Welcome to Cigar Box Nation! A letter from C. B. Gitty...

If this is your first time visiting Cigar Box Nation, you may be a little overwhelmed by the great amount of information in here.  Let me give you the nickel tour...

Building a Cigar Box Guitar

We have a variety of cigar box instrument plans that are free for you to download.  Some are new and others are more than 100 years old.  If you're new to woodworking or are looking to start with something simple, I suggest the following:

How to Build a 3-String Cigar Box Guitar  -  This new 8-page set of plans walks you through building a simple but fully playable 3-string cigar box guitar from scratch. These present well-illustrated, up-to-date how-to info in an easy to understand method that will enable young and old to build their first cigar box guitar with minimal effort.

If you want something more challenging, then dive head-first into our vast selection of instrument plans!

You will probably have some questions along the way.  That's what makes Cigar Box Nation so great!  We have forums, discussions and even a live chat room on the front page just waiting for your questions. 

How to Play a Cigar Box Guitar

We have lessons in Video, TAB and other formats for every level of player.  You can see them all here.

Where do I get the parts needed to make a cigar box guitar?

Cigar Box Nation is run by C. B. Gitty, the cigar box guitar superstore.  We have kits, parts and great building ideas just waiting for you.  Visit us at www.CBGitty.com.

Join the Community!

Now that you have the basics, I encourage you to create your own Cigar Box Nation profile and really dig in to all the conversations and photos. 

Thank you for visiting Cigar Box Nation. 

Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker 

(visit my own Cigar Box Nation profile here!)

P. S.  If you want to know more about this whole Cigar Box Guitar movement, check out the Cigar Box Guitar Manifesto.

 

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Comment by the anonymous pick on August 15, 2016 at 10:29am

sure thing gary  ,  you  can   post them  here 

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topic/new?target=http%3A%2F%2Fw...

use  (for sale) catagory  .

  or  post a vid   or  pictures  on the main page  , they   may get  more  exposure  there .

Comment by Gary Williams on August 15, 2016 at 9:58am
Haven't been on here for a long time but due to circumstances I have to give up theCGB building and I have a lot of stuff for sale machinery, boxes ,wood and parts
Are we allowed to sell on the nation
Comment by Leanna King/aka/BluesBabe on July 31, 2016 at 7:42am

Been a Loonnggg while since I've been on this site...Life took me in a different direction as far as the ART World is concerned, Found I wasted a lot of time and Effort, sales suck and so does the weather this year...So Back to building CBG's. !!!.My main squeeze is Elated by the whole thing..So here I go again, just purchased many parts from the Gitty store, gearing up to do more guitars only this time makin' them Electric..so I will be asking for help in what to do, what I'm missing and HOW to DO IT BETTER..Glad to be back and excited too. Ordered 3 Necks from Catoctin Mountain Music/ Willis Johnson..now for the boxes..Still have 2 from Darren Brown..using those..have 6 boxes to start so will be busy for awhile..I paint mine or burn in the design since I'm an Artist..Need help as far as electrics are concerned..parts are on there way..but I know I didn't order everything I needed..So any body out there willing to let me drive them NUTS, Let me know..looking for someone to step up and take on a 75lb / 5' blond and has the answers I'm looking for ..sure would appreciate it. Wish me Luck you guys,,these are set to go for Sale at Next Years" Blues on the Chippewa" festival (Durand , Wisconsin) next fall..Feels like I came home..

Comment by Barry Sholder on July 5, 2016 at 5:52am

anyone have blues tabs for 3 strings slide or fingerpicking

Comment by Larry Cuddy on May 14, 2016 at 11:23am

Thanks for the info, it all makes sense to me now, and I am ready to start the build.  Will post  some pics if I can figure that out.     Later

Comment by Fomhorach on May 14, 2016 at 5:24am

Oh and it's OK to not have the bridge in the centre of the box. I think the guys in here will go as far as 20% from the edge of the box, further if it is electric.

Comment by Fomhorach on May 14, 2016 at 5:22am

The bridge should be the same distance away from the 12th fret as the nut. The 12th fret should be the same point as the strings harmonic middle of the string. I.E the 12th fret should be exactly the middle of the string. (Yes I know there is intonation for differing strings but this will help the guy figure out box lengths and fretboard lengths.)

You can always keep the fret overhang and let it run into the box lid/soundboard but 4&1/2" seems a bit too much.

Lay it on a table in a mock up next to another guitar and check it all out before committing to anything. 25" is roughly the same as all full scale guitars.

Comment by Larry Cuddy on May 14, 2016 at 1:54am

Hello, I just joined the CBN and have been looking at the fine builds you all have made.  Also watched some videos on how to builds.  I built a fretless CBG overall length 35" look and plays good.  My 2nd build is going to be more advanced, in that I bought a fretted board to install on the neck.  My problem is, I want to make sure this one plays as good as it is going to look.

The box measures 11 3/4" , the fret board is 20" and the neck (not finish yet) is 35'. In order to get the proper???distance for the scale, seems like I need to cut off about 4 1/2" off the fret board to keep with the 25 1/2 scale. Nut to Bridge.  I want to make sure before I cut off 41/2" on the fretboard.  Any help will be much appreciated.

Comment by Scottie Walton on March 24, 2016 at 3:10pm
I have been wanting to build and play a CBG for a few years now. I got the opportunity to open a show for Glenn Kaiser and it was the push I needed to finally start my first build! It's almost done and I'll post a pic when it is! So excited to add some CBG playing in my shows!
Comment by Fomhorach on March 17, 2016 at 11:08pm

Ok. I have no idea where to post this so it's here. Your welcome to delete/move it.

I'm using an android tablet and phone to access this site and just can't figure out how to 'send' a message through the messenger part of the site. The return key on my keypad..

Does this.

I can't see a send button. I know it has a simple answer but I jus can't figure it out. Help?

Comment by Doug Yosh on March 9, 2016 at 10:09am

Hello! I just joined CBN. Love all the pics and the wealth of info on here! I play bottleneck slide guitar (mostly on my good old Sears Silvertone box) and own a custom 4-string cigar box guitar that I found on eBay. There are a few mods I want to do to the 4-string but I also would like to build my own 5 string resonator guitar (2 bass and 3 treble strings). I've owned a half a dozen acoustic resonator guitars from Nationals to Chinese tri-cones over the years but currently only own a Recording King wood bodied round neck spider bridged reso. Most of my live slide  playing is done on an old Ibanez Studio Double Cutaway electric but my gigging days have fallen way off in recent years. Looking forward to learning from and listening to all you other members on here as I try to learn how to play a CBG.

Comment by Michael H. Fischer on December 8, 2015 at 8:03am

Pulling my hair out trying to figure out what kind and gauge strings to put on my cbg's.

I've built three so far.  Two three strings with piezo disk pick ups and one four string with the soap bar P-90 and there's a license plate three string on the bench.

All tuned to open G but there's a half dozen or more choices there too?  Help...

Comment by Thomas Blasque on November 1, 2015 at 2:31am

So ALOHA to all I am needing a tutorial for rod piezo pickup on a ukulele any help is great.

I am also a viet vet and have been trying to build cigar box instruments as a hobby.

I haven't got one right yet. So I need some guidance once in a while I am hoping to get alittle here .

so how does one install a reasonator in a box .Any ideas would be helpful Thanks Tommy

Comment by Al Williams on October 20, 2015 at 8:06pm

Welcome David, I am also disabled , and this web site has given me another interest, and I'm hooked. Shane Speal has got some excellent tutorials on youtube, which I have downloaded on to my computer. There are others also. I was not able, initially, to view them because of the very expensive  download rate with the wireless connection, that's all I can get where I live in Australia, but have worked out how to view them cheaply. All the best with your CBG future ~ Al

Comment by David Thomas on October 20, 2015 at 1:03pm

Hello everyone my name is David Thomas I am new here I always wanted to play the guitar as a kid but never had the chance to own a guitar or take lessons. I am a disabled veteran who recently was forced to retire and find a hobby since I can not get out as much as I use to I decided to take a stab at learning the 3 string cigar box guitar. I built my CBG but having problems finding many resources for learning to play. Most assume you know more than a beginner would know. I try to work with the tabbed songs but without a video showing me the correct steps and timing it is very difficult for a person with no musical background

Comment by Bill Perkins on September 24, 2015 at 5:30am

anyone got plans for a diddly bow ?

Comment by Dan on September 10, 2015 at 8:12pm

hmmm I think I was shared that same video and oddly enough here I am as well

Comment by tony kent on September 8, 2015 at 12:08pm

"after I had a share on Facebook, of a Tim Timble video playing a cbg he'd made, here I am, gaining info on how to build one"

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on August 25, 2015 at 5:46am
Welcome, Terry! Nice beard!

If it's fretless, then it can be diatonic, chromatic, or both. You just gotta dial in where the notes are.

If you wanna play gospel and reggae, then you may want to look at build #2, with a fretted neck. Being able to fret notes will make those styles easier.

Have a look at the various lessons referenced above, and ask any other questions you may have. There'll be somebody here with more than one answer.
Comment by Terry Brennan on August 25, 2015 at 5:33am

I'm new here,but have been a hobby carpenter in Madison,Wisconsin for lots of years. This type of thing is finer than i have done in the past. I've built my first neck/ fingerboard and am wondering if a frettless diatonic scale (24 3/4" length) makes any sense. I have never played an instrument but want to start now. I like that blues sound that you folks achieve,and am interested in playing with a slide,but am also interested in attempting old time gospel and REGGAE. May by that means more than 1 guitar. Thank you for any direction! Great Site-have been creeping for awhile.

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