Ingeniero

MAKING A CIGAR BOX GUITAR..
June 2009
This is just one man’s approach. It is pragmatic and full of idiosyncrasies. I just hope it is helpful to you
to get you first CBG made. Please search for the other plans, articles and videos on the net that are
about making a CBG. In fact I suspect that this article is not sufficient in itself to make the CBG; people
learn in different ways and varietyof tutorial inputs help most of us. Many heads make a good CBG.
Oh yes, my pictures are not necessarily sequential, but should make their point. I decided to take most
of them well after I had started this project. If I do another project I will take more pictures!
Part 1.
Get your Cigar Box.
The best bet is to go to eBay and plug in a search for “cigar box”, or variations on those words. Youwill
be faced with both collector’s items (that are so expensive you would not want to make a CBG out of
them) then you will nearly always find a few that might well meet your needs and price.
You can do net searches for Cigar makers/distributors etc in your area. Then write to them and tell
them what you are looking for. Go on the Cigar Box Nation and ask if someone locally can help you.This box has the dimensions mentioned below.
A good size to begin with would be:270mm (10 ¾) x165mm (6 ½) x 40mm (1 ½) you should be able to acquire one about this size reasonably
easily. Try for a bit deeper even a bit bigger; but you can make one out of smaller boxes too.
Not everyone uses actual Cigar Boxes. Some make their own boxes, others use wine bottle boxes, tins,
well anything thatis available and cheap.
I have collected some good sized wooden 35mm slide boxes for future projects.
Join Cigar Box Nation. Most helpful; look at their picture gallery; it will blow your mind. You really
should explore this site before you start making.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/
Remember Cigar Box Nation is your best friend.

MAKING A CIGAR BOX GUITAR..
Part 2.
Get you “Neck” andprepare it.
You need a piece of hardwood about 36” x 2” x 1” (1000 x 50 x 25 mm). These are nominal sizes and
will certainly be smaller than the given dimension. The 2” dimension is your top/fret board.
You need to make sure this wood is both “straight and true”, if not dress it until it is. You must not end
up with a “wavy” fret board or a bent neck.
How many strings?
Decide on “how manystrings you want” and how long will the string length be”.
You can have as many strings as you like. Many use 3 strings, many use 4 strings. (Even 6… but not for
me!)
Can’t make up your mind? Use 3 strings.
Choose your string length.
The hardwood is long enough for you to have a string length of 25.5 inches (650mm), a number of
people choose 24.5” (620mm), likewise 23.5” (600mm).
Can’t make upyour mind? Choose 24.5”.
So from now on I am assuming you will be making a 3 string CBG with a string length of 24.5”. You do
not have to do this of course, but you might have to adjust my advice.
Tuning pins and head.
You can use separate (single) machine heads, set of three machine heads in a row, violin or cello pegs,
nuts and eye bolts, variations on any of these themes. Get them from amusic store or hardware store or
eBay. If you are not sure look at all the pictures on Cigar Box Nation (there are more than 1000!) to get
your ideas.
Can’t make up your mind? Get a set of three machine heads in a row (You will probably have to buy a
pair)

Divide the width of your fret board (finger board..whatever) by 4 and mark the positions of your 3
strings. Project these up to thehead of the board and from these marks decide the position of the
You do not have to do anything fancy with the tuning pin part of the neck. Straight, “as is” will work, but
remember that the strings will have to coriginate from below the level of the fret board nut. You will
have to drill three holes to correspond with the holes on the shaft of the tuning pins (or construct a
channel) to allow...