have 2 CBG's a 3 string that I made.  It doesn't come close to looking as good as yours and a 4 string with electric that I bought.  I find them harder to play than my 6 string acoustics.  I guess not having chord charts and such makes it difficult for me.  Also I'm not a big blues fan so I don't know many blues songs and the CBG is mostly a blues instrument.  I would love to get a 6 string CBG but WOW are they expensive.  I may have to find a neck off a broken acoustic and build one myself.  I'm a member of Cigar Box Nation also.  It's a good resource for anything Cigar Box.

tonyespo / 63 year old NEWBEE

I better learn to play fast, I'm already an old fart.
  • From: PA
  • Registered: 2007-08-13
  • Posts: 26

Re: Cigar Box Guitar

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Cigar Box Guitar tribute to Blind Willie Johnson. 2 cds of deep blues music. http://shanespeal.com/fr_blindwillie.cfm
They have downloads of other CBG music also.  It's on a "name your price" system, starting at $0.00.  I've heard Shane Speal play and he makes those three strings sing!

Sometimes you have to burn a few bridges
to keep the crazies from following you.