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EASY TO BUILD CIGAR BOX GUITAR: AN UNCLE CROW STYLE CBG IN ONE HOUR!!

Today we're going to have a step-by-step cigar box guitar building class! The total time to build is about one hour, not including the introduction video, or video 8, where we're just playing the guitar.

Build a three string, slide cigar box guitar with the following items:

Materials

wooden cigar box - $3
1x2 - $1
three eye bolts, 3/16" x 3" , 24 thread - $1.50
six #8 washers - $.98
three wing nuts, 3/16", 24 thread - $.98
three 6/32 machine screws with matching nuts - $.98
machine bolt, 1/4" x 2" long - $.98
guitar strings, one pack - $5
three wood screws - 1 1/2" long - $.98

These items are really much cheaper than i list here. most of them are bought in bulk, so for just a little more money you could build a LOT of guitars. The prices listed above are the average hardware store price, if you were to buy the item in small numbers in individual bags from the pegs in the fasteners section.

Tools

drill
1/2" paddle bit for three sound holes (you could use 1/4 bit with six holes)
regular smaller drill bits
phillips bit
hand saw (box saw is best)
sand paper

Additional items

guitar picks can be bought at most box stores
slides can be bought at home depot. go to the cabinet section, and ask for a 2" long 3/4" steel spacer. they cost $1.50, and are the best slides i've ever used!!

WORKSPACE, SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

NECK

NECK, EYE BOLT TUNER INSTALLATION AND BODY BLOCK

MOUNTING THE NECK AND SOUND HOLES

FRET CALCULATION AND FRET MARKERS

Fret Markings: THANKS TO DAZEDLEMONPIE, the following fret measurements have been transcribed for us, and i've copied and pasted them here.

"i just written down all the fret measurement from part 5 of the video, I thought I would share it with those interested in building one.

The following are based on scale length of 59cm

59cm multiply .9439 (or any other scale length) equals your first fret location. It should be marked as follows:

55.6cm
52.5cm
49.6cm 0
46.8cm
44.2cm 0
41.7cm
39.3cm 0
37.1cm
35cm
33.1cm 0 (G chord)
31.2cm
29.5cm 00
27.8cm
26.2cm
24.8cm
23.4cm
22.1cm
20.8cm
19.6cm"

STRINGING IT UP, STRINGS AND EYE BOLT TUNERS

TUNE IT UP AN PLAY!

PLAYING THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR : COLLECTIVE SOUL - "SHINE"

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by jim Kasmir on May 16, 2011 at 10:36am

The piezo installation is pretty easy. If I can do it, you can too. At first I was buying pre-wired ones, but I just did some soldering the other day for I think the first time ever and wired it myself. Of course I watched a bunch of videos here first; that helped a lot!

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Permalink Reply by Sammy Lloyd on May 16, 2011 at 10:56am

Wow, superb video. As a newbie, I picked up so many tips, well done man, great job.

cheers

Sammy

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Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on May 18, 2011 at 7:37am

For anyone who's interested, here's a write-up of the notes that I took when I built my Uncle Crow guitar. I found it extremely helpful to have these notes to refer back to as I worked.

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Permalink Reply by Bronwen Banner on May 21, 2011 at 12:52am

Those notes are great Michael, thanks so much for doing them, your professional touch makes them really clear.

I've just finished my build :) photos to follow.

thanks again Uncle Crow :)

If I can do it.....

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Permalink Reply by Dazedlemonpie on June 9, 2011 at 5:31pm

I am so inspired to start my 2nd build using The Crow method, I am still struggling with my first one, cant seem to get the right nut and bridge combination to work. But after watching the Crows' way, its looks too easy and sounds good. mI am thinking perhaps we are all just over thinking how cigar box guitar is made. Anyway, will try to post final product for you Uncle Crow. And once again thank you so much for sharing your secret, a true giver....keep on rockin brother \m/

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Permalink Reply by Crow on June 9, 2011 at 5:34pm

you guys make me so happy, yes, show pictures when you hve got it built, dazedlemonpie!

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Permalink Reply by Wild Rover on June 9, 2011 at 7:01pm

The videos are awesome. The license plate resonator that I recently built has the Uncle Crow head design on it. Everybody is amazed at how well the eyebolts work for tumers. Thanks for sharing your design with the rest of us. I posted pictures of the resonator if anyone wants to see it. Long LIve The Nation!

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Permalink Reply by jim Kasmir on June 10, 2011 at 3:34am

I've just finished my second Crow-style guitar (a 3 and then a 4 string electric). They both sound so sweet. One I did with the eyebolt tuners and one with some tuners from Gitty's. Thank you, Crow, for your generosity in sharing. I have watched your videos over and over again. Now I just wish you would post some videos or tabs of some of the songs you play on these suckers.
You've become a household name in my family. Im always talking about 'Uncle Crow says this' and 'Uncle Crow does that'. :)

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Permalink Reply by Crow on June 10, 2011 at 3:39am

alright guys, its been asked a lot of times, and ive needed a new direction or subject for my videos anyhow.. i play and record a lot and i realize that i've shown how they're built and what they can do, and now it's time to start showing how to play the thing. so, soon i will post a new video starting my "how to play" series. thanks for all your support and great ideas guys!!

and.. happy birthday to me. lol !

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Permalink Reply by jim Kasmir on June 10, 2011 at 1:48pm

Hey, Happy Birthday, Crow!!!! you're the best! I would love to learn that song 'Shine' You play it so well and it would really impress my wife if I could play that one. I've been working on my own trying to transpose the song 'Motherless Children' to 3 string CBG and am having some success.
I look forward to your future vids on playing these things we spend so much time and love making. It would go a long way to convincing my family that I'm not totally nuts!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Rose on June 10, 2011 at 2:10pm

That sounds awesome. And happy birthday!

Crow said:

alright guys, its been asked a lot of times, and ive needed a new direction or subject for my videos anyhow.. i play and record a lot and i realize that i've shown how they're built and what they can do, and now it's time to start showing how to play the thing. so, soon i will post a new video starting my "how to play" series. thanks for all your support and great ideas guys!!

and.. happy birthday to me. lol !