How to build a cigar box guitar free plans download the howto. There are two kits, or amp modules, id recommend for making your first cigar box amp. This gives a powerful sound when amplified and over driven. This is the instrument that blind willie johnson first learned slide guitar. Gitty free cigar box guitar plans download free plans file size. Quick start how to build a cigar box 3 members like this john red dog mcnairs unique take on cigar box.
If you wish hard copies on 8 12 x 11 paper mailed to you as well, please. In it, he covers some of the more advanced techniques involved in building a highend solidbody 6string electric guitar using a cigar box body. My guitar is a simple, threestringed design that uses only one power tool and common hardware. Building a 3string fretless cigar box guitar coyote mercury. For these particular cigar box guitar plans i used maple and black walnut for the neck, headstock, fretboard and fretboard markers as well as the bridge. Dec 18, 2012 how to make a 3stringed guitar out of a cigar box. Thanks go to ed vogel for the original article in make, volume 04. Handy hints on how to glueup a cigar box guitar neck. Wooden cigar boxes, which were solidly constructed connoisseur objects, became a popular choice for the instruments bodies. I made one myself, and had a wonderful time playing it.
Thus, an american tradition was born, and today, the cigar box guitar is enjoying a folk revival. He is also the leader of the modern cigar box guitar revolution, a growing fan base of cigar box guitar builders and players who congregate at speals website, speal has performed concerts throughout the. For my cigar box guitar plans, i wanted a purely electric guitar. Apr 23, 2014 cigar box guitars are often associated with the depression era, when regular guitars were handmade and cost a great deal of money.
Cigar box guitar page john anthony guitars, luthiers plans. This page has plans for most of the standard guitar scale lengths and also has headstock layout plans too. Wooden cigar box guitar plans diy 3 string musical. The second is a low voltage audio amplifier njm386d lm386, which can be found on ebay and similar sites. People didnt have extra income to buy guitars, so they got creative. This guide will walk you through building a basic stick on box 3string cigar box guitar meant for playing with a slide. He is also the leader of the modern cigar box guitar revolution, a growing fan base of cigar box guitar builders and players who congregate at speals website, speal has performed concerts throughout the country and has been. Guitar kits music guitar guitar amp cool guitar acoustic guitar guitar body guitar neck cigar box guitar plans making musical instruments in the last post, i discussed my frustration with the general confusion about terms related to growthring orientation in lumber. This free 8page guide will show you all of the steps.
The plans are in pdf format so make sure you have a copy of adobe reader on your computer. Maple, walnut, oak, cherry and mahogany are great choices. It contains all the hardware, strings and even the cigar box. Cigar box guitars are often associated with the depression era, when regular guitars were handmade and cost a great deal of money. The gitty gang is back for a new broadcast friday at 2pm eastern standard time, us. Impressive archive of free diy musical instrument plans. The objective is to make the top surface of the neck flush with the top surface of the box. From the simple 3string cigar box guitar instructional that started the cigar box guitar revolution to historical plans dating back to the 1800sweve collected them all. Oct 26, 2017 i wanted to make the box as close to a cigar box look as possible and i found a good video by steve ramsey on box joints or finger joins jigs here video.
Build the mythical onestring guitar from blues and americana folklore. Follow the instructions in this guide to turn a cigar box, a few pieces of wood and some other supplies into a working, four string, fretless guitar, ready to play with a slide. Cigar box guitar pdf now at, brought to you by make magazine. Itll also be a chance for me to hear from you about what things work, what things still need tweaking and what things i should be developing next. Cigar box diddley bow onestring guitar kit includes all parts, hardware and howto. Chances are, youll want to plug it in and annoy your neighbors. We created this cigar box guitar kit with one goal in mind to make a kit that would allow anyone to build a real, playable cigar box guitar in about an hour at the kitchen table, with only the most basic tools a screwdriver and small hammer. Countless other music legends have started with a diddley bow, too. Making a cigar box guitar june 2009 this is just one mans approach. Volume 04 and became one of our early iconic projects. The simple set neck design is very effective, think les paul junior for sound quality.
I wanted to make the box as close to a cigar box look as possible and i found a good video by steve ramsey on box joints or finger joins jigs here video. Glueing on a backstrap is essential to give the neck sufficient strength to cope with being cut to fit into the box and being notched to. Plans cigar box guitars how to build a cigar box guitar. Lifetime access free download pdf woodworking projects learn the basics of woodworking. They got a wooden cigar box, put a hole in it for the sound to get out, put a stick in it and a few wires from the screen door and a guitar. The next thing i did is glue the violin tail block and neck blocks on. One cigar box styles vary one set of strings 3string cigar box guitar pack, acoustic medium. The cigar box guitar and amp hold a special place in our hearts here at make a cigar box guitar graced the cover of make. Well have it back up and running as soon as possible. I bet it feels a lot more solid than a typical cigar box guitar, which is made from a relatively flimsy wooden or maybe even cardboardparticle board box.
Cigar box guitar plans rare corojo cigar box guitar build. Hear some great music, get building advice and see some of your own instruments featured. Over the years, weve published a number of diy instrument projects. The best telecaster guitar 8419 we can work from pdfs, blueprints or paper napkins if necessary. Forward this short ebook will help you play chords on your 3 string guitar. Free guitar downloads by john anthony guitars jag guitar plans. Pdf the cigar box guitar has a long history in the usa, where it formed part. How to build a cigar box guitar diy projects for everyone. Build a fully playable, depression era cigar box guitar using our modern parts and fully detailed. The unmistakable characteristic of this guitar is the square or rectangle cigar box body. In last sundays austin americanstatesman, there was an article cant find it on the site so no link about 2 guys who make and sell cigar box guitars under the name bobby taylor guitars. Plans store about us contact us guitar projects the builders guide blog home about elite guitar plans. Dec 10, 2016 the cigar box guitar and amp hold a special place in our hearts here at make a cigar box guitar graced the cover of make. We later followed that up in volume 09 with a cracker box amp based on the venerable 555 timer chip.
In this post i will share my cigar box guitar plans for my first punch. Cigar box guitars have a long and colourful history dating back to the mid 19 th century. Thanks to the readily available and inexpensive materials, cigar box guitars, fiddles and banjos were instrumental in the formation of the blues as most of original performers were poverty stricken african americans without enough money to buy real instruments. Please search for the other plans, articles and videos on the net that are about making a cbg. Aug, 2010 this is my first attempt at making a cigar box guitar. The objective is to build a cigar box that will take the vibrations of the guitar strings and pump out the sound. This is my first attempt at making a cigar box guitar. Im tuned to g, if youre not then ill leave it you to. How to build a cigar box guitar free plans download. Oct 3, 2015 click the image above to download the pdf. Cigar box guitar plans punch rare corojo michael whitney. For those feeling a bit intimidated by the plans above, the cigar box guitar should be. As i proceed with this thing, there are lots of things id like to do differently next time because i do intend to make more.
Wooden cigar box guitar plans diy 3 string musical instrument. I just hope it is helpful to you to get you first cbg made. This involves notching the box to fit the neck and cutting holes in the box to let out the sound. This kit contains all of the hardware and parts you need to build your cigar box guitar cbg, except for the 1 x 2 x 34 hardwood neck, which can be easily found at any lumberhardware store such as home depot or lowes. Five years ago, make featured an electric cigar box guitar project volume 04, page 76. The projects author, ed vogel, designed a simple instrument using only parts youd find at a hardware store. Cigar box guitars are historic, too, according to wikipedia. Learn the basics of woodworking woodworkers are artists who manufacture a wide range of products like furniture, cabinets, cutting boards, and tables and. To my surprise, the guitar sounds great even acoustically, and i often just play it unplugged. This was one of the first plans drawn up in the range, and is in. Josh gayou of smokehouse guitars created this 179page guide back in 2010, and decided to give it away for free to the cigar box guitar community. Build your own 3string, electrified cigar box guitar and make some sweet sounds.
How to build a cigar box violin with plans by justin c hilts. See more ideas about cigar box guitar plans, cigar box guitar and box guitar. Shop our selection of microcontrollers, 3d printers, robotics hardware, crafts projects, and kits for makers and diy enthusiasts of all ages. Cigar box guitar page john anthony guitars, luthiers. Heres the way i make pretty well all my guitar necks. This is the perfect way to build your first cigar box guitar. The tool crib 11 free guitar plans, 20 guitar building. Theyre based here in austin, and the article made the guitars sound so cool, i thought about going out to find one. Simply add your own 1 x 2 x 34 hardwood plank for the neck. Build your own wooden cigar box guitar plans diy 3 string musical instrument how to build wooden cigar box guitar cigar box guitar plans these plans will step you through the process of building your own cigar box guitar i will email you a pdf to the email address you provided to ebay so you can print them out any size.
Advanced cigar box guitar building guide by joshua gayou cigar box guitar, guitar building. How to build a cigar box guitar free plans download the. Cigar box guitars are just like any other guitar, only much easier to make. Theyre based here in austin, and the article made the guitars sound so cool, i thought about. Follow the instructions in this guide to turn a cigar box, a few pieces of wood and some. Mar 22, 2018 built yourself a cigar box guitar, eh. For this particular build, i chose to go with a mini humbucker pickup tied into a single volume pot and a 14. One cigar box styles vary one set of strings 3string cigar box guitar pack, acoustic medium three tuners with bushings and screws. Just a quick post to let you all know that the cigar box guitar plans page is now live.