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If you’re in the music scene, you’ve probably realized by now that you need to do everything you can to stand out. If you show up to a gig with just a regular get-up and regular instruments, you can play your heart out and still not get noticed. Why not jazz up your appearance with something old-school and authentic like a cigar box acoustic guitar?

The indie scene today utilizes a lot of unconventional instruments. Among these are “lo-fi” instruments like those you might find in a jugband or even “children’s” instruments like cheap Casio keyboards. Homemade instruments are en vogue as well, so the cigar box guitar, as old-fashioned as it might seem, currently has a certain hip appeal.

Moreover, there’s more to the instrument than you might realize at first. These can produce a really great folksy sound to go along with their look, and the result is what you’ve always been looking for: sheer stage presence. First, however, you need to decide whether you’re going to use an online tutorial and commit to making one on your own or buy one premade from someone with experience.

If you do decide you want to buy a guitar from someone, be sure you look around and find a reputable maker. Because these instruments are fashionable, many people try to pass off low-quality models, and while they may indeed look nice, you’re not going to get a good sound out of them, ever. Others, on the other hand, may look like rubbish but sound like a Martin. You just have to know what you’re going in for, so ask questions.

One thing to take note of is that these are niche items. They are going to be worth the money you pay, so you may as well take the opportunity to inquire about customized models. Most makers probably don’t keep a big stock lying around, so it may not be much trouble on their part to use the wood or cigar box brand that you specify. This way you can have a personalized instrument for not much more in cost.
There’s a lot to be said for making your own instrument, though. This lends a certain spirit to the device that you may be able to bring out in playing. It’ll truly become an extension of you. This, however, is only true if you put the time and labor in. It’s possible to cheap out and finish a complete guitar in an afternoon but it won’t be good for much besides a child’s toy. Still, it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, so it’s up to you.

Online tutorials are going to be your best bet when it comes to finding patterns and diagrams for these instruments. The underground scene that supports the cigar box guitar is still relatively new, so you’re going to find better info in the digital realm than in regular books or libraries. Try to find tutorials that teach the basics first, such as firmly attaching the neck, placing and cutting the sound hole, and stringing it.

Well, by now you should be well on your way to acquiring your first cigar box acoustic guitar, whether you decide to buy or build it. But why stop at one? It can be addicting to make others, especially when you consider all the modifications you can use to make it your own, or one you can hook up to an amplifier. Give it your best!

In case you’re not familiar with the term, a ‘cigar box banjo’ is exactly what it sounds like… A banjo made from a cigar box. First gaining popularity in the U. S., during the American Civil War years (1861-65), cigar box musical instruments such as guitars, fiddles, ukuleles and banjos started showing up everywhere. Currently there is a revival going on and many are trying their hand at making their own good sounding, resonant, cigar box banjo. It’s really not too difficult.
In 1884, Daniel Carter Beard, co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America published detailed plans for building a banjo from a cigar box in a volume called, “Christmas Eve With Uncle Enos.” These plans were later re-released by Beard under the title, “How To Build an Uncle Enos Banjo” in 1890. They were contained in a very popular volume of the time known as, “The American Boy’s Handy Book.”
Many, even today, have used Beard’s plans to build their own instruments. You might expect a musical instrument built from a cigar box and other discarded material found lying around to look and sound crude or primitive but this isn’t necessarily the case. Many of these home-made units look and sound very pleasing to the eyes and ears of their creators and are a great exercise in DIY craftsmanship.
Banjos were in vogue during the last few decades of the nineteenth century in America and could be found in vaudeville, minstrel and medicine shows and could be heard plunking on lots of front porches, particularly in the American southeast. Even if people were poor (which many were) they were still able to put together a playable musical instrument out of easily acquired and often discarded materials. The unique sound of a plinking banjo is often associated with the stern-wheeler river boats which were found cruising up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers during this era.
Again, during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, cigar box musical instruments made another comeback as many people had little money but still retained the desire to make music. This was a time when many ‘jug bands’ came into existence, utilizing washboards, empty moonshine jugs and anything else available that could be used to make a tune. The jug band tradition still lives on and has quite a loyal following.
Cigar box instruments fell somewhat out of favor in the middle of the twentieth century as modern manufacturing techniques were able to provide factory made instruments at a reasonable cost. But with the advent of the Internet a new revival has been born as people of a like-minded interest in this area have been able to connect with others sharing the desire to keep the art of making these instruments alive. The Web, for example, is full of how-to’s for making and playing cigar box banjos, guitars, violins, ukuleles and mandolins.
There are numerous websites that speak to the history and popularity of these instruments and that describe how to make one of your own. Whether it’s a 2-string, 3-string or more typical 4- or 5-string model, you can learn how to make a banjo by following guidelines found online. You can even make one with Daniel Beard’s original plans from 1884.
Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix, Roy Clark, George Benson and Louis Armstrong all got their start on cigar box instruments. They’re fun and quite unique. A cigar box banjo is an excellent DIY project. And, a little music is such an effective way to soothe the savage beast!

1. Make a video of yourself playing a song on a banjo. Any song from any genre or era will be accepted, can be a cover or an original.

2. A Banjo must be one of the instruments used

3. A Banjo must be seen in the video

4.The video must be made specifically for this contest

5. Introduce yourself, and the name of the song in the beginning of the video and say “This is my entry for Papa’s Boxes Banjo Video Contest”

6. NO Profanity, please…This is a family show.

7. In the “Tags” section of your YouTube video put “Papa’s Boxes Banjo Contest”

8. Email a link to your video to papa@papasboxes.com

9. The contest will be judged on entertainment value only. Technical expertise may help, but will not be given the highest priority.

10. Any PERSON, living anywhere in the world may enter the contest

11. You may enter up to three (3) videos for this conest

12. Contest starts: November 13, 2009 and ends 11:59pm, on December 13, 2009

13. Judging will begin December 14, 2009, and a winner will be announced on or by December 19, 2009

14. The Prize: The Papa’s Boxes 5 string banjo as shown in our video

15. All shipping and handeling charges will be covered by Papa’s Boxes.

16. Most importantly, Have Fun….

Don’t you hate it when stores release Christmas stuff way before the Christmas season, even before Thanksgiving? If you do, you’re a lot like my wife Angie. If someone sends me an ad or a sales pitch about some special Christmas gift, I respect what they are doing, and, especially with today’s economy, their need to get a jump on Christmas sales when those sales are likely to be the largest percent of their annual volume. That doesn’t mean I like it, it just means that I understand it. Nevertheless when my wife Angie gets one of those, her usual response is to post the ad with one of those little rubberized magnets on the refrigerator as a reminder not to buy a Christmas gift from them. That may sound a little harsh, but here’s what she said to me.

“Shopping is a big part of what Christmas is all about, or at least what it has become—nothing really wrong with that. It’s a big part, but it shouldn’t be the only part. And the biggest part of Christmas gift shopping should be motivated by the giving. When retailers pull out all the stops, displaying most of their Christmas goodies, playing all the hymns and songs in each and every store, all of them with a long line of children waiting to sit on Santa’s lap (and tell him what they want for Christmas), and all of this long before the ‘official’ start of the holidays, it’s nothing more than the start of the shopping season.

“Names are drawn and Christmas gifts are bought, not just for the kids, but for everyone, presents are wrapped, stockings are hung, all this hustle and bustle and commercialization of the season seem a far cry from the simple idea of being together as a family or with friends just to count our blessings. All this flim-flam about trees, and presents, and Santa Claus tends to obscure the marvelous truth about what each person has in his or her own heart and expresses as the gifts of spirit, sharing and warmth. Instead, it’s nothing but beggars beg and spenders spend, drinkers drink and vendors vend, or something like that—however that ancient rhyme goes.

“Then as soon as the 26th rolls around the stores are open with slashed prices to attract more shopping they hope will last until the next season. Then those Christmas gifts are exchanged or returned, gift certificates are redeemed, yadda yadda yadda. The truth about Christmas would come out if you took away all the gifts,” she says. “Stuff the stockings and that would be it. Then we could get a fresh start. Then we could add gifts as a way to show real feeling, or benevolence or as a symbol of God’s gift.” Then she concludes with the question, “Don’t you agree with me, Walker?”

I sidestepped answering her. I can sympathize with my wife Angie’s point of view, and I’ve learned not to argue much with her about a point she feels so strongly about, or any other point come to think of it. Having said that, I see nothing wrong with offering advice to folks who tend to forget that they’ve got to go out and get some Christmas gifts at least by the day before Christmas. It’s just a reminder, it’s not like they’re being sold something, at least not at that time. We all know that stores are going to be selling Christmas trees, lights, ornaments and other Christmas stuff—if they would just not start selling it before Thanksgiving dinner is served.

But these same places sell all kinds of stuff throughout the year that people will be buying daily, not just as Christmas gifts, whether it’s before, during or in some cases after the Christmas season. And I don’t see anything wrong with them telling people not to forget that Christmas is only two or three months away so don’t forget. I don’t mind getting those reminders at all, but not my wife Angie. She’ll grab one up, and on the frig it goes, faster than a mantis can bite off the head of her mate.

I know my wife Angie will likely be reading this at some time or another, and, just as I’ve learned not to argue a point with her, I’ve learned just as well to apologize in advance when I take another view that is different from hers. So here I am, kind of disagreeing and sort of apologizing all in one whack, and I’m not sure I can get by with either, much less both.