Cigar box guitars have been around for a long time; the earliest versions date back to the Civil War era. Two centuries haven’t diminished the appeal of this homespun instrument. Though a box guitar won’t have the same acoustic properties as a standard version, it provides just the same playability, in a compact, rugged package. Building your own version is a great way to get started as a luthier.

I began making box guitars with high school students in my shop class several years ago. Rather than depend on a ready supply of cigar boxes for these guitars, I decided to put my box-making skills to good