One of the most frequent questions we hear from new cigar box guitar builders is what strings they should use on their cigar box guitar, and how they should tune it. This can be very mysterious for a builder, especially folks without a background in music. While it is often said that there are no rules when it comes to building CBGS (and that is often true, which is one of the great things about this hobby), it can be frustrating to hear when you just want a simple answer to a question. In this article, we’ll try to demystify some of the theory behind strings and tunings, and also give some straightforward, clear answers for those who just want to know what to do.
First, we’ll give a clear answer for those of you who just want to know what to do: at C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply we consider a “standard” cigar box guitar to be a 3-stringer with medium-gauge acoustic strings tuned to either Open G (for slide playing), or G-B-E for fretted playing. The strings used are equivalent to the three highest-pitched strings on a standard six-string guitar, and the scale length of the instrument (the distance from the nut to the bridge) is around 25 inches.
This happens to be the most popular set of CBG strings we sell in our shop – our C. B. Gitty 3-String Acoustic Medium Open G/Standard Set. If you are building your first cigar box guitar and have no idea what to do or what you need, start with these strings. These strings are based on a “medium” weight set sold for a standard 6-string but include only the 3 highest-pitch strings (the smallest/lightest ones) from the pack, so you don’t have any leftovers. It can be tuned either in “Open G” for slide playing (G-B-D) or if you have a fretted neck it can be tuned like the 3 highest-pitch strings of a standard guitar (G-B-E).
If you have been unsure of how to make use of the cigar box guitar chord forms we’ve been adding to the knowledgebase here on CigarBoxGuitar.com, this document is for you! In this 3-page illustrated PDF we walk you through how to interpret the chord forms so that you can put them to use in your playing. Continue reading “How to Read and Use Chord Forms for Cigar Box Guitars”
In this video, Ben “C. B. Gitty” Baker and Glenn Watt show you the basics of getting your cigar box guitar in tune. Both tuning “by ear” and using a digital tuner is covered, so even if you have no experience with musical instruments or tuning, this video will help you get started. At the end of the video, Ben and Glenn even do a little bit of jamming with their newly-tuned cigar box guitars. Continue reading “How to Tune a 3-string Cigar Box Guitar to Open G GDG”
Hard-tail bridges are a must-have piece of hardware for building professional-level electric guitars and cigar box guitars. This article walks you through the different styles and varieties, as well as how to install them on your special build.
What are Hard-tail Bridges?
This cigar box guitar sports a gold-plated 3-string hard-tail bridge. It is a “Metamorphosis” model built by Glenn Watt at C. B. Gitty.
Hard-tail bridges are pieces of hardware often seen on solid body electric guitars. They combine bridges and saddles in such a way that the intonation and string action (height over the fretboard) can easily be adjusted post-install. These styles of bridges are best known from Fender’s Stratocaster™ electric guitars.
Because of how they are made, hard-tail bridges work best when used with magnetic pickups (the sort seen on solidbody electric guitars) as opposed to piezo-style pickups. They help with achieving a professional intonation, maintaining a nice low string action, and increasing sustain (due to their solid metal construction).
This 6-string hard-tail bridge has an opening for a single-coil pickup. This item is available ready-to-install from CBGitty.com.
Some hard-tail bridges also include openings for pickups such as Fender-style single coils and humbuckers. The basic versions just have the bridge and saddle components.
Although they are best known for use on solid body electrics, hard-tail bridges also work great for cigar box guitars. There are now 3 and 4-string varieties available, which make them even more suitable for electric cigar box guitars that have magnetic pickups.
Learn about the “sealed-gear” varieties of guitar tuners/machine heads, and some useful tips, tricks and advice on how to use them properly.
What are Sealed-Gear Tuners?
Sealed-gear tuners (also known as machine heads, tuning pegs and other names) are the type often seen on electric guitars, especially Fender Telecaster™ and Stratocaster™-style guitars.
They are designed so that the mechanical gears of the tuner are sealed into the base, as opposed to open-gear tuners where the worm and pinion gears are visible.
A strap button is a piece of hardware mounted to a guitar or other instrument, as an anchor point for attaching a strap.
A strap allows the instrument to hang from the musician’s shoulders, making it more comfortable to hold and play, especially when standing up.
A strap allows an instrument to hang comfortably from musician’s shoulders while standing.
While strap buttons are optional on a guitar, including them will make the instrument much more appealing to a person used to performing on stage, and can lend more of a professional, finished look and feel. We recommend that builders always put them on their cigar box guitars. Continue reading “How to Use Strap Buttons”
Lucy Tight and Wayne Waxing, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are the married couple that makes up the two-piece band that is Hymn for Her. Continue reading “Hymn for Her”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you how to play the melody and chords for the song I Walk the Line, written and performed by the “Man in Black” himself, Johnny Cash. Cash first recorded this song way back in 1956 and it quickly became one of his signature pieces. The recorded version is a little more complex than what we present here, but this version should work just fine. When you get your invite to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, you can take the time to learn the official version. Continue reading “I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
As performed in O Brother Where Art Thou, as well as by Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson and a host of other artists. View the full text of this entry by clicking the “Read More” link below for the formatted canjo tab…
Now you can learn one of the most recorded Gospel songs on your One-String Canjo!
Arrangement courtesy of C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, intended for playing on American Canjo Company™ brand one-string canjos with dulcimer-style fretting, with fret numberings as shown below. The open unfretted string is notated as “0″.
I’ll Fly Away – Alfred E. Brumley
5 3 0 3 5 4 5 6 5 4 3 1 1 0
Some glad morning, when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away
5 3 0 3 5 4 5 6 5 5 4 4 3
To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away.
Chorus
8 5 5 8 5 4 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
I’ll fly away oh glory, I’ll fly away (in the morning)
0 1 3 3 4 5 4 5 6 5 5 4 4 3
When I die, hallelujah by and by, I’ll fly away.
To learn more about this classic American song, and to find more verses, check out this Wikipedia article.
Arrangement by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply
Words and Music Copyright: Glad Music Co., Albert E Brumley & Sons, Bridge Building Music
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the well known hymn I’ll Fly Away by Alfred E. Brumley. This song is one of the classic Christian anthems and has appeared many times in recordings and even movies such as O Brother Where Art Thou and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Continue reading “I’ll Fly Away – O Brother Where Art Thou – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
First, we’ll give a clear answer for those of you who just want to know what to do: at C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply we consider a “standard” cigar box guitar to be a 3-stringer with medium-gauge acoustic strings tuned to either Open G (for slide playing), or G-B-E for fretted playing. The strings used are equivalent to the three highest-pitched strings on a standard six-string guitar, and the scale length of the instrument (the distance from the nut to the bridge) is around 25 inches.
![I’ll Fly Away | 3-String Cigar Box Guitar Lesson [VIDEO]](https://73decb.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Ill-Fly-Away.jpg?time=1721165587)