Cigar Box Guitars

A single pole pickup surrounded by antiqued chrome skull motif and a rock horns gesture right up front. The hand-carved laminated headstock echoes the horns shape, with a black metallic paint job on the box and chrome appointments throughout.

Padron boxes are coveted by builders for their thin but strong top panels that resonate well and create a great tone.  

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

Antique brass hardware and humbucker pickup adorn this Padron cigar box with purple heart wood fretboard and oak-and-purple heart wood headstock. Glow in the dark fret markers help you rock in the dark!

Padron boxes are coveted by builders for their thin but strong top panels that resonate well and create a great tone.  

This guitar has been donated for a cigar box guitar permanent exhibit in Gadsden, Alabama.

A Leather Rose box with a "Fat Bottom Betty" pickup cover hiding a ghosted MGB flat humbucker. This three-string has dulcimer fretting on a graceful MGB neck. Gold hardware with a hardtail bridge. With the dulcimer fretting on the specific scale this is very light and easy to play!

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This acoustic guitar has a padauk fretboard with glow-in-the-dark fret markers, two spice bottle lids for sound hole covers, a cedar floating bridge and hand-carved oak and cedar headstock.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This layered Partahas box has a gold hot rail pickup, gold roller top-loading hardtail bridge, gold and "bakelite" style tuners and boutique gold and green volume and tone knobs.

The fretless oak board has rosewood markers, and is topped with a rock-style cedar and oak headstock.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

The hand-carved oak and cedar headstock holds a five-yen coin ("Go-yen") for luck. Japanese magnolia blossoms decorate the fretless hardwood fretboard with copper wire inlay to mark the fret locations.

A single pole pickup is set in the Rising Sun license plate, and the transluscent volume and tone knobs are adorned with mother-of-pearl bird insets.

Can play clear ringing tones, or, like Japan, can rock and growl with the best of them. A lot of work is in this guitar.

A three-string fretless with an MGB "Seven Fiddy" single coil pickup under an antique brass cover with matching hardware. The padauk fretboard is topped with a hand-carved oak and cedar headstock. Terrific swamp slide sound, and rocks hard with distortion.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

The Oklahoma plates of this era say "Visit Oklahoma" and it isn't easy to find one in good condition. Because I didn't want to cut into the plate, the "Lucky 13" MGB pickup is hidden underneath. A chrome hardtail bridge is the only item on top. Hand-carved oak and cedar headstock with art deco chrome tuners. An antique drawer handle on the carrying side adds a distinct touch.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

A 1949 plate in amazing shape is the centerpiece of this three-string with single-pole pickup. The fretboard is wenge hardwood with 17 frets and oak fret markers, with mother-of-pearl side dots. Black hardware and Gibson-style black volume and tone knobs.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

Oak fretboard and oak-and-purpleheart wood headstock top this three-string plate guitar. Rosewood fret markers and mother-of-pearl side dots. The 1950 plate has a gold-decorated single-pole pickup and hardtail bridge. The plate assembly is on a Sobremesa cigar box.

The gold knobs GO TO ELEVEN (if you know, you know)!

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

1962 red Ohio plate on a handmade box. This three-string has a rosewood fretboard with 17-frets  and offset mother-of-pearl markers and side dots. Chrome hardware and a Fender-style single-pole pickup.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This immaculate 1965 plate has a humbucker pickup as well as a ghosted MGB mini pickup in the neck position, controlled by a three-way switch. Cleaner tones or rock growl, it's up to you. Another handmade box and hand-carved oak and cedar headstock, a floating bridge, and door strike plate tailpiece.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This 17-fret license plate guitar is a homemade box using "curbside" wood (discarded desk drawers, my favorite).  The layered hardwood headstock has an art deco feel, with antique brass tuners. A powerful MGB "Lucky 13" humbucker pickup is hidden just under the plate.

This is primarily a slide guitar, although the rough nail frets are not far off.

This is an early work, and so not as polished or intoned as others, but as a  baritone-length guitar, it has a deeper rolling sound. You may need baritone guitar strings as some standard guitar strings will be too short for the middle run. Antique wooden tuners sit on a high-angled headstock, with strings stretched across a floating bridge at the tail. Black and gold hat volume and tuner knobs.

This three-string is an acoustic resonator using a discarded church communion tray (used to hold small cups of wine or juice for communion). It is completely acoustic, with the chrome chamber creating a very banjo-like resonance.

The headstock is oak and purple heart wood. The mahogany fretboard holds 21 frets with strings suspended on a red cedar floating bridge.

This is a one-of-a-kind guitar.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shippi

The soundboard is an artist's vision of Egyptian temples on the water. Ghosted beneath is a "Lucky 13" MGB pickup, controlled by gold "Eye of Ra" volume and tone knobs. The box is handmade from rich red cedar, and an Egyptian coin commemorating an expansion of the Suez Canal is embedded in the walnut fretboard.

The tailpiece is a gold door strike plate pulling strings over a floating bridge.

This guitar is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

The box is an art collaboration by Norman-area artist and poet Barry Zimmerman. The street-chalk style box, a reverse-headstock carved from laminated cedar and oak, and a zebrawood fretboard with glow-in-the-dark fretmarkers give this guitar an utterly unique look. The large dog bowl resonates well for either acoustic or electric effect.

This is an 18-fret three string guitar with four-pole pickup, walnut fretboard, oak fret inlays, bottlecap volume and tone knobs, with a handmade bridge on an upside-down cat food bowl, all built around a discarded cabinet drawer found by the side of the road. It is almost the size of an acoustic dreadnought, and has amazing resonating sound.

Built from reclaimed cabinet drawers, this four-string sports a multi-hardwood layered headstock, padauk fretboard with oak inlay, chrome hardware, and a full-size resonator pan and cover complete with traditional tailpiece.

Recently upgraded with a chrome humbucker pickup, volume and tone controls. Excellent for fretting or slide guitar, with a Mississippi Delta sound.

This 3-string electric fretless guitar sports a Rising Sun license plate on a handmade box with hardwood details, a hand-carved cedar and oak headstock, copper wire inlay fret markers, and Japanese magnolia blossom artwork on the fretboard. A five-yen coin is set in the headstock ("Go-Yen" in Japanese means good luck).

This three-string is an acoustic resonator using a discarded church communion tray (used to hold small cups of wine or juice for communion). It is completely acoustic, with the chrome chamber creating a very banjo-like resonance.

The headstock is oak and purple heart wood. The mahogany fretboard holds 21 frets with strings suspended on a red cedar floating bridge.

This is a one-of-a-kind guitar.

The guitar is a firebird-style MGB Comet body dressed in copper foil tape and steampunk art. The handmade oak neck and sapele fretboard has 18 frets, an angled hand-carved cedar and oak headstock, glow-in-the-dark fret markers, and a gear set in to the second fretspace. The tuners and cable jack are red brass color, and an antique clock key serves as the floating bridge. The tail piece is a bronze door strikeplate.

The amplifier has a main speaker under the grille and a midrange speaker that plays out of the side into the busking case. The space is for people to throw money in; it also holds a secured latching box for picks, slides, capos  and such. At the back of this space is the battery pack and switch for the lights (3 AA batteries). The 9v battery that powers the amp is hidden under the faux dial. The steampunk decor matches that of the guitar. A cable comes with the set and fits nicely in the space.

I invariably make the guitars affordable, hopefully, as these are supposed to be an homage to "poor man's guitars." But this set took a great deal of extra work and is utterly unique. There is nothing else like it; and there won't be anything else like it, since I will not make another.

The guitar has a rosewood humbucker pickup that can play and shred with the best of them. The set grabs attention from passers-by. It is a busking set unlike any other.

Twin speakers set in a vintage Samsonite hard shell suitcase with a Footnote 5-watt amplifier. Comes with a battery pack that holds 8 AA batteries for busking and such. Also usable with a 9v AC adapter (not included). The amp plate also contains ports for pedals.

Batteries last a surprisingly long time. Strong sound.

This amp is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

Monster eyes, a hazard sign, and chrome red-eyed skull volume knob. Very portable tabletop amp with good sound.

This amp is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This old suitcase is brought back to life as an amp with a 12" speaker and smaller midrange. Simple on/off volume knob, travel stickers, and space inside for cables and stuff!

This amp is for sale at The Cottage in Bethany, Oklahoma. Call (405) 603-7493 for purchase and shipping.

This Bluetooth speaker contains a midrange and tweeter combination that throws big, beautiful sound. Perfect for a bookshelf or cabinet top. Plug it in and rock music around the house from your phone or tablet!