SCROLL DOWN FOR THE RULES, BUT FIRST, READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER:

and then do this...

THE 2021 THROWBACK HOLIDAY BUILD-OFF!

We want you to use your imagination & creativity to build a stringed instrument that could have been given as a gift 100 years ago.  Here's a few ideas (they are not required...only suggestions):

  • Use an antique cigar box to make the instrument look authentic
  • Build a historic instrument from our Free Plans Page
  • Use 100 year old stories from your area to influence your instrument
  • Be inspired by the instruments of the Cigar Box Guitar Museum (photos here)

Prizes:

Top three entries will win $125 gift certificates to CBGitty.com

Five runners-up will receive $25 gift certificates to CBGitty.com

Judges:  Ben "Gitty" Baker & Shane Speal

Here's the rules:

1.  Build your own stringed musical instrument inspired by the past.  If you lived 100 years ago and were short on money, what stringed instrument would you build as a Christmas/holiday gift?

2.  Post three (3) photos below.  Optional: You can add one (1) demo video, too.  Don't forget the instructions for posting pics.  This is an old website and it can be a little temperamental!

3. Add a one (1) paragraph description with your photo entry.  This is where you can influence the judges on why you think your entry is a Throwback Holiday type of instrument.

3.  Shake, stir, repeat.  (Yes, you can submit more than one entry!)

4.  Submissions that won previous Cigar Box Nation contests are ineligible.  

5. Contest runs Nov 12 - Dec 31, 2021.  Winners announced Jan 7, 2022 on the Gitty Gang Show broadcast.

 

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Hello CBN.  Back Story (Fiction), this diddley bow was built in1932 by Poopshoe Perkins  as a Christmas present to HIMSELF!!!   Poopshoe made his wife a buckeye necklace, cutting board and  wooden spoon and he made and Becky made a doll and doll clothes for their 8 year old daughter, Bonnie and the diddley for himself.  He had music inside him.  It was in and had to come out.  With no money for a store bought and with some found and gifted parts, Poopshoe made himself a diddley.

   See accompanying video link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06tKL02jCDI  Vote early and often.  Unc needs some CBG parts.  

Entry by Lou Lamanna

I have a bit of a different take on my throwback instrument. Everything used to make it is at least 100yrs old (except the vintage tension tuners):

  • The neck is from a 1920 broken banjo.
  • The box comes from the island of the Phillipines where the cigars were made. It went from there to Russia, then to Vancouver Canada and finally imported into the United States in 1910. There are tax stamps from all of these places on the box! zoom in on the pics to read them!
  • The bridge is made with a piece of 200 yr old walnut with a piece of stiff wire for a saddle.
  • The tailpiece is one of my wifes great grandmothers silver forks, bent to look like her fingers lovingly holding the strings in place.

Even though it could have been built 100 yrs ago, it is made to last at least another 100 yrs. It has perfect intonation and easy playability tuned G D A E like a mandolin. The box was given to me by a dear friend who found it in an unused part of the basement in his very old house, with the caveat the even though I could not make an instrument out of it he wanted me to have it because of it's age! Challenge accepted and I can't wait to show it to him!

Super nice build and entry.

I had an antique push mower with a wooden tee handle and thought I might make a guitar out if it someday. When I saw Shane’s throwback holiday video that became the day. So I made a tee handle guitar with a Coca Cola serving tray body which turned out to be quite time consuming but I still had fun building such a wild looking guitar as my third build so far. Thank you Shane Speal, C.B. Gitty, and CigarBoxNation for this opportunity. 

James McCarthy 

12-29-21

I had an antique push mower with a wooden tee handle and thought I might make a guitar out if it someday. When I saw Shane’s throwback holiday video that became the day. So I made a tee handle guitar with a Coca Cola serving tray body which turned out to be quite time consuming but I still had fun building such a wild looking guitar as my third build so far. Thank you Shane Speal, C.B. Gitty, and CigarBoxNation for this opportunity. 

James McCarthy 

12-29-21



I had an antique push mower with a wooden tee handle and thought I might make a guitar out if it someday. When I saw Shane’s throwback holiday video that became the day. So I made a tee handle guitar with a Coca Cola serving tray body which turned out to be quite time consuming but I still had fun building such a wild looking guitar as my third build so far. Thank you Shane Speal, C.B. Gitty, and CigarBoxNation for this opportunity. 

James McCarthy 

12-29-21

Uploading again as I’m not sure they went through. Throwback contest entry. Three string. 25” scale fretless. 

Great tone and vintage look Bear.

Can uploads be done on an iPhone? Or do I need to dust off the computer?

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