Cigar Box Guitars

[Dixie_Amazon]

Cigar box guitars have been around a long time and was associated with poverty and the blues. This is a nice news piece with video on a local man who makes beautiful ones.

http://www.wafb.com/story/26669814/heart-of-louisiana-cigar-box-guitars

 

[dh66]

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

DIY
AoM: How to Make a Cigar Box Guitar

 

[Matt Crunk]

FYI, I founded and originally hosted a homemade musical instrument festival called THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR EXTRAVAGANZA in 2004, that has been held annually for 10 years now in Huntsville, Alabama. We have featured cigar box guitar builders and players from across the US since our very first year. The event was even the focus of a PBS documentary in 2007 called Songs Inside The Box, which airs periodically on public TV stations across the country.

I was inspired to build my own cigar box guitar after seeing a blues artist playing one in a street corner performance on Beale Street in Memphis. In researching the instrument I came across a very small but tight-knit online community devoted cigar box instruments of all kinds, and decided use those contacts to put together a festival. It is now the largest and longest running festival of it's kind in the country, and has led to me being featured in music magazines and at least one book on cigar box instruments, in addition to the documentary. Who would have thought it?

This is a shot from the documentary filmed in 2007. I'm the one on the right with the long white beard. I also painted the circus sideshow-inspired backdrop.

Me again performing at the 10th installment of the event this year. I'm playing a cigar box mandola and a cookie tin banjo.

 

[Talbot]

Matt, I'll look for the doco, thanks.

T

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

I love the banjo!