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I make cigar box guitars and ukuleles from cigar boxes and reclaimed hardwoodI buy cigar boxes from Havana Cigars in Studio City, Los Angeles, and wood for the necks from Ross Alan Reclaimed Wood in North Hollywood.
Each guitar I make is not only a fully functioning musical instrument, but a unique art work as well. Play it or hang it on a wall, your choice! |
1970s DistressedAbout this 3 string cigar box guitar:
Can't remember the name of box, think it was Nicuraguan Oak neck Magnetic pick up with volume and tone knobs Frets of inlaid brass wire Sink strainer sound hole cover Nut of threaded bolt Bridge of sanded scrap hardwood Grommets on the tail piece Ebony tuner buttons I usually apply one coat of varnish to the neck and a coat or two of paint, then I insert the frets. It sometimes gets a bit messy grinding down the frets with my Phillips rotary tool because I sometimes grind into the edge of the neck. Hey-ho, I'm not building a Stradivarius so just touch up the paint or sand the neck down even more. I also, with a fine piece of sand paper, go over the tips of the frets and it's remarkable how it takes off any sharp edges. I use nails or brass wire instead of proper fret wire because I read that anything from toothpicks to chopsticks can be used, and I like having a go at different things. These guitars are one-offs, there's no mass production here, so I use what my imagination and Handmade Music Clubhouse suggest. Sherroi **SOLD**About this 4 string Cigar box ukulele:
Padron cigar box body White maple neck Magnetic pick up with volume and tone knobs Frets of inlaid brass wire Sink strainer sound hole cover Hinge tailpiece Nut and bridge of scrap hardwood I de-varnished the body of the cigar box with my Phillips rotary tool (I love that machine) and painted the lid, then sanded it back for a worn, distressed look It's a 70s design that I remember from a childhood schoolbag I had. The logo 'Sherroi' was made on a colour printer, and glued on with PVA. 
Numbered NeckAbout this 3 string Cigar box guitar:
Padron cigar box body Oak neck Rod piezo pickup with preamp Frets of nails with the heads ground off Sink strainer sound hole cover Grommets on the tailpiece Nut and bridge are threaded rods About the neck: I sanded the neck and then coated it with a finish that is made from soaking steel wool in vinegar. Steve from Ross Alan Wood gave me the recipe, which is to let the steel wool soak in vinegar for 24 hours, then coated on to the wood and then sanded back slightly. Varnished, then neck has a very very dark umber colour. I then stamped the fret numbers on using my stamp set. The pre-amp is installed into the top front of the box, which I had sanded and covered with the steel wool-vinegar finish, and double sided tape holds the actual rod to the underside of the lid. And then because there was a slight buckle in the lid of the cigar box, I fixed the box with one of those L-shaped metal thingies. If you want to have a look inside, under the hood, so to speak, then this cbg can easily be opened by unscrewing the l-shaped thingy. And that's that one done! 
Here's me again playing my Numbered Neck cigar box guitarHere's some more cigar box guitar playing |
Cock UkuleleAbout this 4 string Cigar box ukulele:
Cigar box body White maple neck Magnetic pick up with volume and tone knobs Frets of nails with heads ground off Nut and bridge of threaded bolt This cigar box guitar ukulele is covered with a laser print of an original of one of my drawings. I glued it on with PVA and then varnished it many times. The head is coloured with pencils, and then varnished. StripesAbout this 3 string Cigar box car:
Cigar box body Oak neck Magnetic pick up with volume and tone knobs Fretless (frets drawn on with pencil) Nut of painted scrap hardwood Threaded bolt bridge White tuner buttons I tore the paper cover of this cigar box, and then covered it with a piece of paper I coloured with coloured pencils, and then varnished. Then I stuck it on to the cigar box lid, varnished again a few times, and then cut the hole for the pick up. 
Here's my friend, Gordon, playing the Striped cigar box guitarSyncroAbout this 3 string Cigar box guitar:
Syncro cigar box body Oak neck Drawn frets Grommets on tailpiece Threaded bolt nut Bridge of scrap hardwood
Red, white and gold AmericanAbout this 3 string Cigar box guitar:
Paper-covered wooden cigar box body Painted oak neck Brass wire frets Grommets on the tailpiece Nut and bridge of sanded hardwood White tuner buttons I've left the cover on this cigar box, but covered the rest of it with brown lined paper lightly coated with white paint. No pickup in this one, though could easily have one installed as the lid isn't fixed. 
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