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.
La Aurora
“La Aurora” is a beautiful 3 string slide guitar with a very unique fretboard.
The Spalted Maple chosen for the fretboard and bridge on this guitar really compliments the gold and yellow hues on the cigar box graphics. They go so well together! The neck is made from locally sourced Yellow Cedar and the headstock wings are made from locally harvested Tulip (tree).
The guitar has a single coil pickup wired directly to the cable jack and offers a nice, bright tone. La Aurora is a 3 string fretless slide guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale and tuned to the popular open G tuning. The guitar neck has fret marker locations wood burned onto the top edge of the neck for player reference. Although fretless, the “zero fret” nut system allows for low action and great intonation! Aurora can be played using a slide or fingerboard style and sounds great either way!
Sold to Rachel
MB50
If you like License Plate Guitars, this one is for you!
“MB50” is a pretty cool example of an LPG. The guitar features a 1950 Manitoba license plate in a basic black/silver colour scheme. The two colours were used throughout the build and just the right amount of “aging” was done to make it all look a bit more “vintage”. The guitar body, neck, bridge, and even the pickup have all been distressed. After all, who would want a 70+ year old guitar to look new?
The fretboard is a really nice piece of Big Leaf Maple with some contrasting Red Oak fret dots inlaid in all the right spots. A couple of chicken head volume/tone control knobs keep it “vintage” and a piece of tarnished silver serving tray makes up the control cover plate.
MB50 features a “humbucker” style of pickup and this baby has some attitude when plugged in to your favourite amplifier! MB50 is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale and is tuned to open G. The “zero fret” nut system allows for great intonation and very easy playability.
This guitar is cool but EVEN more so if you happen to be born in Manitoba in 1950. Either way, a vintage style LPG is a must for any collector.
Sold to Melissa
The Day The Music Died
“The Day The Music Died” is a unique guitar and definitely one-of-a-kind.
This guitar is a collaboration with another Vancouver Island Artist, Alexandria Drew. Alex is a mixed media artist who joined forces with me to create a guitar with a Rock ‘n Roll theme. Alex had a vision to create a memory board of sorts that featured some of the greatest pioneers of music in the early years of the Rock ‘n Roll era. She absolutely nailed it!!
Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and of course Elvis are all featured on this homage to the greatest era in modern music.
This guitar is a 3 string fretless electric guitar set up on a standard 25-1/2″ scale length and currently tuned to an open G tuning. The single coil pickup is wired directly to the cable jack and has that desirable bright tone when plugged in to an amplifier.
This guitar is a easy to learn on and a lot of fun to play. It would also be perfect a decor accent piece for a music room, practice space, or (man) cave or (she) shed dedicated to Rock n Roll memorabilia and music.
$295
Bella
“Bella” translated from Spanish means “pretty” and this guitar is really pretty!!
“Bella” is a gorgeous example of the simplicity of focusing on three main colours. The white box with the red, white, and black accents make this guitar a real beauty to behold! The black handle, tuners, and bridge stand out against the pure white of the cigar box body. The red hinge tailpiece and the matching red corner protectors also give Bella an eye catching pop of colour. Even the hanging strap is a piece of red ribbon that came with the original cigar box. She also has a unique headstock shape and features a Maple neck with a Poplar fretboardNot only does Bella look beautiful, but she sounds beautiful too. Bella is a fully fretted electric guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale and tuned to an open G tuning. She has a magnetic wound pickup with tone/volume controls within easy reach. The “zero fret” nut system gives Bella nice, low action and make her a dream to play.
This is one of my favourite guitars!
Sold to Naomi
Big Don
“Big Don” is…..well…..big!
I don’t often run across cigar boxes this large and I knew when I saw this vintage Don Tomas box, that he would be perfect for a guitar. A large box means large sound and Don has a great acoustic quality. Plug him into an amplifier and he gets even BIGGER!
Big Don is a fully fretted electric 3 string guitar tuned to the popular open G tuning. The scale length is 25-1/2″ which is very comfortable to play – same scale length as a Fender Stratocaster. He has a humbucker style of pickup that has a nice rich tone. The “zero fret” nut system ensures great intonation and low action.
Big Don has a neck made from Red Oak and features a gorgeous fretboard made from Spalted Maple salvaged from a dead tree found right here on Vancouver Island. The same wood was used for the tailpiece and the bridge. Brass accents were used to match the pickup and a single hand cut f-hole adorns the guitar top.
Great sound and well balanced, Big Don is an easy playing Cigar Box Guitar.
Sold to James
Baby Blue
“Baby Blue”
Another beautifully coloured vintage cigar box is the heart and soul of this 3 string Cigar Box Guitar. Baby Blue is (you guessed it) named for the gorgeous blue colour of the box. I don’t often use the “cardboard” style of cigar boxes but this one was special so I completely reinforced the interior with solid wood bracing which gives the guitar added strength and excellent balance. The neck is made from Tulip tree and the fretboard is Big Leaf Maple. Both woods are locally (and ethically) harvested from right here on Vancouver Island. The fret dots are offset on the fretboard for a different look.
Baby Blue is fully fretted and features a ‘zero fret” nut system for nice, low action and great intonation. The guitar is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale and is currently tuned to the always popular open G tuning. A magnetic wound pickup with handy volume and tone controls create the electrics.
The design on this guitar is simple but it sounds deadly!!
Sold to Lora
Orange Tabby
“Orange Tabby”
Orange Tabby is named for the orange colour of the Padauk bridge and the “TAB-acalara” name on the box. Clever? Not really but it somehow works.
The cigar box body was stripped of the paper borders and was finished in clear polyurethane to showcase the natural Mahogany colour of the wooden box. There is a single hand cut F-hole to add some elegance and only black components were used on the guitar from the tuners to the string retainers. The neck is made from Mahogany to match the box and that beautiful Flame Maple is used for the fretboard. The only real punch of colour is the Orange Paduak bridge!!
Orange Tabby is a 3 string electric slide guitar and is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale and tuned to open G tuning. She is easy to play and sounds as good as she looks!
Sold to Ben
Flora
“Flora” is a little bit special!
Flora has some pretty cool features that make her a little bit different than a lot of my other guitars.
First of all, The 1961 Canadian nickel is usually placed in the headstock….it’s kind of “my thing”. Flora has that nickel proudly displayed on the fretboard close to the guitar body and it looks great there! The other unique thing about Flora is that her fretboard is made from an old Oak barrel stave. This aged and darkened Oak was perfect for the fretboard and the large natural coloured Red Oak fret dots really stand out against the dark wood. The neck is made from locally sourced Yellow Cedar which has a nice light colour. The dark fretboard and tailstock are a beautiful contrast to the lighter Cedar and reminds me of “icing on a cake”. Black accents bring out the red borders and make this guitar something special!
Flora is a 3 string fretless slide guitar. She is a 24″ scale length and has a magnetic wound pickup wired directly to the cable jack. The tone is bright and clean. She is definitely unique and one of a kind!!
Sold to Alan
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
Copper Queen
“Copper Queen” was the result of experimentation with paint colour effects and the raw beauty of copper.
The guitar is an actual cigar box that has been painted with a copper undercoat and then covered with a pearlized black topcoat. A distressed effect was done to give the guitar that well worn and well played vintage look. The copper accents continue to highlight the rest of the guitar. The fret dots are copper rivets, the cable jack plate is a vintage door escutcheon, and the old copper hinges and knobs complete the design.
Copper queen is a fully fretted, electric guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length and is currently tuned to the ever popular Open G. She is equipped with dual pickups activated by a 3-way selector switch located on the top side of the guitar right next to the volume and tone controls.
With low action and great intonation, she plays as beautifully as she looks! Absolutely one of the most unique guitars in the fleet!
Sold to Dan
Malecon
The “Malecon” is a place where people gather to enjoy time together. This guitar is a celebration of bringing people together with music!
Malecon is one of those guitars that has such a bold graphic that it draws the eye directly to it. The black box, the large red “E”, and the gold/red trim were the basis for this colour scheme. The black body colour is carried on through the neck to the headstock. The gold trim is copied on the fretboard (difficult to see in the pictures but the fretboard is indeed gold). the big red “E” and the red trim are accented in the bright red fret dots, fret markers, and of course the hanger strap.
Malecon is a fully fretted electric 3 string guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length and is currently tuned to an open G. The dual pickup is operated by the 3-way switch located on the top edge near the volume and tone controls. The switchable option on the pickup give this guitar some serious sound options and rich tones. The “Zero” fret system provides low action and easy playability.
Truly a wonderful piece of functional art!
Sold to Leni
Benson
“Benson” is just COOL!!
The vintage cigar box made from beautiful Mahogany has just the right amount of patina from years of use. A few hand rubbed coats of clear Polyurethane was all that was needed to preserve the box. It looks so rich! I also chose to keep the fretboard simple without using any inlaid fret dots. The Swampy Red Oak used for the fretboard had such an interesting grain pattern that I wanted to keep it untouched. The neck is the only “fancy” part of Benson. It is laminated Maple and Black Walnut. It just looked so cool that I had to use it!
The design is simple but the sound is huge. Outfitted with a “Snake Oil” style of humbucker pickup, Benson sounds amazing (I do like these pickups)! All the accents are chrome including the tuners, tone/volume controls, strap pins, cable jack plate, vintage hinge tailpiece, and even the convenient carrying handle!
Benson is a fully fretted, electric 3 string guitar set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length and tuned to open G. Easy playability and low action are thanks to the “Zero” fret nut system.
Nicely balanced and solid!
Sold to Mark
Pinkie
“Pinkie”…. what else can I say….i“Pinkie” started out as a pink coloured twin rail pickup. The rest of the guitar came together perfectly once this H.Upmann cigar box was found. The subtle pick colours found on the cigar box graphics was just enough to bring it all together. The woods I used for the neck, fretboard , and bridge also compliment the overall look. Black accents provide a nice contrast and really make that pink pickup stand out! Exactly what I wanted!!
Pinkie is a 3 string fully fretted, electric cigar box guitar. She is set up on a 25-1/2″ scale length and is currently tuned to an open G. The zero fret nut system provides low action, easy playability, and excellent intonation. The hot rail pickup transfers the sound beautifully and is easily adjusted with the volume and tone controls found on the guitar top.
The guitar neck is made from locally sourced Big Leaf Canadian Maple and the fretboard is a beautiful piece of locally sourced Yew wood from right here on Vancouver Island. The bridge is a leftover piece of Tulipwood that also has the pinkish tones.
Pinkie is bold and bright! She is sure to turn a few heads!
Sold to Brendan
Cuban Gold
I knew right away that “Cuban Gold” was going to be the name of this guitar.
The rich wood tone of the H.Upmann Cuban cigar box with the bright gold logo was all it took. Only fully gold accessories would do. From the gold tuners to the gold coloured tailpiece. From the volume and tone button tops to the gold Humbucker style pickup, Cuban Gold looks rich!
This guitar not only looks great but also sounds great. The Humbucker gives Cuban Gold a really cool tone and the low action and playability make this guitar perfect for slide or fingerboard style of play. The scale length is a standard 25-1/2″ and the current tuning is open G.
The neck is made from locally sourced Big Leaf Maple and the fretboard is Red Oak. The fret dot markers are made from Birch dowel and the bridge is a beautiful piece of Orange Padauk which matches well with the guitar body colour. All the small details make this guitar a really great little instrument to own.
Sold to Gary (A gift from the Family)
The Flying E
“The Flying E”
I just love these Espigon cigar boxes! The big red “E” really stands out and is the foundation for this creation. The bright red “wings” on the sides of this guitar are cut from a much shallower cigar box that is typically not much good for building cigar box guitars. However, they make perfect “wings” for this style of guitar and It’s a great way to utilize these boxes. It really makes for an interesting looking guitar….reminiscent of those cool Flying V style of guitars made famous in the 80’s.
This one sounds amazing! Low action and excellent intonation are achieved with a zero fret nut system. “E” is easy to play and is comfortable to hold. The scale length is a standard 25-1/2″ and I have it tuned to an open G (my favourite tuning). The volume and tone controls are located on the lower wing and are within easy reach. The tailpiece is custom made from aluminum angle. It is shaped to reflect the headstock shape and then painted a Semigloss black. The cable jack is a leftover piece of brass drum cymbal. The tuners, strap pins, and control knobs are antiqued brass to match the trim colour on the guitar body.
The neck is made from clear Maple and the fretboard is Black Walnut. The bridge is Orange Padauk and is almost red in colour. It looks great alongside the big red E and the wings.
This may be one of the most eye-catching guitars that I have had the pleasure of creating! Definitely one of my favourites!
Sold to Kelly
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!
$199
Mach 2
“Mach 2” is the second 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 John
Mach 3
“Mach 3” is the third 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 Annette
The Victorian
“The Victorian” is another classy cigar box from the Espigon Cigar Company. These boxes are beautifully made and have the most amazing graphics. The main feature once again is the bright green dual rail pickup combined with the light green border on the box. To enhance this colour scheme further, I opted to use light green vintage style tuners on the headstock. Together, it looks perfect!
Once again, I chose to make my own tailpiece for the strings. It is fashioned from extruded aluminium angle, drilled and shaped to mimic the headstock design, and then painted a semigloss black to match the guitar body. A few more black accents like the control knobs, the pickup cover, strap pins, and jack plate do the rest.
The neck is made from Red Oak and features a Black Walnut fretboard and bridge. Notice the bridge also mimics the headstock and tailpiece design and shape.
The Victorian features a 25-1/2″ scale with a full 24 fret fingerboard. It has low action and incredible intonation all the way up to the 24th fret! Another great feature is that the tone control is also a coil tap and when activated it drops one of the pickup rails. This gives the player a few cool options for different tones.
This is yet another great example of the sheer beauty and musical quality of these Cigar Box Guitars!
Sold to Valerie
Black Gold
“Black Gold” just had to be the name for this guitar!
Cohiba has long made ideal cigar boxes for creating these beautiful 3 string guitars. Quite often they are natural wood coloured boxes but I managed to dig up this pure black Cohiba box. Only the logo was embossed in Gold. To keep it simple, I chose to use only black or gold on this guitar blended with the dark richness of Walnut.
The neck is solid Black Walnut with a nicely figured English Walnut fretboard. The bridge is also Black Walnut and has been hand shaped to follow the design of the headstock and hand shaped tailpiece. The tuners, humbucker pickups, strap pins, and control knob caps are all gold coloured. Only black and gold will do!
Black Gold is a fully fretted, 25-1/2″ scale, 3 string electric guitar. It has dual humbuckers that are switchable to three positions giving the player a ton of options for sound. Separate volume and tone controls are easily accessible on the front of the guitar body.
This is another well balanced guitar that is so easy to play. The action is low and the intonation is great. Black Gold is set up on the 25-1/2″ scale length (think Fender Strat) and is currently tuned to the most popular open G tuning.
This is a premium guitar in a complete package!
Sold to Craig
Flathead 554
“Flathead 554” is one of the craziest Guitars I have built!!
At first, I was skeptical that I could even create a cigar box guitar from this weird shaped cigar box. The shape seemed all wrong and I wasn’t sure it would look good using my favourite scale length of 25-1/2″. I was wrong!! This guitar turned out to be a great tribute to all the motor heads out there. The car theme was all I needed to get this beast ready to roll.
Although the guitar body is smaller than I typically use, I was able to make it work. I added a solid tailpiece to the body which gave me the additional length I required to meet my desired scale length. I decided that only silver and black colours would be used throughout the build. The Maple neck was painted silver and the fretboard was painted black and features silver fret dots. The pick up, tuners, control knobs, strap pins, cable jack plate, and bridge are all black to match the overall theme. I had this weird shaped metal plate in my junk bin that was the basis for the tailstock design and overall shape so I used it as a template to create the bridge as well. I added a drawer pull to the top of the guitar to act as a protective guard over the volume and tone controls. It reminds me of a door handle from an old car. However, the really cool design idea was to add the four “exhaust pipes” coming out of the back of the body. These chrome exhaust pipes are section of an old chrome microphone stand that have been bevel cut at an angle. Simple…but unique!!
Flathead 554 is a 3 string, fully fretted, electric guitar. It has low action and great intonation thanks to the zero fret nut system. It plays beautifully and definitely is a one of a kind instrument!!
Sold to Jane
