PurrView #36 - The Cigar Box Guitar

(Photo by Shane Speal)

The Cigar Box Guitar-- Though its production and ownership are certainly not very common, its timeless sound and method of production hold a solid, fascinating place in the history of American guitar music. Since tradesmen in the mid-1800s started packaging and selling cigars in smaller boxes, Americans have been transforming them into musical instruments, for a classic, resonant sound that elicits that soulful, velvety feeling we get from hearing and playing the blues and rock.

(Photo borrowed from Hard Luck Blues CBGs)

In both acoustic and electric form, the CBG has been conjured up and played in the hands of Civil War soldiers, poor hillbillies, early boy scouts, Grand Ole Opry performers, and rock 'n roll enthusiasts alike. Bob Cianci of PremierGuitar.com really put into perspective the omnipresence and impact of CBGs in guitar history when he stated that, "There's one thing Muddy Waters, Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Jimi Hendrix, and many others had in common: they started playing on homemade cigar box guitars, fashioned with materials that were readily available in their humble circumstances" (Cianci, 2009).

(Here's a cigar box I picked up at a garage sale)

I recently had a chance to sit down with a talented CBG craftsman (not in Tennessee or Alabama, but) right here in good ol' Las Vegas. James Berg, affectionately known in the Vegas local music scene as "Fuzz" (of Black Camaro), has embraced the beauty and timeless soul of the Cigar Box Guitar. Berg reported that he devotes a total of about 40 hours into building one CBG, and spoke of the early producers of CBGs sitting on their porches in the Appalachian foothills, fashioning chordophones out of their meager amounts of musical materials. As inspiration in his passion for the Cigar Box Guitar, Berg extols notable names in the movement like John "Red Dog" McNair. And though he is not a CBG builder, Berg states of Zach Daniels (formerly of Denver act Oakhurst) that he is a "bad ass banjo player that I built one for."

Check out some of Berg's craftsmanship displayed directly below.

To inquire on Berg's CBGs and how to get one of your own, contact him at fuzz1cool@yahoo.com

There is a rather tight community of CBG enthusiasts, which many would say is spearheaded by the self-proclaimed "King of the Cigar Box Guitar," Shane Speal. Though not understood or appreciated by all; the beauty, reputation, and musical impact of the CBG continues to be held in the hearts and hands of guitarists far and wide. Experiencing a cigar box guitar is like taking a taste of intricacy, simplicity, and soul all in one sip.

~Meow~

Pennies

For more on the Cigar Box Guitar, check out the below:

Back Porch Mojo on the CBG

Mike Snowden, Marietta, GA ---> http://snowdenguitars.com/

Delbarjo, "On the Road Again with CBG"

Reference

Cianci, B. (August 2009). Cigar box nation: The modern cult of the cigar box guitar. http://www.premierguitar.com/. Retrieved 12/30/11, http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/ShaneSpeal/files/CigBoxNat-Final-Layout.pdf .