Cigar Box Guitars
This page contains Cigar Box Guitars currently available for sale.
The page will be updated as products are sold and added. Please check back often to see the updates as new guitars are always being created.
Torpedo
“Torpedo” is the name for this hybrid creation!
I wanted to figure out a way to utilize the smaller, thinner cigar boxes that I have in my collection. They are typically not deep enough to use as a traditional cigar box guitar body so I think this idea is the perfect solution.
The thinner box has had two corners cut off and mounted to the much larger cigar box body. The result is a “V” shape body that is a bit reminiscent of the Flying V style of guitar that we all know and love.
I decided to leave the natural finish and colouration on both boxes which gives Torpedo its rich wood tone look. The neck is made from locally grown Big Leaf Maple and the fretboard is made from locally grown English Walnut.
Torpedo features all chrome accents including a “Snake Oil” style of pickup. The bridge is a homemade design and is fully adjustable for perfect intonation and action. This is a fully fretted, electric guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length. Torpedo is tuned to an open G and sounds really cool with that unique pickup.
Deep, rich tone with a deep rich finish!!
$500
Mach 1
“Mach 1” is the first in a series of entry level Macanudo cigar box guitars.
They are easy to learn and fun to play. These guitars are a bit more of a traditional Cigar Box Guitar. I chose to keep them simple and affordable but with great sound and playability. They feature a straight Poplar neck in a “through body” design (neck through the box). The wood has been stained to compliment the brown earth tones on the cigar box. Fret locations and fret dot markers have been inked and wood burned onto the neck for player reference. Most importantly, that 1961 Canadian nickel sits proudly on the neck!
Instead of a piezo disc style of pickup, I like to use a magnetic wound pick up wired directly to the cable jack. The sound that the magnetic pickup produces is far superior and sounds so much better through your favourite amplifier. These guitars are fretless and are designed for slide style of play but the zero fret system allows for low enough action that you can play it fingerboard style if you choose.
The Mach series is affordable, traditional, and fun. It’s a great way to get your feet wet in the world of 3 string folk guitars. But I must warn you…..once you get hooked on Cigar Box Guitars, you will buy a fretted version next!
Sold to Katie
The Diplomat
“The Diplomat” features all antique copper accents right from the vintage hinge used for a string retainer all the way to the aged copper tuners on the headstock. The pickup and control knobs have been painted to match the same aged and antique copper style. An old drawer pull is added for a carrying handle and some antique copper corner protectors round out the design.
The guitar features a neck made form Black Walnut and a fretboard made from a slice of swampy Red Oak with a really interesting grain pattern. The floating bridge is hand shaped from the same two woods for a perfect match.
“The Diplomat” is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length and is tuned to an open G chord. The sound is warm and mellow but can get crunchy real fast thanks to the humbucker style of pickup.
“The Diplomat” is definitely a mix of new age and vintage style……a really great 3 string guitar!
$500
Plasencia II
“Plasencia II” is a fantastic 3 string fretless slide guitar.
The heavy sided wood box has a convenient recessed area on the top which worked perfectly for installing a magnetic wound pickup and the volume/tone controls. These pickups have a nice warm tone and the Martin brand strings add quality to the overall sound. Fret location marks are burned into the top edge of the neck for player reference and ease of play. “Plasencia II” is tuned to an open G tuning and features a 25-1/2″ scale length.
The guitar features a neck made from locally sourced Big Leaf Maple and the fretboard is a figured slice of local Spalted Maple. These are excellent hardwoods for building guitars and certainly beautiful to look at. The handmade floating bridge is cut from the same board as the neck for colour consistency. The design is simple but the results are fantastic.
This is a great guitar to get someone started in the world of slide style play.
$275
Armistice
“Armistice” has been created using another unique cigar box from the Armistice brand. The wooden cigar box body has been outfitted with three sound holes giving this guitar some nice acoustic qualities.
The neck is made from Red Oak and the fretboard is made from a piece of local Big Leaf Maple with a really interesting grain pattern…..almost a ribbon effect. The fret dots have been hand painted black to contrast the lighter wood colour of the fretboard.
Black accents are used for the rest of the guitar as well. From the tuners to the jack plate, the black colour is the perfect match for the bold “Armistice” logo on the cigar box.
“Armistice” is a 3 string, fully fretted electric guitar. It is currently tuned to the ever popular open G tuning and is set up on my favourite scale length of 25-1/2″. The sound produced from the single coil pickup is warm and full. With low action and great intonation, “Armistice” is a really great guitar to play.
$500
Brilliante
“Brilliante” is Spanish for “shiny” and this guitar is nothing, if not shiny!
“Brilliante” is truly a gorgeous cigar box guitar!! This white Vegafina cigar box has a silver border and a red brand name. A very clean and simple design.
I wanted this guitar to have all chrome accents with just a splash of red to really contrast against the white and chrome. The red is only found on the hand made bridge, the hanging strap, and of course the Vegafina name.
The neck is made from Canadian Maple and the fretboard is beautiful Black Walnut.
“Brilliante” is a 3 string, fully fretted electric guitar. The scale length is 25-1/2″ and the tuning is the most popular open G tuning. The mini humbecker style of pickup gives Brilliante a really great tone from warm and full to bright and clear.
This guitar is turning heads!!
$500
Pepe
“Pepe” is another really fun cigar box guitar. These wooden boxes offer such great sound and the tone is so different from box to box!!
“Pepe” is 3 string, fully fretted electric cigar box guitar. The scale length is my favourite at 25-1/2″ and the tuning is the most common open G tuning. The “zero fret” nut system allows for low action and great intonation. The single coil pickup is a model that I use a lot for these types of guitars and the sound is always great. Separate tone and volume controls make it easy to adjust on the fly.
The neck is Canadian Maple with Big Leaf Maple headstock wings. The fretboard is Black Walnut and the fret dots are Maple. The hand shaped bridge and tailstock cover are a blend of the Maple and Walnut and nicely transition the through neck design to the tailstock.
“Pepe” is just awesome!
$475
The Edge
“The Edge” is made from a very unique cigar box. The box is thicker than most and has very different lid. The texture feels like it had just recently been milled. The gold lettering stands out nicely when the light hits it.
“The Edge” features a magnetic wound pickup with volume and tone controls. This guitar is tuned to Open G tuning and boasts Martin guitar strings for great tone. The scale length is 25-1/2″ and there are fret markers wood burned into the top edge of the guitar neck for easy reference when playing.
The neck is locally sourced Big Leaf Maple and the fretboard is highly figured Black Walnut with Birch fret dots. This fretless slide guitar has low action which makes fingerboard style of play possible as well.
Great tone and a rich look make “The Edge” a perfect 3 string slide guitar!
Sold to Bud
Black Lotus
The Black Lotus is easily one of the most beautiful cigar boxes I have found. The colour is so unique and the label is just perfect. The beveled edges on the cigar box top created a small challenge but nothing was going to stop me from making this guitar!
“Black Lotus” is a fully fretted, fully electric 3 string guitar. The scale length is a comfortable 25-1/2″ (same as a Fender Strat) and the tuning is the ever popular Open G tuning. She has low action, great intonation, and easy playability. She is outfitted with a “Snake Oil” style humbucker pickup and the sound can go from clean to dirty or anywhere in between. In addition, the tone and volume controls are conveniently located on the front of the guitar.
The silver colour on the cigar box label is enhanced with all the chrome accents used on this guitar. The pickup, tuners, knobs, strap pins, etc are all matching chrome. The gold colour on the label is picked up in the wood tones used on the Flame Maple fretboard and Red Oak neck. The beauty of the fretboard is incredible and catches the light just like gold!
The “Black Lotus” is one truly beautiful guitar!!
$500
Project 40
“Project 40” is a really fun guitar to play. The “40” on the cigar box lid was the inspiration for this build. The antique brass accents that I used were chosen to match that number.
“Project 40″ is fully fretted and fully electric. This 3 string guitar is tuned to Open G and is set up on a 25-1/2” scale length. The flat wound pickup nestled under the antiqued brass pickup cover gives this guitar a really bright tone. On board volume and tone controls provide easy access for adjusting while on the fly. Low action and great intonation make this guitar a dream to play,
The neck is solid Maple with some Black Walnut wings on the headstock. The fretboard is Black Walnut and the bridge is Maple. The tailpiece is also Maple with a Walnut top to match the neck and fretboard.
This is a great sounding 3 string cigar box guitar!
$500
Iroquois
“Iroquois” is an absolutely beautiful cigar box adorned with the flag from the Iroquois Confederacy. The purple flag with four connected white squares with an eastern white pine tree in the centre represents the six nations of the Haudenasaunee (meaning “People of the Longhouse”).
The light/dark colours on this box are repeated throughout the design of this guitar. Black accents and rich Black Walnut are balanced with the Red Oak and Maple.
“Iroquois” is a fully fretted, fully electric 3 string guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale. It has a split coil pickup that can be switched to different positions for different tones. The action is nice and low and the intonation is fantastic.
This box is quite unique with colours that I don’t often see. It’s a great looking guitar that honours an important part of our Canadian history.
$500
Macanudo Blanco
“Macdanudo Blanco” is the perfect guitar for you to get your Blues on!
Completely fretless, this 3 string electric guitar is the perfect slide guitar for playing all those old Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson tunes! “Macanudo Blanco” is a full 25-1/2″ scale and is currently tuned to an Open G. The magnetic wound pickup is wired directly to the cable jack and offers a nice, bright tone. The handmade floating bridge is fully adjustable by turning the nuts at the base which raises or lowers the action.
The guitar has a simple design. The neck is locally harvested (ethically of course) Big Leaf Maple with a slice of Flame Maple for a fretboard. The fretboard offers two full octaves of playability and that means lots of room to really show off your chops! The black fret dots have been added for player reference making it easier to slide up to your note.
A great guitar for anyone wanting to get started in the world of Cigar Box Guitars.
$275
Yellow Bird
“Yellow Bird” is simply bright and cheerful. A real head turner!!
Don Tomas boxes are a favourite of mine because they are quite large and come in such vibrant colours. I love working with them and the results is always fantastic cigar box guitars!
“Yellow Bird” is all about the bright yellow and black accents. From the headstock tuners to the split rail pickup right on down to the tailpiece made from an old door strike plate, this guitar has only black accents. The neck is made from good old Red Oak and the fretboard and bridge are made from a lighter shade of Black Walnut.
Fully fretted and fully electric, this 25-1/2″ scale guitar features a split coil pickup that is switchable for different tones. “Yellow Bird” is currently tuned to an Open G and has great action and intonation. It’s easy to play and offers 24 frets for greater range.
It’s hard to miss this “Yellow Bird” from anywhere in the room.
SOLD to David (a gift for Sherri)
Bances
“Bances” is just a bit different than most of my other cigar box guitars…..
“Bances” is a vintage cigar box that I wanted needed to be different. I chose to use some antiqued brass Hayward on this creation. The tone/volume controls are cleverly protected by an old dresser drawer handle. The tailpiece is made from a piece of an old drum cymbal. This brass piece a great string retainer and a perfect place to feature that good old ’61 Canadian nickel which usually resides on the headstock of my guitars.
“Bances” has a different neck as well. Made from Poplar, this neck is straight….no back angled scarf joint or headstock wings. A lighter piece of Walnut was used for the fretboard and the dots have been hand painted to contrast.
This guitar is fully fretted with 24 frets and fully electric with volume and tone controls. The magnetic wound pickup is a favourite of mine and sounds warm and full. “Bances” is a full 25-1/2″ Strat style scale and is currently tuned to the ever popular Open G tuning.
Appealing…..check.
Different….check.
Unique…..check.
$475
Macanudo Negro
“Macanudo Negro” is a really fun guitar to play.
The scale length on this guitar is slightly shorter than usual. This one is 24″ scale instead of the 25-1/2″ scale length that I typically use on my creations. The shorter scale really doesn’t make as much of a difference on a slide guitar as it would on a fretted version but you still get a slightly higher tone. “Macanudo Negro” is fully electric with a magnetic wound pickup and on board volume and tone controls. Tuned to an Open G, this guitar sounds warm and rich with the Martin brand strings.
The neck is made from Black Walnut and the fretboard is made from a lighter coloured Black Walnut. The fret dots are Birch for a nice contrast. The cigar box graphic has a silver over black label (it looks bluish in the photos because it was reflecting the blue sky).
This instrument is another great example of a fretless slide guitar that is rich in sound and long in tradition. One of my favourites.
Sold to Tim
Santiago
“Santiago” is simply beautiful.
This cigar box is definitely one of my favourites. It has such a gorgeous graphic of a beautiful young lady in a red dress. The rest of the box is plain black which really draws your eye to the centre of the box.
“Santiago” is a fully fretted, 3 string electric cigar box guitar. She has a magnetic wound pickup with volume and tone controls easy accessible on the front of the guitar. The tailpiece string retainer is custom made and loosely mimics the curvy shape of the headstock. She is tuned to Open G tuning and is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length for ease of play. With nice, low action and great intonation, “Santiago” is a pleasure to play.
Some subtle brass accents like box corners, strap pins, and the carrying handle compliment the gold on the graphic. The neck is made of Red Oak and the fretboard is Claro Walnut. The vintage style tuners have a greenish hue which also matches the light green colour on the graphic. Subtle but all part of the design.
“Santiago” is truly a beautiful looking and great sounding guitar.
$500
Rough Bourbon
“Rough Bourbon” was named because of the rough texture of the cigar box top and also because one of the only words I could make out on the faded label was bourbon. It kind of sounds like a name some old Bluesman might give his favourite guitar. “Rough Bourbon” it is.
This guitar features a neck made from Big Leaf Maple that was ethically sourced from right here on Vancouver Island. The fretboard is made from a really beautiful piece of Walnut. The electrics are a great match for this instrument and provide that same rich tone when combined with genuine Martin guitar strings. The scale length is a standard Stratocaster length of 25-1/2″ and she is tuned to an Open G tuning.
“Rough Bourbon” lives up to her name. The sound can go from sweet to dirty in no time and she handles it all!!
$275
