Electro-Acoustic Coin Cake Tin Canjo

Unplugged 4 String Electro-Acoustic Canjo Video

This canjo looked and sounded great. Made from a gold sovereign coin design cake tin, with an American white oak neck, brass frets, and mother of pearl marker dots, on a mahogany fingerboard. Piezo pick-up and 4 strings tuned to 'Banjo' open G chord (DGBd low to high).

Cigar Box Guitar Construction - Preparation

What You Need :

A Wooden Box (Ask in a tobacconists / cigar shop. They usually have empty ones. I make a donation to charity, and take as many as I can carry ! - Junk shops / Charity shops / friends...)
A Piece of Wood (Aprox. 3' X 2" X 1") - I've used legs from easels, furniture, floor timber, walking sticks, hockey sticks... It's handy if you can get them sawn and planed to size (Cheers Simon at WASPS). Hardwood like oak, cherry, wenge is best, as it won't  bend.
Some guitar strings. (Top 4 or bottom 4 work...Try other combinations too.)
Some guitar tuning pegs
Wood / metal / bone / plastic... for a 'nut' and a 'bridge'
Screws

Optional
Piezo transducer pick-up (£1.09 each from MAPLINS or similar store)
Mono Guitar socket
Ferrules (to hold the tuners)
Fretwire
Wood for fretboard
Strap Button
Marker Dots
Eyelets
Soundhole grommets

Tools

Hacksaw
Workbench
Clamps (with cardboard to protect wood)
Files
Sandpaper / Rotary Sander
Power Drill (With Assorted Bits)
Snips
Ruler
Fretboard template*
Pencil
Mallet
Wood Glue
Mitre Box
Soldering Iron & Solder
Wooden Block (Useful for drilling to prevent wood splinters and for holding components when soldering.)

* If you are adding frets, a template is very helpful for getting the position right. These can be found at the Handmade Music Clubhouse site : Handmade Music Clubhouse or you can make a template from any guitar or banjo.
There is a useful link in my step-by;step building guide. 

Cigar Box Guitars

Cigar Box Guitars - An Introduction

The thing I love about cigar box guitars, or CBGs is that THERE ARE NO RULES. Nobody can tell you the way you should make them, or play them...It's a box on a stick, with some strings attached ! - CBGs sound fantastic, whether they are strummed, plucked or played with a slide. 3 strings, 4 strings...It doesn't matter... Experimentation is part of the fun. The guys at this website :Handmade Music Clubhouse have been really helpful and supportive, but above all, inspirational... 

CHECK THEM OUT : 

OK, here's my video on how to make a CBG...Apologies for the singing :

CBG Building Song - Video

Here are a few of the CBGs I have built: