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I should share this, because much of it was shared with me- and it has helped me enormously. I've been building these things for less than a year, and I now find that each new instrument I finish plays like a real guitar. For the love of Gitty, some of them may even be saleable... Anyway, here goes.

I was initially shy of showing my builds to my friend S. Not only is she a skilled carpenter and fully qualified boatbuilder, she does not suffer fools gladly either. But she was really taken with RtB#3 (24"scale, fretless, acoustic, Partagas No.6 box), and offered the following tips over the ensuing weeks:-

* Consider your box. Is the top thicker than the base? Maybe you should turn it over...

* (This may not apply to US builders with inexhaustible supplies of poplar necks, but...) Why are you trying to make a hardwood neck fit a softwood box? Why not actually build your own boxes to fit the hardwood neck options that you have?

* Trust your woodworking skills, and work on them. Example- I asked her to build a mitre box to make the accurate, parallel, cutting of fret slots easier. No, she said. Make a good, accurate score with a Stanley knife (do you have those in the US? Ubiquitous craft knife), then ease your fret slotting saw into the score and saw away. You will become better with practice, she said. Do you know what? I think I have.

* Keep it simple. Personally, I'm not convinced by this one, because there are some real beauties out there in the CBN- but then I wonder, do they all play like RtB#13 does. Oh Lordy...

 * Here's one I worked out for myself. I had intonation issues- until I realised that cutting an accurate slot for a zero-th fret was INFINITELY easier than planting a nut dead square. Let the all-G 'chord' sing out, brother!

In summary- I guess that 95% of the above is already known to 95% of you. If, however, just one little piece of advice above helps someone to build a better CBG, the I have Passed It On. No more need be said.

Just finished Jasper,my first build fueled by an interest in luthiering that began while researching Fallen Fret, my novel of the blues. A subsequent viewing of the cigar box movie led to my determined effort to build a CBG. Used my long-dormant finish carpentry experience with a few curse words I finally put the strings on yesterday and savored the first twangs.

I built the neck from a spare bottom stair rail. Fretboard came from a planed-down dresser drawer; I'd noticed the quartersawn oak front panel when loading it for the dump and kept it for 15 years. Wide drawer pull from the same bureau works fine as a bridge. Added a plate found on a junk steam engine to the top. Chrome saddle came from an old meat skewer.

Overall, a fine experience greatly aided by Cigar Box Nation and C.B. Gitty supplies (frets and sweet-sounding Southbound strings) Next build, a 6 string electric.

Here's a pic of my first attempt at a CBG.  I built this at a workshop by a local guy Cigarbox Sounds.  Great workshop and I came away with a playable fretless CBG.

I've a feeling this may get addictive............

Nice story about his guitar ... from old garage parts :) https://www.facebook.com/Metallica/videos/10155242615410264/

Swamp Witch Guitars built me this tribute to my friend, Wesseh Freeman.  I review the guitar and tune it to "Wesseh Tuning."

Swamp Witch used actual photos of Wesseh's oil can guitar to create the artwork on this cock-necked 3 stringer. I was such a huge fan of Wesseh and feel blessed to have talked to him on skype a few times.  Ever since I saw his O!Chips video, I knew I had found a musical brother.  Rest in peace, Wesseh.  God needed the world's greatest oil can guitarist for Heaven's band.

Stubby Slide used in my video:  http://stubbyslide.com 

Swamp Witch on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/Swamp-Witch-guitars?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

I just recently finished a 3 string and it seems like the strings are a little hard to fret. I have it set up on a 25 inch scale, if I move the bridge toward the neck will it make the strings easier to fret without sacrificing tone quality? It plays great with a slide. I am also wondering if I might have the frets set too low. I am using an 8/32 bolt for the bridge and a bit smaller bolt for the nut.

For the builders.....

Does anyone have a theory or rule of thumb on sound holes?

Number of holes?

Hole size to box volume ratio?

Best Location?

Haven't seen this subject discussed anywhere

She is now 19, graduated from high school with honors. Attends the local ATC perusing a cosmetology certification and later into theatrical arts.  Has earned several scholarships to pay for her schooling.

Learned to play the Cello at 13, that's when I went out and spent a small fortune on a full size Cello for her to grow into and perfect. She had the best professor as an instructor who pushed her to find her natural element with the Cello. A prodigy  in the strings. Cello, Violin, Viola, Guitar, and Mandolin. Gotta love her for her progression in the strings. So now I am teaching the kids how to fix others throw away instruments and to make an old ghost come alive once more. 

I took this old Mandolin to all the local music stores and talked with the Luthiers in our small community about this old box. They ALL rolled their eyes and gently told me to stick on the wall. I laughed and walked out of their shops, knowing it really is going to take some time and effort. But what they ALL failed to understand, first its not from some cookie cutter shop with a big name stamped onto the head-stock, or covered in decals. It is a genuine early American Folk Instrument. It has historical value of someone's need and drive to build such an instrument, and it surviving the to this date, 7 April 2018. Anyways, my time, my dime, and I will make it happen to bring new life into this old ghost. Maximo 

Besides raising a family of 4 kids here, keeping the fleet of rides on the road, fixing the house, dealing with work, the list goes on, as with the rest of every other person breathing air. But what makes our free time more exciting is taking the time to learn how to build unique musical instruments.

Hats off to all you Luthiers taking the best challenge in your lives. Creating a legacy that will follow you forever, or until someone in the government takes out our history annuls. Anyways, teaching my children has always been the best part of our family lives. Yes they get distracted and make mistakes trying to take a short cut, but we all have been there once upon a time in our own lives. How else do we learn if we didn't make these really crazy short cuts? So, after the mandolin, a Frankenstein 12'er. Maximo

This will be my third mandolin restoration in the past 6 years. I keep finding these discarded and abused by several owners. Most people think these instruments are toys and treat them as such. My challenge is ahead of me now. Split head down the peg line, warped neck, but to the body too thick by at least a 1/4". Cracked tail section, missing support arches on the back shell. This old ghost has been hammered and others took the time to try to mend it. Now its called a wall hanger by most.

Not me, I'll take the time to peal it apart and Frankenstein this old ghost back to life. Might not play like a cookie cutter stamped rig, but for an early Gibson copy, I'll at least get it playing again. Maximo

Can anyone tell me a “good” way to remove the Surgeon General label off a cigar box?

In open G tuning is there a trick to make tuning the low G string  easier. I am using a A string for it

After finding this site and watching Shane Speal videos, I made myself a challenge.... to build a CBG without spending a cent. Well, I did it. The box is floor laminate, the neck is a broken table top trim-off. eye-bolts for tuners, pop cans for sound hole covers, misc wood scraps and other parts from the junk box, stole the strings & strap from an old acoustic. Other than the $13 piezo/pot kit from CB Gitty, I did it with out spending a dime. 

It Can Be Done !!

Here's a drawing and photo's of the construction of a guitar using a Wolseley hub cap.

The neck is made from three pieces of 1 1/2" x 1" mahogany,the body from 1/8" birch ply with a hardwood tail block and lime wood linings.

The guitar is finished off with a walnut fingerboard and laminated walnut/ply bridge,stainless/cycle brake cable  tail piece anchored on the strap button. 

Hello all, I saw this YouTube video and wondered if anyone has made this radiusing jig. It looks pretty awesome!

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IvObcDQk4_g

Thanks Rose

Hi, I will be making more hand made cigar box guitar pickups, I thought I would post here first as I am making them in the next upcoming week. They will all have vintage Americana and Tobacco themes and will be for sale

they will be posted at the website

http://reddogguitars.com

 email me if you are curious about the different models I will have. I am always getting asked and I took a break from making them but I am going to make some so I thought I would post here in case anyone was interested.

Here is a short video of them. If you sell guitars you can add value to your instrument by adding one, they also have a great look.

Thanks and email me if you have any questions.

also, please remember they are hand made and will take about 3 days to make.

These pickups are easy to add to any guitar.

They have a  vintage look and sound, once again if you are interested,

visit  

http://reddogguitars.com

A while ago my sister bought me four guitar lessons with Chris Meredith a talented musician and teacher.When the paid lessons finished Chris and I came to an agreement,he would carry on giving me the lessons and in exchange I would show him how to make a guitar.The photographs here show the finished result,his first ever build.

Four string tenor with uke reso cone,3.6mm ply box,"mahogany" neck with walnut fingerboard,headstock faced with walnut and obeche. He now fancies making a licence plate guitar for his dad (a car fanatic).

Mission accomplished I have passed on the bug! 

my cbg build is finally coming together... slowly but surely lol, i got the body box built and pretty much done and the neck is almost finished then it should be easy money from there, i will have to upload some pix of my work, this being my first cbg build and only having hand tools

This one is based on the logo for a local music festival coming up in April.

The Jacob Barker Music Festival raises money for the Make A Wish Foundation.  This guitar will be available for bidding at the silent auction during the festival.  

*edit:- add video

Walnut and cherry, all local West Tennessee hardwood. Copper plate pick guards /decorations.  Tennessee waltz. 

**edit2: better video...

One day last summer I was driving down the hill to the local market town for bits and pieces. Saw a 'bike down in the middle of the road, so stopped and asked the chap in black leathers if he was OK. When he turned I could see he was my age-ish- late 50s, grey beard, that sort of thing. "Fine" he said, "only had this thing a couple of days", so I drove on. Got to town, parked, and burst out laughing. My wife, I thought, is luckier than she knows. There was a chap who may not have ridden a 'bike since he was in his early 20s, gone out and bought himself a 500cc monster- he may not have lasted the year. With some men it's bikes- live fast, die middle-aged. With others it's women half their age- good grief, like I still actually could, y'know? With me it's guitars. You know where I am, who I'm with, and what I'm doing. I'm not bankrupting us with a Harley or a gold-digger. Ok, so the floor is covered in sawdust and the downstairs loo always smells of linseed oil and varnish. You know every blues in G backwards and there are guitars everywhere. But I can see now do TWO things with my hands- cook kick-ass food AND make musical instruments that really work. Both skills for a post-oil age- and I think I may be happier than at any time in my adult life.

Truly, build what you play, play what you love, and love what you build.