Official Luthiers Forum!

Would someone kindly explain to me how, why, and when the cigar box guitar suddenly became so popular again? Don't post the Wikipedia link, either - I wanna hear the straight poop from those making them and playing them.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I'm pretty sure cigar box guitars are going to replace regular acoustic 6-string guitars.

Nobody wants to play 6 string guitars anymore, they are too complicated.

And, another upside, no more shiny finishes, paper labels and bare wood are ok.

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I don't get them at all....

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Gregg

I started out making cigar box guitars. It was an easy way to build instruments without a shop and tools. It was also good practice on inexpensive materials. I will still make box instruments in the future. You don't freak out nearly as much when you drop a chisel on a cigar box. I know Daddy Mojo guitars seemed to take off after a small mention in Playboy.

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Chris

I think that's it: Uncomplicated, easy to build, within the reach of everyone, kids can play them, etc. etc. etc.
Not to suggest that they will ever replace the exquisite professional one-off instruments we all love to see and a few of the pros are capable of building. (Those are the greatest!) They are just cool for all the right reasons. Value and collector desirability have nothing to do with them. Coolness and approachability have everything to do with them. That's just my estimation.
Patrick

Kinda how I got started, building a couple for family and friends. Mine have six strings, bamboo necks, paneling bodies. It is the only guitar that stays in the trunk of my car. Mine sound bad but I bet they could be made to compete with normal guitars.

Here is one with the fanned frets reversed (by request).

OK. Thanks for the input.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

In my town, they have a yearly convention for the cigar box guitar. I'm not at all into them, but they do have a very interesting history (which is my favorite part)

Mike

I did 3 last year with some middle and high school students. Cheap was the key, but they got working 4 stringers with frets for $20 in parts. A good time was had by all. I was drawn to it by the history as well.

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The strangest thing about this trend is that hardly anyone smokes now. Cigar box construction made sense when everyone smoked cigars and the boxes were as plentiful as coffee cans or baby-food jars. But where do you even find a cigar box now? It's like working with endangered species lumber. And there's a stigma attached to smoking now, which should make people less interested in a musical instrument that's associated with smoking and cancer.

Not me, though. In keeping with our more health-conscious age, I'm working on a couple of salad bowl guitars. Salad bowls are plentiful now. Even people who don't eat salad at least feel compelled to own a few large salad bowls to break out when they have guests. And these salad bowl guitars are genuine acoustic instruments. Most of the new cigar box guitars on YouTube seem to be magnetic-pickup electrics, which might just as well be made out of cardboard boxes.

It will be interesting to see how quickly cigar boxes run out. I got two in the house I think but I don't feel like doing anything with them. Salad bowl guitars are a good possibility to be the "next cigar box guitar" but then again cigar boxes aren't that hard to make either.....

Then there's gourds.......

Maybe it's the only instrument you can legally build now, due to the Lacey act?

I've always wanted to use a gourd, but could never find one big enough. Their heyday was even earlier than cigar boxes.
So I'm using one of those thin woven-wood salad bowls that restaurants often have. They're kind of gourd-like in shape and structure. And they're available at any restaurant supply store and many garage sales.
For the next instrument, I'm looking at those heavier carved wooden salad bowls. Maybe a salad bowl mandolin.

Maybe it's the only instrument you can legally build now, due to the Lacey act?

Unless you're using a Cuban cigar box.