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2017 "Kick The Can" Build-Off contest - Canjos, Tin Can Guitars

"Come on, brothers and sisters, KICK OUT THE CANS!"

For our final build-off contest of 2017, we're looking for your best canjos, cookie tin banjos and any other playable stringed instrument made from discarded metal containers. It can have one string wired to a tin can or it could be a full size harp made from an outdoor propane tank! The more creative, the better.

Here's the details:

Contest runs Nov. 16 - Dec. 20, 2017

Prizes: $100 C. B. Gitty Gift Certificate for 1st place, $50 Gitty gift certificate for second and $25 gift certificate for third.

Judges: Shane Speal, Ben "Gitty," Glenn Watt and Farley Andresen

How to Enter:

1. In the comments section below, post up to three (3) photos and one (1) video of your entry.

2. Add a one (1) paragraph description with your photo entry.

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

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

Need inspiration? Here's Wesseh to show you how it's done...

Note: This is the official contest entry page. Do not use this page to post comments about other submissions.

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Permalink Reply by Poor_Richard on December 17, 2017 at 1:35am

I've made this canjo from a newspaper-stick, some odd bits and a 1 liter beercan i had laying around. Nothing on this instrument is new, it's all been repurposed. On top of the fingerboard there's a diatonic scale and on the side there's the chromatic scale. The runes on the back of the fingerboard are old saxon and read: "Rikarth made me". I didn't burn the rest of the original runic inscription in because it didn't feel right to me. The complete translated inscription is "Richard, he me wrought, and to this beauty carefully me brought". On the newspaper-stick i removed the company name and logo and left the motto "sharing of knowledge, growth of people" since that is what internet-forums are all about.

Permalink Reply by Steve Holladay on December 17, 2017 at 9:01am

"Chevjo-la"

My second entry is my Chevrolet hub cap 5 string banjola. Cherry top with Gibson style f-holes. Walnut and cherry neck. 1978 Chevy "Dog Dish" truck hubcap. Triple piezo pick-ups.

Video has Billy Wise playing the hubcap, myself on the washtub, and Joan Kirkham playing an actual store bought Martin guitar!

Permalink Reply by Joost van der Veer on December 17, 2017 at 9:45am

ok, here a cookiebox 2 string cbg (i like to call it a scrapguiter) This one is build by my in my Belgian workshop. a bit odd, because I'm Dutch, anyway, enjoy.

above the whole machine, here more in detail

and the head,

Permalink Reply by Joost van der Veer on December 17, 2017 at 10:34am

shovel steal, just 2 strings, fretless

Permalink Reply by Troy Eckstein on December 17, 2017 at 1:08pm

This cookie tin banjo has a neck I carved from a boxspring support slat and a killer gold-papered tin. I tried to keep as much hardware gold-flavoured as possible. This is my Canjo competition entry.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/306657106?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/306657106?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/306657106?profile=original" target="_self"></a><p></p>

Permalink Reply by Br Harold F Stubbs III on December 18, 2017 at 7:01am

Well, I just feel about blown away by everyone else's stuff, so I'm just gonna list my last 3 that are ready today, barely got them into the mail this morning! .. still working on a few for xmas though...

Carebear tin - fretless, zither tuners, approximately 12" scale length, 2 strings are fishing line and 1 wound steel string.

Tinkerbell tin - diatonic fretted using picture hanging wire, fishing line, zither tuner, shaped redwood neck w/ oak fretboard

batman tin - zither tuners w/ bouncy balls on top ( for safety.. built for coworker's 4 year old son ), fishing line strings, shaped redwood neck w/ oak fretboard

Permalink Reply by Karen on December 18, 2017 at 7:56pm

We had a blast building Canjos at the Aunts & Kids Christmas Party. The parents reported that Canjo music filled their houses until 10pm that night. The moms said they have new alarm clocks - Canjo music! Thanks CB Gitty and Cigar Box Nation for all the great ideas! All the kids and grownups that helped said that this was the best project we’ve done at our Christmas Party. Merry Christmas!

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