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Cigar Box Guitars are Art, Even with Laser-Cut Parts

The most popular discussion this week has been what people don't like added to cigar box guitars. The dogma has been running all over this neighborhood. Somebody get the pooper scooper!

But seriously, I have seen these arguments pop up within the online cigar box guitar community ever since its inception around 2003. I would usually just start screaming, "No Rules!" over and over to squelch the dividers.

I guess I've mellowed with age. I'm not going to scream anymore.

Instead, I've posted a picture of four cigar box guitars I just completed above. If you look closely at them, you'll notice that they contain:

Found objects such as yardsticks, door handles and a stove burner cover
Decorative parts I purchased online, including box corners which do nothing at all to enhance the tone...but they look cool.
"Despised parts" made from a laser-cut CNC machine, including the rectangle sound hole covers which were originally humbucker pickup rings.

Let's talk about those laser-cut parts, shall we? Several members on here are deriding the use of factory made, laser-cut parts by C. B. Gitty. The notion is that these parts take away from the handmade aspect of the instruments.

But maybe the focus should be on us as builders and not the parts themselves.

My workshop is filled to the top with various cigar box guitar parts. Some I scored at flea markets and yard sales. Others I purchased directly from ol' Mr. Gitty. To me, they're all part of the exciting gumbo I cook when I step into the shop.

Laser-cut parts are exciting to me because they offer shapes and inspirations that I may not find in a junk store. But I almost never leave the parts as-is when I build. The soundholes in this guitar above are a prime example.

In the guitar above, I used two C. B. Gitty humbucker pickup rings as the basis for the soundholes. I added metal "confessional' screen (painted with rust paint) behind them to give a unique look.

So did I 'cheat' when I used the pickup rings? Quite honestly, I'm not concerned. I love the outcome.

And that's the key right there.

Why should we be concerned with other peoples' dogma when it comes to building these things? Each one of us is an artist when we build. Some of us work only with a found-object mentality while others enjoy making them from kits or purchased pieces.

In the end, we're making our own instruments...each one crafted in somebody's woodshop. We're reinventing the guitar building process and taking it back to the individual.

Just remember, while you're getting irritated with somebody making guitars from processed parts, millions of guitarists are still brainwashed into thinking that the major guitar companies are still creating magical instruments.

The truth is, they're all churned out 100 at a time.

Go build something. While you're at it, encourage somebody else to do the same today.

-Shane W. Speal Sr. Dec 14, 2015

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on December 21, 2015 at 8:21am

Hi Wayfinder , All this talk of individuality got me thinking.... what about CBG manufacturers cranking out their instruments? I know we are talking on a slightly different scale to Fender etc but as an example, I recently bought one of Toelar's CBG's. All his are different, unique, made with hand tools and he's justifiably proud to use his woodworking skills to produce in small numbers, as and when, lovely playable instruments. I can't imagine he thinks he's competing with a major corporation ,his prices are low and value for money high. Two years ago I bought a Nineboys "Redneck" (?) model. These are reasonable players for the money. Everyone who buys one will have 1 of 3 different models that have been released at different times . Ok, so onto another (local to me manufacturer) who will remain nameless: These guys manufacture in bulk , a box from scratch that resembles a cigar box. Adds F holes, a mini humbucker and then the individual bit happens when the customer chooses one of a couple of dozen pre-fab label wraps and maybe "custom" metal corner pieces. Eventually I will get around to producing something unique for myself but rest assured I won't be using something that aint a cigar box and then showing off my new "CBG" . Likewise I don't really understand the concept of a "Professional " standard of work on CBG. Obviously we want playability , but why is a "professional" finish a requirement? Like I mentioned in a previous post ,legend has it ALL the old bluesmen played CBG's because they could make em out of discarded crap as they could'nt afford a decent Martin or National or whatever. These fellas did use regular 6 string instruments when they recorded and I tend to think their emphasis was on the individuality of their playing and the quality of expression ,not the actual flipping box they were holding.

Some of this may not be relevant to the original post , but hey, I've said it now.

What has become evident is that CBG's are a great leveller among us music manglers. Other websites exist for regular guitars where the members argue about using a Ricky for Rock or a Les Paul for Rockabilly . Freedom of expression with no limits. Respect to all :-)

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Permalink Reply by Don Cook on January 2, 2016 at 4:21am

I have been thinking about the different views on these things. To me this community is a lot like a car show. When you go to a car show you can expect to see a little bit of everything right? You will have the purists that believe there's nothing like the original thing right down to the license plate and the cloth covered wire harnesses. They will scour their resources to find parts that are not recreations but actual correct era produced parts. Then you will have the guys who make the chopped and dropped "Rat-Rod" creations. Where you have a mix of old and new. These cars may show a bit more of the owners own personality and not something that necessarily fits into a historical recreation. Big pipes and flames look good on an old T-Bucket roadster, am I right? At most car shows you will find an old car that looks original until you pop the hood and find that it that has a modern powertrain or suspension for the sake of having the look of the older cars with the performance of something new. Kind of like making a CBG with a hidden piezo pickup inside. Maybe even an import tuner car or two would be the equivalent of a CBG that is completely created from sourced parts with more attention focused on a theme. Is this any different than what we have in our CBG community? I don't feel that it's any different. People have different personalities and different tastes in guitars. Most guys at a car show have different visions of what their dream car would be. They typically still show respect for the other guys that are there. Me personally, I like the Rat-Rods. They have the taste of the old cars but are super customized. They may have scratches and dings and some rust, but they also have tons of character and tons of performance. It might not be comfortable but it sure looks good and sounds awesome when you rev the engine. If you are nostalgic about the sputter of that old Model-T. Go for it! It takes a whole different level of commitment to restore something like that. There's room for everybody. Be it the Beverly Hillbillies car or a Ferrari, it's still a vehicle that draws attention for some reason or another. I like all of them... what kind of CBG suits your taste?

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on January 2, 2016 at 4:25am

Good point and well said. I like almost all of them, but for myself to play, I like a much used relic look. And if I was a good enough mechanic and had the money and storage for a car - it would be a cross between a oldy with patina and a bit of rat rod.

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Permalink Reply by Don Cook on January 2, 2016 at 5:05am

Right on Uncle John! I think most of my builds fall somewhere between Rat-Rod and Tuner Car. I've cut necks from oak 4x4's out of pallets and I've purchased manufactured boxes from hobby shops. I've used parts that shouldn't belong in a guitar like a harmonica for a tailpiece to .45 cal casings to plug holes that were intended for a bridge that was too tall. I just like to create something that didn't exist and will never be recreated by myself. In all honesty I have yet to use an actual cigar box. My local cigar shop rarely has boxes that are big enough for my taste so I substitute the cigar boxes by building my own or buying premade. I still put a lot of effort into them. Enough to call it my creation when I'm finished. People like them, I like them...It's fun!

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on January 2, 2016 at 8:06am

Hi Guys, Absolutely ! Rules take the fun out of hobbies :-D You yanks are so lucky . Most Cigar boxes in the UK only come from a few sources ,other than that most for sale on Ebay are actually being sent from the USA . Also American cars are rare & expensive over here . Conversely it rains a lot so Rust is free LOL !!

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on January 2, 2016 at 8:40am

Did I mention the price of petrol over here .... my friend who was a Yank Muscle V8 fiend ? He had to sell his GTO to buy Gas ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on January 2, 2016 at 12:02pm

LOL, Wayfinder. RE :American cars being from Japan. Sometimes you are an A-hole! My Kind of People! We are just about all A-holes sometimes. We just should stay below average in that category.

Brits and anyone else without easy access to cigar boxes: Do what Mr. W. Finder said. Make your own. It's not about SEEGAR boxes. It's about the make your own music thing.

God bless you all. Even the Wayfarer. Wayfinder?

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on January 2, 2016 at 5:05pm

Hi Uncle , My Japanese car is from Sunderland ,UK lol !

Your comments on A-Holes: Gene Simmons Album 2004 , Not sure if he wrote the title track but the lyrics are amusing & so true .....

I do agree with the DIY music ethic but it's nice to be authentic too and a CBG should by definition contain a Cigar Box IMHO. As I have stated previously , there are people out there in business selling CBG's for big money, that have never seen a Cigar! They should call them something else. In the UK we have the "Trades Description act" yet it doesn't seem to deter these people bypassing a law which is there to protect the consumer. DIY instrument anarchists are my bag but more than the legal thing , if you are making a living selling CBG's that are not ,where are your Morals?

Best wishes to you all. Even the religious .......

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on January 3, 2016 at 12:53am

Yup. The auto thing is international. Few if any cars have all parts and assembly in one country. I drive a Subaru Outback - Japanese brand- made in Indiana, USA.

Hey, isn't this place about home made music? ;)

Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on January 3, 2016 at 4:58am

They are all art and I like them all. Shiny, new, high tech, switches, pickups, doo dads and decorations, dirty, poorly constructed, spit at and insulted.

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Permalink Reply by Mark C on January 11, 2016 at 6:43pm

I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know the rules. I'm more in the "glam" camp. I want my builds to sound good, but I like them to look cool and fun. Some of mine might be considered gimmicky, but I love people's comments and the looks on their faces when I show and play them. I did a series of builds using antique violin cases (a mountain dulcimer, lap steel, upright bass and - for real - a hurdy gurdy. ) I only built them to amuse myself and enjoy the process of discovery. BTW a wooden violin case puts out a full sweet sound. My CBG builds take a lot of time due to a lot of hand work. Much of that is because my tools are limited. I like to bling them out without hampering their playing ability. I'm from the 60s and rules are made for breaking. My latest build contains an antique, wind up music box. WHY??? I have no freaking idea!