Getting Started: Picking a Cigar Box

A few cigar boxes from my personal inventory. The "Java" brand cigar box, like the one pictured on the right, is a personal favorite of mine, not only for their sturdiness, but also for their sleek and elegant design. (Photo by Mark Feuerborn.)

The first step in building a cigar box guitar should be to pick the cigar box you would like to use. Keep in mind that whatever cigar box you should use, you are entirely free to customize it as you see fit, so long as you won't risk breaking it.

Cigar boxes come in all shapes and sizes, and are made of all kinds of different woods (Even glass sometimes) as well. While the kind of wood is somewhat difficult to tell between cigar boxes, there are a few specifications one can easily look for. Keep in mind, these are recommendations, not requirements.

In my personal experience, I have had luck with making sturdy, twang-tastic cigar box guitars with boxes that have very thick sides, typically about one centimeter in thickness. The boxes themselves are anywhere between eighteen and twenty-six centimeters long, and between sixteen and nineteen centimeters wide. In regards to height, they can be anywhere between five and seven centimeters high. My personal favorite box to use is a "Java" brand cigar box, by Drew Estate. These cigar boxes have all of the specifications listed above and are very sleek looking boxes.

Most smoke shops will sell cigar boxes without any cigars in them at a price of four or five dollars, they are very inexpensive. Avoid vape and e-cigarette shops, as they will most likely not carry cigar boxes. In Topeka, I personally buy my cigar boxes from the smoke shop Churchill's, shown below via Google Maps.

Something important to remember is that you should always pick a cigar box that is visually appealing to you. This is your craft, your own personal creation. Start off by picking a cigar box with a design you like, as this helps foster pride in your work.

In my next post, we'll talk about more supplies to buy, such as a fretboard you can build yourself, and what else you can grab along with the fretboard. Until next time, have fun picking out a cigar box!