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MAKE Volume 21’s cigar box guitar is an easy, one-afternoon project built around a three-string, open-G instrument. A cigar box forms the resonating body, while an oak or maple neck carries the tuning machines and frets. You can substitute another flat, light, solid container, so the project works with found materials as well as a traditional cigar box.
What the Volume 21 project builds
The reference instrument is a fretted, three-string cigar box guitar (CBG). Its box acts as the sound chamber and its wooden neck extends through or alongside the box. The published project labels the build “Time: An Afternoon” and “Complexity: Easy,” but neck preparation and fret work are the most time-consuming parts.
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Because every CBG is handmade from different materials, finished instruments will not sound identical. The instructions establish a practical build, not a controlled acoustic performance, durability or volume test.
Materials and tools
| Part | What the project calls for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Cigar box | Use another flat, light, solid container if necessary. |
| Neck | Oak or maple lumber | Cut a straight blank and shape a headstock. |
| Strings | Medium-gauge guitar strings | The author’s setup uses strings 5, 4 and 3. |
| Tuning hardware | Three tuning pegs (tuning machines) | Install them in the shaped headstock. |
| Frets | Fret wire | Mark and fit the positions for the chosen scale. |
| Tailpiece | Cabinet hinge | The hinge anchors the strings at the box end. |
| Bridge and nut | Wood or a barbecue skewer | The project identifies a skewer as workable material. |
| Tools | Common hand tools | The exact selection depends on how you cut, drill and shape the parts. |
If you want a bundled purchase, search for a cigar box guitar kit. For individual components, the useful shopping terms are guitar fret wire, 3-string guitar tuning pegs or tuning machines, and medium-gauge guitar strings. Kit contents and retailer availability vary, so confirm what is included before buying.
#1 Best Overall
- Detailed, easy-to follow assembly instructions
- Will make a 3-string Acoustic-Electric Cigar Box Guitar
- Includes Basic Piezo Pickup for plugging into an amp
- Fully Fretted Neck with Zero Fret
- Only basic hand tools required
How to build the cigar box guitar
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Prepare the neck blank
Cut a straight oak or maple blank to the project’s dimensions, then shape the headstock. Keep the neck straight: it determines the alignment of the frets, bridge and strings.
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Lay out the scale
Mark the nut, bridge and fret positions before installing hardware. The Volume 21 example uses a 24-inch scale and provides fret-spacing calculations. Transfer those measurements accurately; small layout errors compound as you move up the neck.
Rank #2
C. B. Gitty Basic Cigar Box Guitar Kit with Detailed Assembly Instructions- Has all the hardware you need except the neck (easily found at hardware stores)
- Includes guitar tuners, strings, and other hard-to-find hardware
- Full 26-page assembly how-to guide included, packed with detailed photos
- Requires only basic hand or power tools and woodworking skills to build
- A perfect and easy way to build a slide-style (unfretted) cigar box guitar!
-
Fit the frets
Cut or mark the fret slots at the calculated positions and install the fret wire. This is the part most likely to consume more than the nominal afternoon if you are working carefully or using hand tools.
-
Prepare the box
Open and reinforce the box as needed, then plan where the neck, bridge, tailpiece and sound hole will sit. Cut the sound hole without cutting into the neck. The box must remain a stable chamber around the neck and bridge.
Rank #3
Complete "Pure & Simple" Cigar Box Guitar Kit - the Easiest CBG Kit to Build, Bar None!- Complete cigar box guitar kit, designed to be the EASIEST kit to build, bar none!
- Includes all parts, hardware, neck and illustrated instruction booklet.
- Only a screwdriver required to assemble. Build it in an hour or so at your kitchen table!
- Perfect project for first-time cigar box guitar builders, or for parents to do with a child!
- The easiest, most affordable way to build your own cigar box guitar.
-
Attach the neck and tailpiece
Secure the neck to the box, then fit the cabinet hinge as the tailpiece at the string-anchor end. Check that the neck, hinge and bridge are centered on the same string path.
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Install tuning pegs
Drill and fit the three tuning machines in the headstock. Make sure each post turns freely and that the strings can travel from the tailpiece over the bridge and nut without binding.
Rank #4
4-string Cigar Box Guitar Kit with Detailed Assembly Instructions- Has all the hardware you need except the neck (easily found at hardware stores)
- Includes cigar box (styles Vary), guitar tuners, strings, and other hard-to-find hardware
- Full 26-page assembly how-to guide included, packed with detailed photos
- Requires only basic hand or power tools and woodworking skills to build
- Build a slide-style (unfretted) cigar box guitar!
-
Make and fit the bridge and nut
Shape the bridge and nut from suitable wood; a barbecue skewer can serve as either piece in the project. Set them square to the strings and at the marked scale locations.
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String and tune
Install the three medium-gauge strings and tune to open G: G-D-G. In the author’s arrangement these are guitar strings 5, 4 and 3. Open tuning lets you sound a G chord without fretting all three strings.
Choosing the design that fits your project
| Choice | What changes | Volume 21 reference |
|---|---|---|
| Three strings vs. another count | Three strings simplify the neck, bridge and tuning layout. | The project is a three-string instrument. |
| Fretted vs. fretless | Frets provide marked note positions; a fretless neck requires finger-placement accuracy. | The reference build includes fret wire. |
| Cigar box vs. another container | Shape, material and internal volume can change the instrument’s response and appearance. | A flat, light, solid substitute is acceptable. |
| Acoustic-only vs. electrified later | A pickup can be added as a separate modification, but it is not required for the basic build. | The Volume 21 outline covers the acoustic construction. |
| Complete kit vs. separate parts | A kit reduces sourcing decisions; individual parts let you reuse found materials and choose each component. | The materials list supports either approach. |
What to check before you string it
- The neck is straight and firmly attached.
- Nut, bridge and fret positions follow the 24-inch-scale layout used by the project.
- The sound hole does not cut into or weaken the neck.
- The hinge, bridge and tuning machines line up with the string path.
- All three tuning posts turn freely and hold the strings.
- The strings are the intended medium gauge and are arranged for G-D-G tuning.
What kind of result to expect
This is a functional handmade instrument rather than a standardized product. Box construction, neck wood, fret accuracy, bridge placement and other found materials all affect the result, so there is no reliable single specification for volume, tone or durability. The project’s build notes include a maker who reported being “extremely satisfied with how it came out,” while also emphasizing that no two handmade CBGs sound alike.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
