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
  • 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!!

 

WORKSPACE, SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

 


NECK

NECK, EYE BOLT TUNER INSTALLATION AND BODY BLOCK


MOUNTING THE NECK AND SOUND HOLES


FRET CALCULATION AND FRET MARKERS

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

"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"

STRINGING IT UP, STRINGS AND EYE BOLT TUNERS


TUNE IT UP AN PLAY!


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

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Ok, so agreed... I got a little carried away with my rendition of an Uncle Crow CBG.  But think of it as my way of paying homage to what seems to be a pretty cool individual who taught some of us how to build. After my first guitar was a flop (cause I tried to do a 4-string, with frets and an old Fender single-coil wired in series with a piezo) I was able to still move on and make something cool.  I hope ya'll agree and enjoy.

Attachments:

OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS BUILD!!!

hey man! ive apparently fallen out of the loop, i had no idea people were still posting here with their builds, i cant beleive what ive come back to see! ive not built many instruments in the last few years, nor posted many more videos, but i -have- continued playing my three string slide box nearly every day, and my technique and ability have really come along. i will have to share some new videos soon.

i cant tell you how amazing it is to see builds like this knowing i inspired the work! keep building and playing man!!!!

-crow

Hi guys,

I'm about to finish my first "Uncle Crow" guitar (after messing with a thru neck (which made me realize I really am that clumsy as "they" say) and It looks OK to me. Picture with strings on to follow.

The neck is a bit narrow, 3 cm, but it is nice hard wood and that is what I had.

Since I am a complete newbie, no guitar experience at all, what gauge stings do I need for a 59cm scale length tuned to Gdg?

Thanks

If it's 59cm that's about 23 inches. If your scale is correct then you shouldn't really worry about string gauge. Think about how you would go about stringing a guitar if you had a capo on the fretboard on the second frets. Scale length is a lot like this. High action alows for looser strings.. They are less likely to fret buzz. Low action means you want to meet them taught to be more precise.

Hello there....from down here in Oz.

In your measurement scale, you indicate 59cm scale...which is equal to 590mm.

The first fret at 55.6 cm.........is this meant to be 55.6 mm?

 

590.000mm fret scale below are calculations for frets.
fret from nut fret to fret
1 33.114mm 33.114mm (nut-1)
2 64.370mm 31.256mm (1-2)
3 93.871mm 29.501mm (2-3)
4 121.717mm 27.846mm (3-4)
5 147.999mm 26.283mm (4-5)
6 172.807mm 24.808mm (5-6)
7 196.222mm 23.415mm (6-7)
8 218.323mm 22.101mm (7-8)
9 239.184mm 20.861mm (8-9)
10 258.874mm 19.690mm (9-10)
11 277.458mm 18.585mm (10-11)
12* 295.000mm 17.542mm (11-12)
13 311.557mm 16.557mm (12-13)
14 327.185mm 15.628mm (13-14)
15 341.936mm 14.751mm (14-15)
16 355.858mm 13.923mm (15-16)
17 369.000mm 13.141mm (16-17)
18 381.403mm 12.404mm (17-18)
19 393.111mm 11.708mm (18-19)

* Frets that are red are "octaves".

Your measurements  dont make any sense to me....or have I missed something here?....cheers mate!

 

Hi Anthony,

An answer from Burundi here, that is where I live for the time being.

The scale is exactly that, 59cm or 590mm.

The 3 cm I was talking about is the width of the neck (as compared to the 1.5 inch most of the builders here use).

In fact, a couple of months ago, I started out to make a thru neck guitar but never got to finish it. A bit difficult for me, then my relocation from Belgium to Burundi, adapting the the new way of life, etc. etc. But now I would like to finish at least one cbg. And the "Uncle Cow" model is just easy enough for me. I will most probably never be able to play the thing but whatever. I want it to at least be tuned correctly and make some sound :)

The fret marks (in pencil) that I made are the same as in your reply, so far so good :)

I am just wondering what kind of strings I have to buy to be able to have enough tension to play with a slide (no frets on the neck). The nut is 2mm above the fingerboard. I read somewhere that, when the scale length is shorter than usual (65 cm?), there is less tension on the strings.

Should I use GDG or maybe some other combination on a59 cm scale? And what gauge of strings to be able to put a slide on?

Once again, thanks for replying to my first post.

Cheers

Ronny

I use open GDg tuning, using the 5-4-3 strings. ADG strings from a full set of 6 - EADGBE

There are many combinations to choose...easy to google them. 

Set up and intonate each string...google info.

The info you seek is readily available on Cigarbox Nation, open G GDG tuning your cigarbox guitar - 4 methods, string sizes and sound clips....thats how I learn for myself....cheers good luck. 

 

Okay, thanks

I don't have a pack of strings here so I don't know what the gauges usually are.

But I found three strings that I bought quite a while ago (for my first attempt), marked pb042, pb030 and pl012 and that seems to work. I find the smallest one looser than the others (and the 030 has the most tension of the three when tuned to Gdg). But maybe that is normal, what do I know.

I used olive oil to coat the neck and box, that is all I have here but it looks good and is not sticky at all. I just have to find a way to make the fret marks a bit more visible.

A couple of pictures from my first, as good as finished, CBG!!!

Attachments:

And a picture of the inside too.

No holes or pickup in the box, I first want to try to get some good sounds before making too much noise....

Attachments:

has helped me alot just about to build my first one.

                thanks

Thanks for the vids.

 I decided to go neck through the box instead of on top and added fret board for string clearance on body but everything else is basically the same.

 The vids made it very easy to do my first build!

 

These are just great. 

Thanks for sharing.

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