Four String Cigar Box Guitar
If you dig the Blues, or if you're just looking for a different sound, be sure to check out these cigar box guitars. They were first seen around the Civil War and really exploded in popularity during the early 1900's. Musicians at the time couldn't afford professional instruments, so they made their own, often using a broomstick or piece of wood from a fence or shed for a neck and broom wire for strings. They were very rustic instruments with a very unique tone.
I've modernized my guitars a bit to give you a professional instrument. I start with a great cigar box for a body. I craft the neck from oak or maple and add a nice fingerboard made of a wood that goes well with the cigar box (walnut, cherry, maple, padauk, bocote, zebrawood, rosewood, or others). I add and dress the frets (although I can certainly leave the guitar fretless if you want). Then I add some nice tuning machines and a piezo pickup. The action is set low enough to easily play chords or fingerstyle, but you can still play with a slide if you like.
Four string guitars can easily be tuned to an open chord so you can get started rocking within minutes. If you're new to the four string guitar, I suggest a simple tuning like GDgd or an open tuning like Open D Major (DAdf#). If you're familiar with a mandolin, I really like setting these guitars up with the mandolin tuning (GDAE). If you're looking for a particular tuning, whether it's an open chord or something else, just let me know and I'll make sure the guitar is set up and strung to your specifications.
To order, just pick whether you want a fretted or fretless guitar. Then in the box below, let me know which cigar box you prefer for the body. I typically have the following boxes in stock (just click the names to see the pics): Arturo Fuente, Brick House, Hemingway, Indian Tabac, Joya De Nicaragua, La Traviata, Oliva, Padron, and Rocky Patel. Box sizes, dimensions, and decoration may vary slightly as many of the brands have different boxes for the different cigars in their product lines.
If you're looking for a box I didn't mention, just ask and I'll see if I can get one. If you want me to surprise you, I'll pick out a sweet box for your guitar — maybe one of the more rare or unique boxes I have.
I custom build all guitars to order so that I can accommodate your personal preferences. Given current demand, custom orders typically take four to eight weeks to fulfill. I do typically have some inventory set aside for shows, so if you want something a little faster, just ask what I've got in stock at the moment.
