"I build cigar box guitars to sell and recently bought 10 pickups from China only to find that some parts on each pickup were wrong. But Kim at C. B. Gitty offered to help with my dilemma. Thanks to their kindness and generosity I was able to comple
Read moreHi all!It's Shane Speal. As you know, I've become a total fanboy of the C. B. Gitty preamp/EQ (just $16.49). For years, I stayed away from piezo pickups in concert because they had "fart box" tones through my PA system. After l
Read moreHi all, it's Shane Speal. Gitty recently sent me their 3-string test guitar loaded with a brand new Hobo Pickup to take it for a test drive. I'm very impressed by the absolute clarity of the scatter-wound pickup design, espe
Read moreReduced feedback. Deeper bass response. And no more "quack!" ...now in an even smaller package!Hi all, it's Shane Speal. A couple years ago, I created a simple hack that allowed you to turn a Gitty preamp into a standalon
Read moreHave you cut a scarf joint, for your cigar box guitar neck, by hand? Was the cut frustrating and did the result require a lot of sanding to make the joint glue-ready? What if you could have a simple scarf joint miter box to assemble, the
Read moreby Shane SpealLast week, I bought the C. B. Gitty Kalimba/Thumb Piano Kit ($24.99) as a way to break-out from building stringed instruments for a while. I was looking for an instrument that I've never built before and something that I
Read moreWant to learn new chords for your 3-string cigar box guitar?Interested in playing your cigar box guitar with more than just one finger?In this article you'll learn... How to play the most valuable chords on a cigar box guitar tuned G-D-GWhat a chord
Read moreLearning to play slide on your 3-string cigar box guitar can be hard. But not with Shane Speal's cigar box guitar lessons. In this 4-part video lesson series, Shane takes you on a ride from knee-slappin' country licks to sinister murder ballad
Read moreWe've got the short-list of Guitar Dad gifts. From shirts he'll actually wear (in sizes up to 5x on some designs) to tools he really needs, we got you covered. When it all comes down to it, C. B. Gitty is a company made by a da
Read moreWouldn't it be great to remove human error from building cigar box guitars? Mistakes are frustrating and no matter how hard you try, you'll eventually drill an errant hole, or cut a fret slot in the wrong location.Rather than struggle with measu
Read moreCigar Box Guitar festival season is here.This weekend, festivals in Huntsville, AL, St. Louis, MO, and Eugene, OR will be filled with downhome cigar box guitar performers and captive onlookers. For those of us who cannot attend these festivals, there
Read more"You ever get bored playing the same things over and over again on your 3-string cigar box guitar?" asks King of cigar box guitars, Shane Speal. Shane, one of the first Youtube cigar box guitar evangelists, has been cranking out a ton of videos
Read moreIt doesn't take much to make a musical instrument. You can sandwich an elastic band between two popsicle sticks to make a kazoo. You can even bang two rocks together to hold a beat. But what about crafting a single-string bass from a 5-gallon bucket
Read morePart of this article is excerpted from the upcoming book, Poor Man's Guitar by Shane Speal (Fox Chapel Publishing, Fall 2018) When I first started performing live with my cigar box guitar in 1995, I would shove a tie-tack microph
Read moreCigar box guitars, and other handmade musical instruments, aren’t just for people looking for a cool, new hobby. For instance, educators have begun using CBGs (cigar box guitars) in their classrooms as fresh teaching-tools to capture students’ a
Read morePhoto credit: Ole: www.photole.comby Shane SpealTwo months ago, I was invited to take part in a collaborative project headed up by the GoodThree branding and design firm. The idea was to pair a beer by the Tröegs Brewing Co. of H
Read moreYou love building cigar box guitars, but sometimes there are too many obstacles to get the look and sound you want from a cigar box. Perhaps where you live, you have a tough time finding cigar boxes. Or maybe the boxes you find are too small, st
Read moreI am drawn to people who are passionate about what they do. Whether it’s making and building things such as cigar box guitars, or making and performing music, or working towards a social cause, passion is inspiring… and contagious. It is in th
Read moreWe all have an origin story: the reason each of us began crafting handmade musical instruments.Some stumbled upon a cigar box guitar at a craft fair or music festival. Others saw Shane Speal’s videos on YouTube, encouraging and educating people
Read moreThere's no question that cigar boxes are the most popular repurposed item for building homemade/handmade musical instruments. Of course there are other popular options: wine and liquor boxes, silverware cases, metal boxes and cookie tins and such, bu
Read moreGo behind the scenes and see Farley create one of our most popular cigar box guitar necks, The Heritage American Chestnut.
Read moreWe just installed this massive machine, known by some as The Widowmaker. Actually called "The W. S. Hawker Dowel Machine a.k.a. The Moneymaker," this 100 year old machine is a 7.5HP, 3 phase dowel cutter from 1914. We've got big
Read moreShane Speal show an ultra-simple "hack" to turn our White Pearl Strat Style Loaded Pickguard ($31.99) into a pre-wired cigar box guitar harness. Even the empty pickguard is used as a template. Also featured in the video is our Li
Read moreShane Speal stopped by this week and sat down with Ben Gitty for a little pickin' & a-grinnin'. In this impromptu broadcast, they cover a diverse set of cigar box guitar topics like: Diddley bows Two finger octave runs on a 3-string
Read moreThis is what happens when Shane messes around at work! He stumbles across a Lionel Richie classic. LOL!!! Tune your 4-string cigar box guitar to Open G and play along to "Easy Like Sunday Morning." Make sure to sing the "AHH A
Read moreRecently C. B. Gitty customer Jack Bowers shared one of his building techniques with us, a great way to add some extra stability to a neck without having to do more bracing inside the box. His method is simple - add an extension onto the bottom of th
Read moreToday I am working on the 700th instrument I've built in the last fifteen years. This is a mark I imposed on myself, that I felt I would never achieve. Like a goal in the distance I had to move toward it.Number 700 is a 2x4 Douglas fir stud that was
Read moreThin-topped cigar boxes deliver magnificent tones to homemade instruments. The drawback is they may require a little extra bracing to become guitar bodies that are made to withstand the abuse of stage and studio. In this video, Shane Speal
Read moreThe Cigar Box Guitar Festival at Lowe Mill in Huntsville AL returns June 2 & 3, 2017 with ten acts appearing over the two days. This is the longest running cigar box guitar fest and is proudly sponsored by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply. The
Read moreTurn your 2x4 Lap Steel Guitar into a console lap steel with this simple mod using three table legs! The simple tripod setup gives a sturdy foundation at just the right height for you to sit and slide away!You'll need:a C. B. Gitty 2x4 Lap
Read moreC. B. Gitty Clear Acrylic Fretboards come with laser-cut fret markers on the underside, giving a beautifully clean look to DIY lap steels (especially ones made from 2x4's). Lately, I've been placing pearloid drum wrap material underneath them f
Read moreAs it turns out, quite a bit - check out this guitar's amazing (and ongoing) story below.For a while now, I have been working on finding ways to help my homeless friend Connan down in New Orleans. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to auction this guit
Read moreI've been selling cigar box guitars at street fairs and festivals for over twenty years now. I've learned that it's not enough to just make some guitars and put them on a table. You're fighting for the attention of passers-by who are bein
Read moreIt was a special morning at the 2017 New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival when our own Shane Speal got to interview several cigar box guitar builders who attended. Instead of just asking a few questions, Speal actually took their respective gu
Read moreGetting cigar box guitar necks, pickups and all other parts just got less expensive this week. C. B. Gitty just announced sweeping reductions to worldwide postage. The free shipping level for U. S. customers has also been lowered to $50.00!Ben "Gitt
Read moreWe've always got new product ideas in the works here at C. B. Gitty. From new kits and parts packs, to cigar box amplifiers and guitars, to expanded variations and options for existing products, there is always a lot "in the chute" waiting to be g
Read moreLast year, C. B. Gitty introduced the Psycho Knob internal distortion, an easy to install circuit that added fuzz effects inside your guitar. Now Shane Speal shows you how to hack the kit to become a standalone unit that can be used on all your
Read moreBuy stuff, get free stuff. It's as simple as that.We now have a Free Rewards program here at C. B. Gitty. You already buy your parts and gear here, and now you can get extra FREE stuff every time you do. Whether you're buying a few sets of tuners or
Read moreHere's Glenn Watt playing a boxless cigar box guitar! That's right folks, all of that sound from just a lid! This is part of one of the A. J. Gaither Arkansas Tenor cigar box guitars we build and sell. A. J.'s design provides a self-support
Read moreWe have created a new single listing for cigar box guitar fretboards, which allows you to choose the wood and style (blank, slotted, fully fretted) that you want to buy. This new combined listing replaces the separate listings we used to ha
Read moreThe new Gittylele uke kit is like a blank canvas to me. Not only is it a fun and easy kit to build, but all the bare wood on the surface just screams for custom artwork.I recently customized this uke by woodburning vintage advert
Read moreC. B. Gitty's own Farley Andreson plays her cigar box guitar. See the video below of her in action.Guest blog by Shane Speal.Learning how to play cigar box guitar, even badly, can increase the quality of the instruments on your workbench.  
Read moreYesterday, I got the urge to build something new, so I went into my woodshop and challenged myself to make something within one hour. The time restriction made the project even more interesting and added an element of excitement.Here's the demo
Read moreFrom our family to all of you, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Sincerely, Ben Gitty, Dawn, Dale, Tammi, Farley, Debbie, Laurel, Kim, Lindsay, Shereen, Glenn, Nick, Ario, Stan and Shane.
Read moreHey all, Ben Gitty here! Recently I took part in decorating the set for the CBS TV show Bull, starring Michael Weatherly of NCIS fame and Freddy Rodriguez. They needed the scene to look like the workshop of an eccentric guitar builder, so I loaded up
Read moreHeavy metal legend, Lita Ford has just been filmed playing a 3-string cigar box guitar in concert! Swamp rocker, Christopher Ameruoso posted this video on his Facebook page of the event...and we tracked down the actual builder of this guitar fo
Read moreDear Gitty,I just thought I'd take a moment to thank you for your company's excellent service to me and my students as we explore making electric guitars using clay! Our middle school curriculum puts a lot of emphasis on sculpture and 3d art. I was l
Read moreShane Speal goes in depth on building cigar box guitars with antique boxes, including bracing and finishing. He also shows a great idea of using apple crates (with all their original advertising intact) as fretboards. Parts used:C. B. Git
Read moreby Shane SpealI've been building cigar box guitars for half my life now... thousands of instruments in the last 23 years. As I approached Christmas building season this year, I was completely burned out. I didn't have any new ideas.
Read moreI've used this look on several cigar box guitars and they're always the fastest to sell: Start with a Flor de las Antillas cigar box [$7.49] The bridge cover is a Gitty Colonial box handle [$4.79/pair] that I painted with Rustoleum Dark B
Read moreCameras were rolling at Gitty last Friday afternoon. Jason had reached final inspection with the ukulele kit he engineered. The kit will be completely produced in our New Hampshire shop and features a design that is highly customizable
Read moreOne man's trash is another luthier's "parts hoard." In this video, we take a peek at the ever-growing pile of found objects at the Gitty workshop.There's just something about an organized pile of junk...especially when you're an instrument buil
Read moreC. B. Gitty sponsors the weekday broadcasts of Cigar Box Nation TV. You can watch these live at noon (EST US) at www.Facebook.com/CigarBoxNation. We've also archived some of the latest episodes right here so you can catch up.
Read moreGreeting CB Gitty staff, I wanted to share a recent build that has many of your products and parts. CB Gitty parts are:TunersMedium Fret WireLipstick pickupTailstockPsycho knobBridge and biscuitBone nut9 vDC battery mountAnd countless hours of
Read moreDuring a recent Cigar Box Nation TV episode, Shane Speal divulged several different tricks, tools and "hacks" he uses in the woodshed. We've edited down the good stuff and present them here in three short videos.Repairing Paper Trim on Cigar Bo
Read moreCigar Box Nation TV presents, "Don't Fret About Fretting: Ben Gitty's Four-Part Series." These episodes are jam packed with building tips, music, ideas and more. For beginners and advanced fretters alike. Bookmark this page and come
Read moreIt's time to go up on the mountain with cigar box zen master, Glenn Watt as he discusses his building techniques and design philosophies. This is an ongoing series of videos that air on Cigar Box Nation TV (http://facebook.com/cigarboxnation).
Read morePhotojournalist, Randy Flaum posed the question, "What kind of music comes from a cigar box guitar" in this revealing, short documentary. Featured performers include Ben "Gitty" Baker, Tim Trimble, Henry Lowman, Parker James Hooker and Rick Ste
Read more4-string silverware box electric bass guitar, made by Matthew Templin of Jemison, AL.Bass body is a wood silverware box purchased at a local thrift store for $2.00bridge is made from a maple cutting board found in an abandoned campertailpiece is a ca
Read moreHowdy Gitty,I've been using parts from you guys for a while now. Was really excited when I learned about the psycho knob. I want to send a huge shout out to Ben Gitty Baker for being so gracious in offering help to get this working correctly. Mr May
Read moreThis has got to be one of the most insane amp builds/hacks we've encountered. Bullethead has taken an old school intercom speaker and loaded it with the Gitty amp kit, a preamp and even the Psycho Knob internal distortion unitGitty Parts:2.5W A
Read moreBuild # 16 – 3 String CBGI finished this build in late 2015 – before I read Glenn’s article “Improve your cigar box guitars by getting to know the anatomy and orientation of open gear tuners.”Yep… I installed the tuners upside down. #alwayslea
Read moreHey folks! Nick again with the second part of my 7-20-4 build.Step 4: The BridgeThe bridge turned out to be a bit of a stalling point on the build. As I mentioned in the last article, I had settled on the 3-string Gold hard-tail bridge
Read moreOn my last trip down to Arkansas I made it a point to stop in and see Bill Jagitsch (a.k.a. "Bluesboy Jag") and compare notes. We ended up trading boxes and I got a Comacho from him that I thought would be good for Cooking with Gitty.I made a coupl
Read moreShane films his first "What's In the Box" segment for http://cbgitty.com and shows off his cigar box guitar parts purchases. He has fun showing WHY he chose certain parts and what he plans on doing with them.
Read moreIn this short video, Ben "Gitty" Baker and Glenn Watt walk you through the process of adding a panel-mount gain pot to one of C. B. Gitty's 2.5-watt amp circuit boards. Pop off the onboard trim potAttach the leadsSolder them to a 10K l
Read moreHowdy folks! My name is Nick Lanciano, and I am one of the newer folks over here at C. B. Gitty. This is a build progress diary I wrote for the building of my second Cigar Box Guitar, a 3-String Electric Cigar Box Guitar using a 7-20-4 Cigar Box (one
Read moreWhen we came out with our Cigar Box Amplifier Kit, we never expected to see so many radical designs, such as this dual-speaker tweed amp. This is actually an easy project with only minimal soldering skill needed. You'll need a basic
Read more...from the wonderfully warped minds at Disgraceland Cigar Box Guitars.This is a BGCBMDH (Bubble Gum Cigar Box Mandolin Dulcimer Hybrid). It's tuned in G on a 19" scale, using 22-14-10 strings. It sports a magnificent canary wood neck and
Read moreDear C. B. Gitty,Here are my first four builds after discovering some cool CBG’s played in public and on Youtube. [This was] shortly after discovering C. B. Gitty and how easy and affordable parts are to get and the fast shipping times. I
Read moreCheck out this beauty. This is my 8th build and by far the best one yet. It has a cherry neck, real frets, and a humbucker pickup. It looks and plays great. Huge thanks to Glenn (Watt) for helping with my questions.Here are the CBGitty Parts I us
Read moreDear Gitty, My name is Keith Hicks from New Orleans, LA. I built this guitar with a jatoba (Brazilian chery) neck, white ash fretboard and oak fret markers. The fretboard has a 12" radius, 25" scale and the bridge is walnut. I k
Read moreCIGAR BOX GUITARS IN SCHOOLS - SUCCESS STORYCLASSROOM SIZE: 18 STUDENTS / STUDENT AGES 7-12For information on our education program, please see Cigar Box Guitars in Schools.Dear Gitty,In the beginning of June I did a week long day-camp a
Read moreSteve Larson built as a gift for a friend’s teenage son who will be having open heart surgery later this month.He is a baseball player – the # 19 on the fret board is his jersey #.His name is stamped onto an Army dog tag and used as a name plate to p
Read moreA couple of weeks ago, Ben Gitty got creative out in the shop and built himself a tambourine out of a wide, flat cigar box. He wrote up a builder's diary/how-to guide of how he did it, and now it is available in the knowledgebase over at CigarBo
Read more"Mississippi Mud Sparkle is that exact tone that combines the snap and brilliance of an old Dobro along with the growl of a snarling, possessed electric guitar." -Shane SpealThis cigar box guitar was recently completed by our own Shane Speal. H
Read moreThe Mi Amor meets the Snake Oil Humbucker: A Killer Combo It sounds raw and dirty. A single coil pickup in a cigar box guitar has grit and a surly swagger. But for this build, the sound of a solitary single coil pickup is missing s
Read moreOriginally a live Facebook broadcast on May 18. 2016, this video shows you a "behind the scenes" look at the C. B. Gitty workshop in Rochester, New Hampshire. See the tools and workbenches, get a sneak peak at soon-to-be-released products, and meet t
Read moreCan you make a guitar out of a non-wooden cigar box? Does it make a difference in the tone?How can you tell these boxes apart?We posed these questions to Ben, Glenn and Nick up at C. B. Gitty and the filmed this great live video. You'll hear two gui
Read moreEver since we started live broadcasting here at C. B. Gitty, it's been a total Renaissance of ideas and new instruments. Just today, Ben completed the beautiful Frankenstein Timeclock acoustic guitar. It uses an actual clock face that was
Read moreBen Gitty sat down on the Juke Shack porch recently to take a little spin on some old Americana tunes. As usual, he can't help but do a few rounds of speed-em-up at the end.
Read moreHere's a great letter we just received from Roger Ring. He took our 4-Pole Pre-wired Pickup and used it in his latest diddley bow one-string instrument!Dear Gitty,Somebody probably has done this before, but I hadn't seen it. I call it the Gitt
Read moreFender Lunchbox 3-string Guitar by Scott McGilliard This is my build number 30. When I saw the Fender Lunch Boxes, I just had to build me my own Fender. Thanks Gitty for getting me started and keeping me building.-Scott Start with these Gitty ingr
Read moreReduced feedback. Deeper bass response. And no more "quack!"I was complaining about certain tonal problems with piezo pickups when the idea for this standalone pre-amp came to me. It's deceptively simple... a $17 acoustic guitar pre-amp with a h
Read moreThere's something special about the big, boomy Tabak Especial Toro cigar boxes ($9.99). Not only are they sturdy wooden boxes, but they have such a large face, that I was inspired to turn a bunch of them into double neck cigar box guitars.The p
Read moreConnect Church in St. Louis has become one of the earliest adopters of C. B. Gitty's Cigar Box Guitars in Schools Program by providing 15 Sunday school students with diddley bow kits. Lead by teachers, Dana Weigel and Chris Perstrope, the
Read moreDrew Fredericks of Mountville, PA celebrated his 21st guitar build by producing this stunning black and chrome cigar box guitar. If cigar box guitars were automobiles, this would be a Maserati!Parts used:Chrome Mandolin/Cigar Box Guitar Tailpie
Read moreSeven years ago, I started this small guitar parts business cutting & selling fret wire from my grandfather's workbench in my basement. That little workshop area is bustling again with handmade boutique soaps made by my wife, Dawn (a.k.a. Mama Gitty
Read moreWe're serving up another great sonic buffet, this time with 'master chef,' Steve Larson of Hope Mills, NC. Here's his details on this incredible electric 3-string cigar box guitar:Build # 17 – this is a 3 String Electric CBG.• Flor de las Antil
Read moreThe cigar box guitar above was built by Randy Lee Thomas of Cockey Creek Cigar Box Guitars. Here's what he had to say about it: I've built a few CBG's and this latest one turned out very nicely. Great service and parts from C.B. Gitty made it a
Read moreWe just got this great submission for Cooking with Gitty from Harry Bodmer. We can only imagine how awesome this axe sounds. Here's his ingredients:I made this 4 string tenor guitar using a 1904 World's Fair Jack Daniels replica tin. I used the
Read moreWe're starting a new series of posts called "Cooking with Gitty." Each one will feature your instruments along with the Gitty ingredients you used to create them. Submit pics of your instrument + a list of parts used to gittyfans@cbgitty.
Read moreIf you want to optimize your time and resources, consider building guitars in 'batches,' much like baking cookies. For me, I have a particular guitar design that I developed and I strongly believe in. If I keep with this design, I can prepare 5
Read moreThis is awesome! We just discovered this great lesson by Nigel McTrustry.
Read moreby Shane SpealDr. Frederick Frankenstein: Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?Igor: And you won't be angry?Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.Igor: Abby someone.Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?Igor: Abby Normal!Young Franke
Read moreWe just got this great video from Dana Weigel featuring the kids from Connect Church STL. They took advantage of C. B. Gitty's Cigar Box Guitars in the Classroom program to purchase our diddley bow kits at a discount for the church group.
Read moreDear C. B. Gitty,I thought you might appreciate seeing this guitar that I made using parts acquired from your online website.ThanksMark S.We got this email a few weeks ago and the photos floored us! Mark has taken a wide assortment of C. B. Git
Read moreBig changes are always scary. When we moved the business into its current home, it felt like a blind leap. The costs, the work to get moved, the thought that we were biting off too much, that we would never need this much space, was almost overw
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