Handmade Cigar Box Guitars – great sound and quality…guaranteed
Choose a CBG from below or design your own and contact Nigel to order now. Now selling J Lee Guitars!
Product Categories:
Below is a selection of our handmade cigar box guitars. The first step is to have a look at the examples below and choose your own design. Then Contact Nigel to order. We use only quality parts and do not use piezo pickups. Each CBG is branded and serialised and we guarantee our work. Prices include postage and handling for all states. We also post internationally. Contact Nigel for international postage prices.
Wondering about frets? A fretless, slide instrument is easier to play because there are no chord shapes or fingerings to learn. It’s all open tuning and you follow the dots (fret markers) on the neck with the slide to make chords. The original CBGs were all slide instruments. They didn’t have the technology to fret them and that’s where that blues tone comes from—the slide. It’s about keeping it simple and raw and uncomplicated. Nigel only makes fretless guitars but we now stock fretted CBGs from J Lee Guitars.
To create a unique instrument with an individual sound, choose from a variety of:
- Pick-ups, including humbucker pickups (a more grungy sound e.g. Les Paul), handwound three pole pickups (stripped back, raw blues sound) and single coil pickups (clean, warm tones e.g. Fender, Strat/Tele);
- Woods for necks; and
- Cigar boxes from around the world.
Hear Nigel play his cigar box guitars on the ‘Resources’ page or on my youtube channel.
CBG lessons McTrustry Cigar Box Guitars offers both free how-to-play videos and cigar box guitars lessons via Skype or in Brisbane to have you strumming like a Bluesman/woman in no time and to keep you inspired. CBG lessons will be tailored to your level whether you’re a complete beginner or advanced. We want to make sure you are not only happy with your CBG but can go out there and impress your friends and family (and yourself).
Stray Cat Blues
Slide is available for $20 (see slides)
JLee 3 String Fretted Cigar box guitar
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1-2 wks) – Contact Nigel
Partagas Cigar Box
Tasmanian Oak neck
20 Frets
25 1/2 ” Scale
Single Coil Pickup
Volume & Tone Controls
Bone Nut
Front & rear corners
JLee 4 String Fretted Resonator!
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1-2 wks) – Contact Nigel
4 String Fretted Resonator Guitar
Cohiba Cigar Box
Humbucker Pickup
Volume & tone control
Tasmanian Oak Neck
Bone Nut
Scale: 23 1/2″ Scale, 24 frets, ,
Aged brass fittings
Strap buttons
Midnight Rambler
$495 (incl. p&h within Australia except WA – outside of Perth: +$30)
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Black Betty 3 String Slide CBG.
Yellow Dog
Back in Black
$485
‘Smokin’ Gun’
‘Smokin’ Gun’
Roadhouse Blues (left hander)
‘Roadhouse Blues’ (left hander)
‘Smokestack Lightnin”
‘Smokestack Lightnin”
Slide is available for $20 (see slides)
Gift Voucher
Not sure which cigar box guitar to buy for someone?
A gift certificate will solve your problem.
Guaranteed to make them happy.
The lucky recipient can contact Nigel and select the guitar of their dreams or have one made specifically for them.
- Free delivery!
- Handmade, unique gift!
- A personal surprise that they will treasure!
- Easy to learn and fun to play!
After purchase you will be directed to a page where you can fill in details and leave a message to be delivered with the guitar.
More Details
A creative and unique gift that will be heard throughout the years! An original, hand crafted cigar box guitar built by Nigel McTrustry – there’s nothing on earth quite like it!
Mr Mojo Risin’
‘Mr Mojo Risin”
‘When the Levee Breaks’
‘When the Levee Breaks’
‘Honey Waite’ Bass CBG
‘Honey Waite’
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1 wk) – Contact Nigel
2 string slide cigar box guitar bass
Partagas Cuban cigar box
Mini humbucker pickup
Antique key bridge
Wenge (African rosewood) and Tassie Oak neck
Scale: 30 1/4 inch
Price: $550 (incl. p&h)
A slide can be purchased for $20 (see below)
‘Little Red Rooster’
‘Little Red Rooster’
SOLD (but if you have a record you’d like put on your CBG, Contact Nigel now.
3 string slide cigar box guitar
Las Cabrillas cigar box from Honduras
Humbucker pickup
Little Red Rooster original Rolling Stones 45″ vinyl
Volume and control knobs
Antique key bridge
Tasmanian Blackwood Neck
Scale: 24 3/4 inch
Price: $525 (incl p&h within Australia except WA: +$30)
A slide can be purchased for $20 (see slides).
Slide
218 Dunlop slide
This is the perfect slide for a three string cigar box guitar
$35 (including postage within Australia) / $20 with guitar
