#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Cigar Box Nation is sponsored by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!

EASY TO BUILD CIGAR BOX GUITAR: AN UNCLE CROW STYLE CBG IN ONE HOUR!!

Today we're going to have a step-by-step cigar box guitar building class!

The total time to build is about one hour, not including the introduction video, or video 8, where we're just playing the guitar.

Build a three string, slide cigar box guitar with the following items:

materials
wooden cigar box - $3
1x2 - $1
three eye bolts, 3/16" x 3" , 24 thread - $1.50
six #8 washers - $.98
three wing nuts, 3/16", 24 thread - $.98
three 6/32 machine screws with matching nuts - $.98
machine bolt, 1/4" x 2" long - $.98
guitar strings, one pack - $5
three wood screws - 1 1/2" long - $.98

these items are really much cheaper than i list here. most of them are bought in bulk, so for just a little more money you could build a LOT of guitars. the prices listed above are the average hardware store price, if you were to buy the item in small numbers in individual bags from the pegs in the fasteners section.

tools
drill
1/2" paddle bit for three sound holes (you could use 1/4 bit with six holes)
regular smaller drill bits
phillips bit
hand saw (box saw is best)
sand paper

additional items
guitar picks can be bought at most box stores, like walmart, target, or kmart
slides can be bought at home depot. go to the cabinet section, and ask for a 2" long 3/4" steel spacer. they cost $1.50, and are the best slides i've ever used!!

THANKS TO DAZEDLEMONPIE, the following fret measurements have been transcribed for us, and i've copied and pasted them here:

DAZEDLEMONPIE:

"i just written down all the fret measurement from part 5 of the video, I thought I would share it with those interested in building one.

The following are based on scale length of 59cm

59cm multiply .9439 (or any other scale length) equals your first fret location

It should be marked as follows:

1-55.6cm

2-52.5cm

3- 49.6cm 0

4- 46.8cm

5- 44.2cm 0

6--41.7cm

7--39.3cm 0

8--37.1cm

9--35cm

10--33.1cm 0 (G chord)

11--31.2cm

12--29.5cm 00

13--27.8cm

14--26.2cm

15--24.8cm

16--23.4cm

17--22.1cm

18--20.8cm

19--19.6cm"

WORKSPACE, SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

NECK

NECK, EYE BOLT TUNER INSTALLATION AND BODY BLOCK

MOUNTING THE NECK AND SOUND HOLES

FRET CALCULATION AND FRET MARKERS

STRINGING IT UP, STRINGS AND EYE BOLT TUNERS

TUNE IT UP AN PLAY!

PLAYING THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR : COLLECTIVE SOUL - "SHINE"

Tags: CBG, box, build, cigar, crow, easy, eyebolt, guitar, hour, on, More…one, stick, tuners, uncle

16 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ryan Rose on January 29, 2012 at 11:13am

I usually buy them 1-1/4" long. I think you could probably get away with 1" too.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David "Dr. Dave" Davies on March 10, 2012 at 4:10pm

I just completed my first two Crow-style builds. I will refer to the first one as a learning experience; I made a lot fewer mistakes with the second one. The first sounds OK, the second sounds great.

Some of the things I learned:

The tuners are not as complicated as I expected, and they work pretty well. Home Depot did not have 3/16 eye bolts, so I used 1/4 with no problem. These were not threaded all the way, however, so I could not run a nut up toward the eye. I just have a washer on one side, and a washer and wing nut on the other side.

Setting the neck and interior block was more complicated than I expected. I didn't have enough hands to keep everything in place. In the future, I might put one or two spots of glue under the neck to keep it in place while I am drilling and attaching.

I decided to put the neck on the top of the box because I liked the look. I spent more time sanding than Crow, and I stained one neck. Thumb tacks from the dollar store work pretty well as side dots. Each has a piezo.

I am going to build more in this style, even if it did take me more than an hour.

I've attached pics. The Arturo was first, the Padron second.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Crow on March 15, 2012 at 9:07pm

seeing this fills me with pride!!! i love seeing the guitars you guys build from my design, it makes me so happy to see that my work is helping others get started!

WELL DONE! I really like the one with the black neck, i still build all mine completely unfinished, but having seen that, i think i need to start thinking about laquer or paint!

awesome stuff! be sure to get a youtube video uploaded and posted here as well!!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David "Dr. Dave" Davies on March 20, 2012 at 7:36pm

Wow! Thanks for the kind words.

Regarding the finish, I must say it was done in true CBG style. I found 2 rusted pint cans of espresso stain in my garage, so I put it to use, I then hit the neck with a couple coats of rattle-can lacquer.

I'm still working on a better method for the fret markers.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Crow on June 13, 2012 at 11:39pm

hey as a side note, the 3/16 3" eye bolts may be found at lowes in stead. you really must get your hands on some. the smaller diameter really makes it easier to tune!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David "Gitz" O'Corley on March 14, 2012 at 2:17am

Awesome job uncle

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TwoShoes on June 4, 2012 at 11:05am

My third and fourth CBGs I owe to the Crow. Thank, you Crow. I love you, man!!!

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-front?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-angle-view?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-neck?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg4-front?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg4-end?context=user

I am now inspired to start messing with combo-Crow's. I'm thinking smaller machine screws for nut and bridge PLUS frets.

Uh-oh... my new favorite uncle might disinherit me for that one!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Order99 on June 13, 2012 at 10:44pm

I dunno two-shoes... I replaced the bolt-tuners with Mandolin tuners (eight tuners per set is a heck a a deal, just dremel one off each tree for a few Canjos and mount the remaining three from the side and carve a mid-channel from the front), replaced pencil marks with a Woodburning pen and finally real frets, added some grommets to my sound holes and a piezo compressed between the lower neck and the box. Also, I recently skipped the mitering of the back and attached a simple steel angle piece to the unmitered neck as a tailpiece. If Uncle Crow hasn't thrown me out yet I think you're pretty safe!

One more thing I noticed BTW-Uncle Crow's stick-over method works great for composite boxes. You can rip the lids off several smaller boxes of similar height, saw the sides down to one inch and glue into a ribbed chamber...find a nice piece of 1/4" cedar or basswood, run the bottom bar all the way down your new lid and attach the neck as usual about three-quarters down. Then simply pop the new lid on and screw the bottom stick into the top and bottom of the box from the outside, gluing a little scrap 'kerfing' to the interior beforehand for a really solid fit. I have saved so many tiny boxes this way..

I've probably mentioned this before, but Uncle Crow-I owe you....thanks!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TwoShoes on June 14, 2012 at 7:43am

Please post pics! I can almost get the idea, but, you know... worth a thousand words, right? Thanks!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Swamp Dawg Primal Music on June 14, 2012 at 8:36am

OK, it's not mounted over the face (the can's too pretty), but it's easy to cut the can with scissors, so it's a bit of a crow hybrid: pine thru-neck with glued on pine fretboard, crow tuners, eye screw string guides, bolt nut, hardwood bridge, hinge trapeze tailpiece, burned fret markers and brass tacks at 3,5,7,9 and 12, strung G-D-G, and a hemp string shoulder strap. Yup, I sell these for €45+shipping, though here in italy it's easier to sell fretted. www.swampdawgmusic.blogspot.it

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Order99 on June 15, 2012 at 12:24am

TwoShoes, the day I can get my 2009 Cellphone camera to talk to my 2001 Mac on OS10.3-or upgrade either or both-this site will be FLOODED with pictures of my precious ones. Until then though... :(

And Swamp Dog Primal Music-awesome Canjo!