#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Cigar Box Guitar How-to Knowledgebase at CigarBoxGuitar.com

Be sure to check out the ever-growing collection of Cigar Box Guitar How-to articles over at www.CigarBoxGuitar.com. C. B. Gitty is building this library of carefully moderated and curated information, distilled from his own experience, the experience and input of other experts, and the abundance of info on Cigar Box nation, to make it easy for new and experienced builders alike to find the CBG how-to info they need.

The goal of the CigarBoxGuitar.com site is not to eclipse or replace Cigar Box Nation. CBN remains the biggest and best cigar box guitar community on the Internet, and is still the best place to upload photos and videos, post questions and engage with other builders and the CBG community. What CBN is not good at is presenting how-to information in a clear, cross-referenced and easily searchable manner. That's where CigarBoxGuitar.com comes in.

So if you haven't checked it out yet, browse on over and do so - there's a lot more there than just CBG how-to!

9 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on October 10, 2014 at 4:38pm

AWESOME! I was always wondering how that would sound. Thanks Ben!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on October 10, 2014 at 11:33am

Here is the latest CBG how-to article just added to the knowledgebase over at www.CigarBoxGuitar.com.

This article is basically a "cheat sheet" that lets you figure out what string sizes to use for pretty much any tuning you could want on a cigar box guitar with a scale length from 24.5 to 25.5 inches.

Click Here to check out the article.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anthony Collins on November 22, 2015 at 5:03am

Planning my first build, Wooden top cigar box, through neck 3 string, electromagnetic pickup. I have ordered one of those Ebay adjustable hardtail bridges and wondering on fixing. I will be easing to top of the neck within the body to allow for the body top to move. Should I attach the hardtail to the (movable) top of the box or fix solidly to the neck or perhaps a trapeze to the tail of the box or...

Thanks

Tony

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on November 22, 2015 at 7:10am

The neck needs to take the pull of the strings, so the hardtail should be attached through the lid to the neck. You'll need to reinforce your neck as you'll be cutting a lot of it out to make room for the pickup.

Are you going fretted or fretless? If fretless, I'd skip the hardtail and go with a floating bridge, they're easier to intonate, and you can get the action higher... which is easier for playing slide. By having higher action, the pick is less likely to scratch up the box...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brad Schoonmaker on July 3, 2019 at 3:16pm

I am just starting out and want to know what is the first song I should learn on a 3 string "Tuned to open G". I guess the easiest so I will feel accomplished. I have no music background and wanted to pick up a hobby.

Thanks for any input

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on July 4, 2019 at 3:27am

Brad, there's this unwritten rule that the first song has to be Bad to the Bone... https://youtu.be/aQWrpmZRWxg

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on July 5, 2019 at 3:43am

so thats where i went wrong! i thought it was either smoke on the water deep purple or la grange zz top..

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin Simpson on August 22, 2019 at 2:51pm

Hi Shane,

I've got some pretty good plans for the Bass Canjo that I submitted to Gitty's customer gallery.

I was wondering if you were interested in adding them to your knowledge base. But I didn't see an easy way to send you a message. So hopefully you will see this and E-mail me.

Best regards,

Martin Simpson

Fremont,CA