Cigar box guitars

Fuzzbass

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Don't save! Build one! They are not hard to put together and a ton of fun to play when finished. Nice sense of accomplishment to pay something you made for folks

Agreed. I've built a couple. Loads of fun and really, making music with an instrument you put together - nothing better.
 
I'd love to make one but Ive become disabled through cancer and can't move my back very well. It's something that I would jump at if able. I've had to give up 20 years of gigging with my basses, but thank God I've found the Uke!
 
It only costs about $30 to build a cigar box guitar.
If your not that handy try one of the kits sold at CB Gitty. They also sell finished guitars.
Warning: Once you start building it's hard to stop. I'm up to about 50 assorted instruments and counting. It's a lot of fun and very addictive.
Check out my public facebook page. I built all the instruments with basic very tools.
https://m.facebook.com/RIGuitars/
 
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My son got me a little cigar box 3 string guitar kit. It was a cheap kit, but I put it together and was thinking to just convert it to a uke, but after playing it as intended, I found I really like it. Love the bluesy tone of it using the glass slide that came with it. Kinda cool to play with as an alternative to always playing the uke.
 
For anyone who doesn't know of this site already:
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/
That's pretty much the center of the CBG universe it seems..

Also https://www.cbgitty.com/ sells all kinds of stuff, including kits. With those two sites you can see, learn, buy, and build a lot. ha.
Gitty also sells a soprano box ukulele kit. I'm hoping they put out a concert and tenor. It was in the works maybe, but I haven't checked lately.
Here's the soprano kit: https://www.cbgitty.com/gift-ideas/gittylele-soprano-ukulele-kit/

I noticed the Justin Johnson video up there. He's great. Look up his diddley bow videos...You may be amazed at what he can do with just one string...
 
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Sorry to hear mate- Is there a way we could help you build one? It is really just attaching a neck to a reinforced box and adding a Pickup. The underground is ripe with these skills and more...and is the kind of place that will take the time to help. Lets talk specs...I bet we can build this and you can be part of it. Nothing makes the kind of mojo we have here.
I'd love to make one but Ive become disabled through cancer and can't move my back very well. It's something that I would jump at if able. I've had to give up 20 years of gigging with my basses, but thank God I've found the Uke!
 
Not a guit...but this is a resophonic nylon strung tenor electric I made from a tart pan, some old phone parts (for the pickup), and a cigar box. It cost me $30 total and I love it. Please excuse the dogs...
 
That would be amazing. I'm in the UK. I feel so useless now. Since my cancer diagnosis I've lost mobility in my back, I can't stand for long, and can't walk any distances. I used to be so independent, out and busy all the time. I've had to stop gigging with my band after 20+ years because I can't support the weight of my electric basses anymore. My best friend started a Go Fund Me page whilst I was in hospital last year and all my friends bought me a Kala U bass. It's an amazing little thing. I still can't believe the sound that comes from it. You know how it goes, one Uke is never enough, so I then got a Kala tenor, which I love to bits, then a Noah Monkey Pod Concert. I got a knock on my door on Christmas Eve. It was one of my neighbours, the whole row of neighbours had had a collection for me and raised £100. I put it towards getting Rob Collins at tinguitar.com to build me a soprano uke. It's an amazing little thing. He made the body from spell wood salvaged from his village pub after a flood last year. I keep imagining I can smell years worth of beer and stories from it. I got into open G tuning and slide playing a month or too ago and them stumbled upon cigar box guitars. Wow. I'd love to have the strength / physical ability to make one, but I think I'd struggle. Having someone to make one up for me would be fantastic, choice of colours, fittings etc. but I don't know anyone locally who is into diy instrument building. I will try and put out the feelers about it. I have the itch for some slide blues and I don't think I will scratch it without getting one :) Thank you for your lovely post, I have found some really amazing people since being diagnosed, so good can come out of a horrible situation.
 
Also https://www.cbgitty.com/ sells all kinds of stuff, including kits. With those two sites you can see, learn, buy, and build a lot. ha.
Gitty also sells a soprano box ukulele kit. I'm hoping they put out a concert and tenor. It was in the works maybe, but I haven't checked lately.
Here's the soprano kit: https://www.cbgitty.com/gift-ideas/gittylele-soprano-ukulele-kit/
.
Gitty has a concert scale kit. I put one together earlier this year.

Finished front.jpgFinished Back.jpg

Edit: Unless by kit you are talking about the kit that also includes the cigar box. This is the one that I used.
https://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-kits/concert-ukulele-parts-pack-everything-except-the-body/
You have to come up with your own box.
 
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3 ukes.jpg

Here's a pic of my cigar box uke I bought at a local craft fair. The gentleman who made it charged me $65 and the uke even comes with electronics to plug into an amp. I think I got a good deal. It's pretty cool. It's sort of twangy sounding, so it's fun to play around with.

The middle cigar box guitar I had custom made by David Gilson. David makes many of the guitars that Christopher Ameruso uses (the talent in the Runaway Train videos of the first page of this thread.) I can't really play it but it makes for a nice couple hundred dollar piece of wall art. I have arthritis in my hands so I don't really like holding a pick. That's why I switched to a uke.
 
There was a thing about around a year or ago, so don't know if it's still available. You may be able to find one if you search
On sale forSlide Guitar, 3 string slides guitar, no frets but printed markers instead. Complete with slide and pickup. Make it yourself! (By stringing it up!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KMLstmDdmw
There is also a video of Krabbers and his views on it somewhere.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEnUiy3hg0
h
 
Gitty has a concert scale kit. I put one together earlier this year.

View attachment 98155View attachment 98156

Edit: Unless by kit you are talking about the kit that also includes the cigar box. This is the one that I used.
https://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-kits/concert-ukulele-parts-pack-everything-except-the-body/
You have to come up with your own box.

Yours looks really cool!

That said, I was talking about the gittylele kit I linked to specifically. It only comes in a soprano version right now, but they mention they're working on larger versions.
https://www.cbgitty.com/gift-ideas/gittylele-soprano-ukulele-kit/
 
Mate- this whole story breaks my heart...so sorry you are going through this but the silver lining, welcome to the Uke! I wish I was in the UK right now because the build would be on...It may be anyway. My dad is a slide player. Took up the Pedal Steel in 1963 and really, has not played since about 2000 regularly. My involvement in the world of strings has gotten him to re-unite with something he loves, it has been very cool to see him playing again. He plays along with whatever I throw at him and comes by every Wednesday, makes me smile.
In any event, I think we can make this work. Where in the UK are you? That is where we start....as I am in California. No promises, but hit me with a PM and let me see what I can do across the pond. Bless up. Thanks be that you are still playing.
That would be amazing. I'm in the UK. I feel so useless now. Since my cancer diagnosis I've lost mobility in my back, I can't stand for long, and can't walk any distances. I used to be so independent, out and busy all the time. I've had to stop gigging with my band after 20+ years because I can't support the weight of my electric basses anymore. My best friend started a Go Fund Me page whilst I was in hospital last year and all my friends bought me a Kala U bass. It's an amazing little thing. I still can't believe the sound that comes from it. You know how it goes, one Uke is never enough, so I then got a Kala tenor, which I love to bits, then a Noah Monkey Pod Concert. I got a knock on my door on Christmas Eve. It was one of my neighbours, the whole row of neighbours had had a collection for me and raised £100. I put it towards getting Rob Collins at tinguitar.com to build me a soprano uke. It's an amazing little thing. He made the body from spell wood salvaged from his village pub after a flood last year. I keep imagining I can smell years worth of beer and stories from it. I got into open G tuning and slide playing a month or too ago and them stumbled upon cigar box guitars. Wow. I'd love to have the strength / physical ability to make one, but I think I'd struggle. Having someone to make one up for me would be fantastic, choice of colours, fittings etc. but I don't know anyone locally who is into diy instrument building. I will try and put out the feelers about it. I have the itch for some slide blues and I don't think I will scratch it without getting one :) Thank you for your lovely post, I have found some really amazing people since being diagnosed, so good can come out of a horrible situation.
 
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