Hey, check out my new 3-string Cigar Box Guitar!

[doucanoe]

I got interested in either building or having a CBG built for me a few years back after listening to some Bluegrass, Folk and some Delta Blues being played on one of these simple 3 or 4 string instruments. I’d put the notion on the back burner for some time until around 4 months ago when I was viewing some CBG YouTube videos I had saved but couldn’t recall why I had saved them. After watching them, I was back in.

After doing a lot of research on CBG’s, I ended up corresponding back and forth for some time with a builder in VA named Jay Gilliam. Jay has been building CBG’s, Dulcimers, Dobros etc. for some time under the name TinyGuitars http://www.tinyguitars.tk/ and makes some pretty nifty guit. boxes. Jay was so extremely helpful, informative and patient will all my questions regarding how to go about building one of my own, I decided to have him just build one for me. The man’s a peach of a guy and one I’m now proud to call a good friend.

I was looking for a simple CBG that would provide me with something to learn and noodle around with. Jay’s a custom builder and offered up a wide selection of boxes for me to choose from among other options. In the end, I had him build me a simple 3-string CBG with chromatic fretting, white oak neck and also had him add his custom Piezo bridge he makes so that I can plug in and get all funky with it if I chose to. This one’s 25 ½” scale if I remember correctly.

It showed up a few weeks back and I have been having a blast with it. It arrived well packed and I was thrilled with the build quality after opening up the container and actually viewing it for the first time. These 3-string CBG’s use open tunings and produce quite a sound plugged in or not. Jay had tuned mine to DAD which produced a very cool Dulcimer sound. I have now got it tuned lower to GDG for more of a Delta Blues feel and it’s very cool to say the least.

RC

 

[doucanoe]

Still wanting to build my own, I had him also put one together for me in Kit form to save me the trouble of sourcing out all the individual components necessary. This one has a gorgeous walnut neck that is laid out for Diatonic fretting (23 ½” scale), white Cohiba box already prepped for the neck, Jays custom walnut Piezo bridge and everything else needed for finish the CBG. I hope to get that one finished up soon once I can put the one he built for me down

Here’s a YouTube vid Jay send me prior to its arrival just to give me a little taste of what was to come which was very cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvhE4yWngI8&list=UUO6u9Lo_oOF_00aRRY5CTNg&index=1&feature=plcp

He also put together a great step by step vid for me showing the build process that I can refer to when I get to building the kit.

If your thinking about buying a CBG or looking for one in Kit form, I’d highly recommend speaking with Jay. This guy will take care of you in fine fashion! I’m having more fun with this than I’ve had in some time with Audio alone.

RC

 

[Jailtime]

Delta blues, you say? I might have to build one of these. Looks like a helluva fun project.

That little amp is cool. What's inside?

 

[squirrelnest]

Fun part is smoking all the cigars to get the box!

 

[onepixel]

Wow... that is so cool!

Got any links to what it sounds like?

 

[Amcrebelfan]

His stuff is gorgeous, how would getting one of these be for a beginner. I love the sound and his prices are so cheap wow.

 

[doucanoe]

Delta blues, you say? I might have to build one of these. Looks like a helluva fun project.

That little amp is cool. What's inside?

I actually built it myself using a 5w Op. Amp harness (SD-MAH3) I ordered from Guitar Fuel, a old phonograph case, a Jensen P8R and the design is my own. I was kinda of shooting for a cross between a old, road worn Fender Tweed and a plain ol' old guitar amp. Not sure about the Fender tweed but think I got the ol' guitar amp part pretty close All the wood details came from cedar cigar boxes I already had sitting around here.

It sounds pretty dang good!

I plan on doing some kind of write up on the build in the next week or so.

Wow... that is so cool!

Got any links to what it sounds like?

I provided a link for the builders (Jay Gilliam) YouTube vid of him noodling around on it he sent me, above. If you mean, me playing it, I'm not sure I'm ready for prime time just yet

His stuff is gorgeous, how would getting one of these be for a beginner. I love the sound and his prices are so cheap wow.

Jay really does nice work. He's been really helpful, informative and fun to shoot the bull with during the whole process. I used to play a bit when I was young but that seems like a million years ago now. I'm definitely in the beginner category and although I have a long way to go, am picking it up pretty quick.

Open tuning for 3-string is pretty straight forward even with chromatic fretting. Diatonic fretting makes it even more so. He also builds 4 and 6 string guitars and dobros, etc. depending on what you may be looking for. The 4 string CBG's are chorded like a Ukulele from what I understand. Who knows. I may just try something like that somewhere down the road.

RC

 

[Amcrebelfan]

Thanks RC, I was going to look at a uke for starting out and had picked a lanai. Not anymore I think I will have him make me one when I get the dough. I have been watching all the videos on his site all I can say is WOW. Everything sounds great those cookie tin banjos he was only selling for 60 bucks and they sound great. I have a lil practice amp that was my fathers that would go so well with one of these plus it has the fifties styling to it so it would look great too. Thanks for the link you just made me drool for his stuff. When my boy gets home tonight from work I am going to show him the basses he plays bass now and I think he would love one of these just to practice on and have some fun.

 

[ebacon]

How cool.

That's what I picture in my mind when hearing Johnny Cash's "Tenessee Flat Top Box".

 

[spartanmanor]

Love it! The suitcase amp is way cool as well.

 

[spideyjack]

nice!

 

[doucanoe]

Thanks RC, I was going to look at a uke for starting out and had picked a lanai. Not anymore I think I will have him make me one when I get the dough. I have been watching all the videos on his site all I can say is WOW. Everything sounds great those cookie tin banjos he was only selling for 60 bucks and they sound great. I have a lil practice amp that was my fathers that would go so well with one of these plus it has the fifties styling to it so it would look great too. Thanks for the link you just made me drool for his stuff. When my boy gets home tonight from work I am going to show him the basses he plays bass now and I think he would love one of these just to practice on and have some fun.

I was thinking about going the Uke (4-string) route at first myself. I was sold on a 3-string after watching people playing so many styles with them. 4 or 6 string would be more versatile overall but it's pretty amazing what can be played on a 3-string. Perfect for a guy like me who is just looking for something to horse around with using various open tunings. Last night I re-tuned to D-F#-A and am kind of liking that.

RC

 

[doucanoe]

Got 'er done last night!


I added a couple of sound holes using some 1 1/2" strainer baskets I found at Home Depot. Went with the temp bridge just to figure out where it wanted to be located but will probably add the Piezo bridge a little down the road.

It's sounding pretty dang big just the way it is. I'm not sure if I really even want to plug this one in.

RC

 

[Redboy]

Wow Ron, that is so cool!

Great sound out of that little thing, too (I watched the video).

 

[spartanmanor]

Nice work!

 

[doucanoe]

Wow Ron, that is so cool!

Great sound out of that little thing, too (I watched the video).

Yup, the ones I have played around with all sound a little different based on, box, sound holes (Qty/size/location), materials used and how you construct it.

The little twanger I just finished sounds really big not even plugged in. Jay was saying that he really liked these white Cohiba boxes because of the tone they produced. He was sure right about that one. Big tone with a lot of great sustain.

I was going to tune this one lower like the other but went with open DAD for now. Very cool dulcimer tuning and sounds great on this one.


RC

 

[doucanoe]

Nice work!

Thanks! You should give building one of these a go. Fun stuff :yes:


RC

 

[Arkay]

Very cool work on both of those, guys! :thmbsp:

I love "home-made" instruments like those. When played well, they sound very good, too! I've heard stuff done with even just one string, plucking, bowing and doing slide stuff with a bottle-neck, that sounded great.

I've started working on a stick-centered creation for a Halloween costume that will incorporate strings that can be plucked, strummed or bowed, plus tambourine-like rattles for when it is struck against the floor, a "rain stick" for more dramatic, sweeping gestures, and a few other things that can be struck or plucked, for percussion effects. It'll be sort of a one-man-band device, bu disguised as a "primitive" shaman's stick. The base stick is a weirdly spiral-shaped root/tendril/stalk thing harvested from a Banyan tree, that I'm drying for a few months in a dehumidified warehouse (with the ends painted to discourage cracking/checking). It will be carved, turned into the instrument(s), and decorated with a monkey skull, shells, boar's teeth, scalp cuttings (animal, of course! ) and other appropriate bits. It will be about six feet tall, will look cool, and hopefully won't sound too awful, in my "messing around" hands. If it turns out as nice as I hope it will, I might make more of them. If it doesn't, at least I'll have had some fun and can say, "I tried!"

 

[doucanoe]

Very cool work on both of those, guys! :thmbsp:

I love "home-made" instruments like those. When played well, they sound very good, too! I've heard stuff done with even just one string, plucking, bowing and doing slide stuff with a bottle-neck, that sounded great.

I've started working on a stick-centered creation for a Halloween costume that will incorporate strings that can be plucked, strummed or bowed, plus tambourine-like rattles for when it is struck against the floor, a "rain stick" for more dramatic, sweeping gestures, and a few other things that can be struck or plucked, for percussion effects. It'll be sort of a one-man-band device, bu disguised as a "primitive" shaman's stick. The base stick is a weirdly spiral-shaped root/tendril/stalk thing harvested from a Banyan tree, that I'm drying for a few months in a dehumidified warehouse (with the ends painted to discourage cracking/checking). It will be carved, turned into the instrument(s), and decorated with a monkey skull, shells, boar's teeth, scalp cuttings (animal, of course! ) and other appropriate bits. It will be about six feet tall, will look cool, and hopefully won't sound too awful, in my "messing around" hands. If it turns out as nice as I hope it will, I might make more of them. If it doesn't, at least I'll have had some fun and can say, "I tried!"

Thanks Arkay!

In my snooping around the internet looking for build ideas, I came across quite a few home brew single string instruments like Diddly Bows or more of a upright bass like you are thinking of building. Plucked or slide, it's surprising how versatile many of these are and there and have watched several YouTube videos that prove that out.

Good luck, and make sure to post some pics of it when you get it done :yes:


RC

 

[ejfud]

Cool stuff Ron!