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2012 Cigar Box Guitar Builder's Challenge

We are pleased to announce the

2012 Cigar Box Guitar Builders Challenge!

The contest begins immediately. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2012.

A winner will be announced the first part of January, 2012.

Last year, we didn't have a theme, but this year the theme will be:

Famous Monsters

This can be anything from Dracula, Frankenstein, or The Wolfman, to Predator, Alien, Leatherface, Godzilla, the list goes on. Pictures, images, scales, talons, teeth, all would be good components for a monstrous build! The monster does not necessarily have to be in a movie, but most likely will. If you have a subject monster that was in a book instead, feel free to use that.

We will have some great prizes too, more to follow...

Contest Rules:

One submission per person.

Each submission shall be an instrument of the builder's own construction and overall design.

The instrument shall prominently and visibly feature a cigar box in the design.

Each builder will submit up to five pictures of their creation.

Entries must be submitted no later than midnight December 31, 2012.

Builders will post the pictures of their instruments in the "Contest Submission Thread."

Builders should include descriptions of their work, including any technical details such as features, materials used, or any other information they feel would assist the judges in reviewing the submission.

The judges will review the pictures and select a winner. The decision of the judges is final.

We will notify everyone of who the judges will be once we get that list finalized. We try to have 3-5 judges on the panel.

Do NOT post your entries or pictures in this thread!

There will be a separate thread for submissions so we can keep all the entries in one place.

Good luck and have fun!!

Here is a link to last year's contest in case you have not seen it yet.

2011 Builders Contest

PRIZE LIST

First Prize - $250 value

A pack of prize items from C. B. Gitty's Store worth at least $250

Second Prize - $125 value

A pack of prize items from C. B. Gitty's Store worth at least $125 in value

Third Prize - $75 value

A pack of prize items from C. B. Gitty's Store worth at least $75 in value

Fourth Prize - $50 value

A pack of prize items from C. B. Gitty's Store worth at least $50 in value

The Judges

JP Soars

JP Soars is an accomplished, award winning blues guitarist. JP along with his band, the Red Hots, has won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee, as well as the Albert King award for most promising guitarist. His most recent album, More Bees With Honey was named the 2nd coolest CD of the year by Little Steven and his Underground Garage on XM Radio, and was in the top 5 click to pick on BB King's Bluesville on XM also. On stage, JP plays a 2 string slide CBG he made himself.

Tony Steidler-Dennison

Tony Steidler-Dennison returns again this year to help us judge. Tony is the creator and host of the free, long running Roadhouse Podcast. Tony has completed over 400 one hour shows of the Finest Blues You've Never Heard, and is a veritable encyclopedia of the blues.

Thomas Boatwright

Thomas Boatwright should be familar to most of you as the amazingly talented artist who has created the cover art for our CBN Christmas albums. Thomas is also a cigar box guitar enthusiast. Thomas specializes in monster related art projects, with many zombies and ghouls in his inventory. It is his artwork that adorns my Zeke Deadwood, Zombie Lawman guitar.

Thanks to these gentlemen for helping us out!!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on November 21, 2012 at 1:24pm

I you think you can get the judges to buy off on it, knock your socks off. :-)

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Permalink Reply by ron carlson on November 21, 2012 at 7:50pm

Somebody should build one using the turkey from the movie Thankskilling as the theme for the "monster". Famous? Maybe not, but very scary stuff indeed ;)

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Permalink Reply by John R. Yuknis on November 25, 2012 at 6:58am

Just curios, as it wasn't mentioned, but is there a prize for winning? I mean besides the admiration and acclaim from fellow CBG builders. And, will you show the top three builds? Makes it more fun to have the chance to get into the top three considering all the entries that fellow builders will be submitting. Just asking.... Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on November 25, 2012 at 5:42pm

Thanks for the reminder, I am checking on this...

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on November 26, 2012 at 3:57am

Mr. Gitty is digging out from the holiday backlog, and will work on getting the prize packages together as time permits.

Stay Tuned...

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on December 15, 2012 at 6:11am

The prize list has been added to this thread. Good luck!!

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Permalink Reply by cynthia dinan on January 1, 2013 at 4:43pm

I don't know when this was announced, but I think I missed the original announcement. I wanted to build a guitar for this contest, but just not enough time with rush cbg Christmas builds and spending time with family for the holidays. Why don't you guys do a summer contest? Please

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on January 1, 2013 at 5:13pm

Don't feel bad Cynthia-I didn't compete this time either. Frankenlute fit the theme pretty well I thought-an Unholy amalgamation of reclaimed wood strips cut from the horribly mangled corpses of wrecked boxes and attatched to a former badminton racquet-it even had a bolt in the neck from some previous owner that I wasn't able to remove! Sadly, I read the rules and the poor creature ran afoul of the 'custom box' restriction so I sold it to a neighbor who promised to keep the pitiful wretch far away from lit torches and to play him during thunderstorms and on dark, foggt nights...

And don't worry, the Nation has contests on a pretty regular basis. We'll get them next time-and thier little dogs too! Igor! My shovel! We must prepare...for....the NEXT one.... :)

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Permalink Reply by cynthia dinan on January 3, 2013 at 8:42pm

I love that Order99! I had actually thought a Frankenstein CBG would be cool because people often make Frankentars out of bits and pieces of different guitars; and you really ran with that idea. The CBG I was working on for this probably wouldn't have fit with "famous" monsters either, but I was having great fun channeling the soul of a ten year old boy and disassembling toys and beheading dolls on the kitchen table (creeping out my family). I will still complete it, maybe two (I couldn't decide between two ideas). What is it? It's a surprise! Mwah ha ha!

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on January 1, 2013 at 6:09pm

Sorry you guys missed it. We announced it on October 27th, and we had an announcement on the front page the entire time.

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on January 1, 2013 at 6:35pm

No worries here-i've known about it since Nov 1 or so. I just couldn't get off my 'custom-box' kick long enough to make a rules-compliant build with a pre-assembled box. Completely My Bad-nut i'm just having too much fun with Racquets right now!

How long until we get to cheer for the winners?