Cigar Box Guitars

A vintage 1961 yardstick from a Chevy dealership is the fretboard for this 20-fret guitar. An MGB micro-pickup puts out plenty of sound, while volume is controlled at the amplifier. Lightweight but lots of growl.

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

18 fret guitar using a brushed silver box with oak neck, headstock laminated with cedar and three hardwoods, black and chrome hardware and an MGB "Make it Holla" pickup. Small and lightweight but mighty. Great sound.

A coveted polished Camacho box with single pole pickup, clear/silver volume and tone knobs, and chrome hardware. The oak fretboard has walnut markers and mother-of-pearl side markers, and is topped with a hand-carved oak and cedar headstock.

This 19-fret guitar has an antiqued poplar fretboard, walnut fret markers, a recessed flat "Seven Fitty" MGB pickup under a gold cover, handmade floating bridge and gold volume and tone knobs.

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

This is a beautiful box surrounded by shiny gold hardware, and sporting a mahogany fretboard, oak neck with oak fret inlay, and powered by a gold blade pickup with a three-way switch to choose your tone.

The hot rail pickup is perfect for rock and distortion.

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

This 13-fret small scale guitar has hold hardware (including a hardtail bridge) and an MGB pickup. Three strings,, hand-carved oak and cedar headstock, and volume and tone controls.

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.

Inspired by Papa Angelo's, my favorite OKC pizzeria, this guitar sports a single-pole pickup, oak-and-cedar headstock, and chrome hardware. The fretboard is dark wenge hardwood with mother-of-pearl offset markers. The guitar that never sleeps!

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

Chrome hardware, including hardtail bridge and sizzling hot rail pickup, 16 frets, oak neck, and hand-carved cedar and hardwood laminated headstock. Vintage 1950 license plate.

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.

1967 New Mexico plate on a handmade box with cedar sides, and a hand-carved oak and cedar headstock. Three strings are stretched across a poplar fretboard with offset mother-of-pearl fret markers and side dots. A single-pole pickup makes it a versatile instrument.

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 work well. A baritone-length guitar, it has a deeper tone than most. 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.

A Farmtruck and AZN  electric license plate guitar I built using a plate and 405 badge from the FNA Firehouse in Oklahoma City. It has 17 frets on a mahogany fretboard with walnut fret markers, a hand-carved cedar and oak headstock, dice volume and tone knobs, and the 405 badge up top. It currently resides on display at the FNA Firehouse.

The laminated oak-and-cedar headstock is carved into the shape of a duck's foot, more or less. An MGB resonator sits on handmade box, 3 strings run down an oak neck with Padauk fretboard and oak fret markers. Humbucker chrome pickup and chrome hardware.

Videos in "How they Sound" section

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.

This 16-fretline marked guitar has a walnut fretboard with oak markers, a Fear No Beard custom pickup, bottlecap volume and tone knobs, MGB carved bridge, strike plate tailpiece and chrome tuners. Has a distinct bell-like 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.

Built from a very old Stanley Works crate I found in my father's attic, this is a three-string fretless with a gold hardtail bridge and single pole pickup. The fretboard is a vintage yardstick from Stratford, Oklahoma, and the headstock is hand-carved oak and cedar. The volume and tone knobs are gold hardware also.

Flathead cigar boxes have a top styled with a heat-vent and chrome look. The four-string guitar sports a hand-carved oak and cedar headstock, oak fretboard with 22 frets on a 23" scale, red heart wood fret markers and mother-odmother-of-pearl side dots.

The amplifier uses a smaller Flathead box housing a 4" speaker powered by a 9v battery.

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.

A heavy midrange speaker in a red Brickhouse box.  Gold grill and separate on-off switch.

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

A heavy midrange and tweeter set into an American Tourister train case. Silver colored accents and hardware. Combination on/off switch and volume control.

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

Two compact speakers are set vertically in this wine caddy. Perfect for a bookshelf, the amplifier controls are minimal for a sleek profile: An on/off volume knob on the upper left, and the 1/4" jack on the bottom right.

A 9" speaker set in a light hobby box with a latch closure. Combination on/off switch and volume control.

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

This antique Coca-Cola crate has twin speakers connected to a 9v-battery powered amplifier. Battery access is through the handle opening on the amp side. The right side is open as a shelf or for storage. The on/off volume knob is a 1960's era bottlecap.

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!