I have been making the rounds to local cigar shops picking up cigarboxes. I try to pick out boxes at least 9 inches long and 2 inches deep. The prettier the better. I'm wondering what are some priorities to look for. All wood verses paper covered. Are some brands better than others? I'm sure this has been discussed many times but I missed it. Thanks.
Tags:
Ken, I have used both paper covered (wood) and stained/painted cigar boxes and like them both. Many of the paper covered boxes are like plywood but still sound good in my opinion. I pick boxes that are visually appealing and as long as they are wood construction I use 'em. I have found some boxes that are like MDF or particle board and didn't buy them for that reason, I don't use any of the cardboard boxes either although some are really cool looking. The smaller wood boxes make great amp boxes too and some of those are really nice. Something that is still 1-1/2" deep is still not a bad box. Some considerations may be how you intend to use them too like 100% acoustic or amplified. A bigger box may offer more volume for an acoustic only build. Checking out the cigar stores for empty boxes has become an addiction in its' self recently. Happy hunting.
What those guys said! I'm building #13 and #14 now, and having a great time. Half the fun is finding a nice box. I really like the sound of the larger boxes, but I don't like the square ones... 2" deep, 10x7 works... I found the bigger the box volume the more they sing.
Like the others said... all wood. I'm ok with paper over wood, I just glue down any stray corners and add several coats of lacquer to the top to give it a fighting chance.
Here's my latest:
This is a beauty. What did you use to get the neck black?
Thanks! I used the cheapest black stain I could find: A cheap rattle can of flat black paint: Spray a light coat, grab a rag and start wiping. Once I let it dry for a day, I added a light coat of semigloss lacquer. Oh, that is a poplar neck. I haven't tried this on other woods.
The trick with black spray paint as a stain is to do it once. When I did my testing, I found that adding a second coat and wiping down actually removed more color than it added. If you have paint that dries quickly, you might need to dampen your rag with the appropriate thinner first...
John
also if you use oak or another hard wood with a lot of tannin you can put steel wool in a jar and fill it with apple cider venigar and let it sit uncovered in a window for a few days . as soon as it hits the wood it will turn it black . the more tannin the darker it will be .
I saw that trick... any pics of stuff you've done?
great tip man thanks for that, this is the good stuff. appreciate that .thanks for sharing
Nice build John.
Thanks! Sold the darn thing to a friend last night... I was almost sad to see it go, but now I have 3 more on the bench to build! Next up: Adding a mag-pup!
i have used a lot of different boxes . at the moment my favs is Padilla and any Rocky Patel . I sand down the rockys top and bottom to get a better acoustics . in general the bigger the box the bigger the sound . but i dont shun ANY box . they all are waiting on there time to shine . may just not be a guitar .
Started by Bill Andy in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts 11 hours ago. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Bill Andy in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Bill Andy 11 hours ago. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Started by BrianQ. in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts on Tuesday. 0 Replies 2 Likes
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 26. 8 Replies 1 Like
Started by Southern Ray in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 26. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by J. D. Woods in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by BrianQ. Apr 25. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Rich Butters in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Crazed Fandango Apr 22. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Nomad Jack in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by J. D. Woods Apr 17. 7 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Moritz Voegeli in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 14. 6 Replies 2 Likes
Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Apr 10. 14 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Tom T in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 9. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Apr 4. 7 Replies 1 Like
Started by Timothy Hunter in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 27. 1 Reply 2 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 10. 1 Reply 3 Likes
Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by BrianQ. Mar 9. 4 Replies 3 Likes
Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies 1 Like
Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Ken I in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Brian partington Mar 8. 8 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Southern Ray in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 6. 5 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Taffy Evans in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 5. 4 Replies 2 Likes
Posted by Vlad on March 31, 2024 at 11:48pm 0 Comments 1 Like
Posted by Vlad on March 6, 2024 at 2:32am 5 Comments 2 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 2:09pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 17, 2024 at 11:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by Vlad on February 11, 2024 at 1:06am 1 Comment 1 Like
May 11, 2024 from 11am to 8pm – Speakeasy Grill
0 Comments 0 LikesMay 30, 2024 from 6:30pm to 10pm – The Casual Pint of Huntsville
0 Comments 0 Likes© 2024 Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker. Powered by
Cigar Box Nation is presented by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!