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Box choices. Are old, rustic boxes desirable.

New guy. First build. Heck. I don't even know how to play,,,lol. Maybe I'll learn. I just like building stuff.

I was on ebay looking at boxes. At first I thought about the fancy ones. They're beautiful. But everybody is using them. I'm just curious if an old, rustic, beat up box is desirable. Let's say I found something I liked but it had a crack in it. Could that be fixed and used. If so, how.

I had it in my mind they would look good for an old Blue Grass looking Hillbilly thing. No offense to any Hillbillies. But I can say it since my family is from Dover Tennessee.

I got too excited to get started and bought one. Might be a bad choice. I all ready have buyers remorse and I don't even have the box yet. So do you guys like this box. Be honest. You won't hurt my feelings. Much,,,lol.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on November 24, 2015 at 8:13am

awesome box! different strokes for different folks , some love the rustic ones , some like fancy . some like both . really , unless its for a customer . its up to what YOU like .

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Permalink Reply by Jim Saraceno on November 24, 2015 at 8:32am

That's a great box. I was just talking to a guy that makes all his builds out of reclaimed wood, he had a CBG with an old box (I'm not even sure it was a cigar box), but it looked very cool and sounded great acoustically and electrically.

Just remember, anything goes and you're only limited by your imagination. People build guitars that look cool but don't play well and sell them to people who will hang it on the wall. Others build guitars that sound great and look like works of art. Some build guitars that look old and beat up (I assume if my guitars play well they will get old and beat up all by themselves). There are builders who don't play and players who don't build. Electric builders, acoustic builders, simple "stick and a box" guitars and very sophisticated "high dollar" guitars.

Take that box and build a guitar and if it catches your imagination like it does to many of us on this board, you'll build many more and try many different techniques and styles.

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Permalink Reply by Keith on November 24, 2015 at 8:35am

That is going to make a ... wait for it.... Smokin Git! I love the rustic ones.. haven't made one.. well except my first it turned out pretty rustic..lol build what you like, if it doesn't spark your passion.. then pass it by. you are the creator your creation should reflect you and not arbitrary considerations because it is "standard" follow the necessary rules like scale and stiffness, the rest is up to you. There are things you can do to enhance tone, if you electrify it then follow wiring guidelines but the look and feel of the instrument is all you. A cigar box, while it does resonate, is not a "tonewood" box, lol just glue and clamp the crack and build that git.. make all your mistakes, learn and build another. then make some new mistakes and keep learning. it is fun and fulfilling and frustrating and maddening. If you are unlucky you will determine that you won't be satisfied until you reach some standard of perfection in your own mind and then it's all over, you'll build again and again. Just don't lose sight of the fun and the satisfaction of an instrument you built that actually (in your hands or someone else's) makes music. So make some music, and learn some new swear words..lol

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Permalink Reply by Calvin Wallace on November 24, 2015 at 8:36am

So can I fixed a cracked box. I found some old cool ones. But the have cracks.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on November 24, 2015 at 8:55am

sure you can fix a cracked box (or most anyway ) . either by bracing , glue and clamping , filling etc...etc . or even leave as it . sometimes folks ( like me ) purposely make it cracked looking and beat to hell . etc .