Handmade Cigar Box Guitars – great sound and quality…guaranteed
Choose a CBG from below or design your own and contact Nigel to order I am currently not doing any custom builds.
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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 if you are after something fretted. Contact Nigel
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 one on one 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).
Romeo Y Julieta 3 string slide C.B.G.
SOLD
3 string slide cigar box guitar
Romeo Y Julieta (Cuba) cigar box
3 String Humbucker pickup
Volume and tone knobs,
Brass Key bridge
Tassie Oak/ Wenge neck
Scale: 24 3/4 inch
Strap Pins
Price: $495 (incl. p&h within Australia except regional WA – $30)
Contact Contact Nigel for international postage prices.
4 String Fretted Resonator by JLee
4 String Fretted Resonator
25 1/4 inch scale
21 frets
Humbucker pickup
Volume and tone controls
Bone nut
Fully adjustable bridge
Aged brass fittings
Strap buttons
Tassie Oak neck
Open G tuning
D’Addario strings
Price: $535 (incl. p&h within Australia except regional WA – $30)
Contact Contact Nigel for international postage prices.
Black Betty
Sold
I am currently not doing any custom builds.
Black Betty
3 string fretless cigar box guitar (slide)
Arturo Fuente cigar box (Dominican Republic)
3 string Humbucker pickup
Volume and tone controls
Key bridge (Master 13H)
Wenge / Tasmanian Oak Neck
Scale: 24 3/4 inch
Fret markers
$500 (incl. p&h within Australia except WA [outside of Perth]: +$30)
A slide can be purchased for $20 (see below)
SMOKIN’ GUN (Black Pickups)
Smokin’ Gun (Black Pickups)
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1-2 wks) – Contact Nigel
3 String Slide Cigar Box Guitar
Arturo Fuente cigar box (Dominican Republic)
Twin Mini Humbucker Pickups
Key Bridge
Tasmanian Oak neck with Wenge fretboard
Strap pins
Volume & Tone controls
Pick up switch
24 3/4 inch scale
Price: $545 (includes p&h within Australia except WA – outside of Perth: +$30)
Smokestack Lightnin’
‘Smokestack Lightnin’
I am currently not doing any custom builds.
SOLD
3 string slide cigar box guitar
Arturo Fuente Cuban cigar box
2 x Juju hand wound pickups
Volume and tone knobs
Antique key for bridge
Tasmanian Oak/ Tasmanian Blackwood neck
Scale: 24 3/4 inch
Price: $575 (incl. p&h within Australia except regional WA – $30)
Contact Contact Nigel for international postage prices.
Slide is available for $20 (see slides)
SMOKIN’ GUN (Gold Pickups)
Smokin’ Gun’ (Gold Pickups)
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1-2 wks) – Contact Nigel
3 String Slide Cigar Box Guitar
Arturo Fuente cigar box (Dominican Republic)
Twin Mini Humbucker Pickups
Key Bridge
Tasmanian Oak neck with Tasmanian Blackwood fretboard
Strap pins
Volume & Tone controls
Pick up switch
24 3/4 inch scale
Price: $545 (includes p&h within Australia except WA – outside of Perth: +$30)
Contact Nigel for international postage costs
A slide can be purchased for $20 (see below)
Gift Voucher
Currently unavailable.
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!
‘When the Levee Breaks’
‘When the Levee Breaks’
SOLD but can build similar (build time approx. 1-2 wks) – Contact Nigel
3 string slide cigar box guitar
Partagas Cuban cigar box
Humbucker pickup
Sink resonator
Volume and tone controls
Antique key bridge
Merbau Neck
Scale: 24 3/4 inch
$475 (incl. p&h within Australia except WA [outside of Perth]: +$30)
A slide can be purchased for $20 (see below)
Slide
Unavailable
218 Dunlop slide
This is the perfect slide for a three string cigar box guitar
$35 (including postage within Australia) / $20 with guitar
