How to Build and Play Cigar Box Guitars and other Homemade Instruments
Category: Design and Decoration
Articles and ideas on how to make sure your cigar box guitar is well-designed and decorated. Whether you like a more minimal approach or full-on bling, there’s sure to be something here for you.
A Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) can range widely when it comes to decoration. The most basic, primitive CBGs have very little decoration; reduced to its most basic form, a CBG is a stick, a box and a couple of strings, without any need for show adornment. While there is definitely nothing wrong with that austere simplicity, many builders enjoy adding some decorative touches to their builds. Many cigar boxes start off as pretty decorative pieces anyway, so it is natural to try to build upon that when creating a handmade instrument from one.
A Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) can range widely when it comes to decoration. The most basic, primitive CBGs have very little decoration; reduced to its most basic form, a CBG is a stick, a box and a couple of strings, without any need for show adornment.
While there is definitely nothing wrong with that austere simplicity, many builders enjoy adding some decorative touches to their builds. Many cigar boxes start off as pretty decorative pieces anyway, so it is natural to try to build upon that when creating a handmade instrument from one.
Have you ever tried to build a cigar box guitar with a fantastically thin box (great tone) but discover that the box needs extra bracing? In this video, Shane Speal shows how to use common corner moulding from a hardware store to secure corners and sides together. Note the tip on using a disposable sponge brush to apply glue. Continue reading “EASY BUILDING TIP: Bracing a Box with Corner Moulding”