The How-To Repository for the Cigar Box Guitar Movement!
How to Build and Play Cigar Box Guitars and other Homemade Instruments
Everything related to cigar box guitars, the flagship instruments of the Home-made music revolution.
This is the full how-to guide from C. B. Gitty’s Cigar Box Ukulele kit. While written with a focus on assembling the kit C. B. Gitty sells (which includes all of the parts and hardware you need in one easy package), this how-to guide is a good general introduction to building a cigar box ukulele, and could be useful if you want to try it on your own from scratch.
Click Here or on the image to the left to view the full guide document.
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the classic rock song Cold, Cold Heart, written and performed by Hank Williams. This tablature is arranged for 3-string Open G “GDG” tuning.
Click on the image above to download the printable PDF document.
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop shop for all things Cigar Box Guitar: Instruments, Kits, Parts, Gear & More.
If you need some help with this style of tablature, here’s a video where Glenn Watt shows you how to read it.
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the bass line for the classic country song “Cold, Cold Heart“, by Hank Williams. Continue reading “Cold, Cold Heart by Hank Williams 2-String Bass Tablature”
With the free tablature in this post, you will learn how to play Copperhead Road, by Steve Earle, on your 2-string G-Bass. Continue reading “Copperhead Road by Steve Earle 2-String G-Bass Tablature”
Learn how to play Copperhead Road by Steve Earle on your 3-string cigar box guitar. Continue reading “Copperhead Road by Steve Earle 3-String Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Learn how to play Crazy Arms, as performed by Ray Price, on your 3-string cigar box guitar with the free tablature in this post. Continue reading “Crazy Arms Performed By Ray Price 3-String Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
The questions come up often among Cigar Box Guitar builders: Is fretting worth it? Why would I want to fret my build? What do I need to know and what tools do I need to get started? Fretting can be a complex topic, but it doesn’t need to be a murky mystery to builders.
The questions come up often among Cigar Box Guitar builders: Is fretting worth it? Why would I want to fret my build? What do I need to know and what tools do I need to get started? Fretting can be a complex topic, but it doesn’t need to be a murky mystery to builders. This article will attempt to cover some of the basic concepts to help you decide whether you are ready to take the plunge, as well as point you to other resources to help you get started.
One of the best resources you can find to help you get started fretting is our C. B. Gitty’s Fretting Guide, a 39-page electronic book packed with photos and great do-it-yourself how-to information Continue reading “Deciding whether to fret your cigar box guitar”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the classic Christmas carol Deck the Halls. Continue reading “Deck the Halls – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Learn the bass line to the traditional Christmas and yuletide carol, Deck The Halls, with the free 2-string tablature in this post. Continue reading “Deck The Halls 2-String G-Bass Tablature”
Most folks are familiar, at least by sight, with the six-string guitar – whether an acoustic guitar like a Martin or an electric guitar like a Fender Stratocaster™. So it is natural that when people think of frets, or a fretboard, they think of a guitar fretboard – an evenly distributed collection of frets that get closer together the further you go up the neck towards the guitar body.
Continue reading “Diatonic (Dulcimer-Style) Fretting – What it is, How and Why to Use It”
When it comes to electrifying a cigar box guitar (or really any stringed instrument, for that matter), there are two basic options: either a piezo pickup (sometimes called a contact pickup), or a magnetic pickup. Well, really there is a third option – a microphone – but we’ll not cover that here. So, what are the main differences between a piezo element pickup and a magnetic pickup?
A piezoelectric element is a very simple, yet remarkable device. In its most simple form, it consists of a disk of brass or other conductive metal, on which a very thin disk of ceramic is adhered. Continue reading “Differences between Piezos and Magnetic Pickups”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the modern Christmas song Do You Hear What I Hear. This tablature is arranged for 3-string Open G “GDG” tuning. Continue reading “Do You Hear What I Hear – 3-string Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the modern Christmas song Do You Hear What I Hear. This tablature is arranged for 4-string Open G “GDGB” tuning. Continue reading “Do You Hear What I Hear – 4-string GDGB Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Learn the bass line to the to the song Do You Hear What I Hear? with the free 2-string tablature in this post. Continue reading “Do You Hear What I Hear 2-String G-Bass Tablature”
Learn how to play Elvis Presley’s classic, Don’t Be Cruel, on your 3-string cigar box guitar with the free tablature in this post. Continue reading “Don’t Be Cruel by Elvis Presley 3-String Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Have you ever tried to build a cigar box guitar with a fantastically thin box (great tone) but discover that the box needs extra bracing? In this video, Shane Speal shows how to use common corner moulding from a hardware store to secure corners and sides together. Note the tip on using a disposable sponge brush to apply glue. Continue reading “EASY BUILDING TIP: Bracing a Box with Corner Moulding”
