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The original and best! That's no empty boast - I've pioneered the making of cigar box guitars in the UK. I have made and sold over 2000 of them, and have been featured in the UK music press, and on UK & European TV & radio.
All my guitars are set up for easy fretted and slide playing - I'm a guitar player, so I understand how a guitar should perform. I source the best components for the price, and carefully craft them into truly gig-worthy instruments, with unparalleled playability and tone.
I build to a quality, not down to a price - wherever possible I use European and North American timbers. I also use European and USA made components such as Van Gent machineheads & fretwire, d'Addario and Newtone strings, Van Damme cable, Neutrik & Switchcraft connectors etc, instead of relying on cheaper "sweatshop economy" parts.
We now have our own range of custom made stainless steel parts featured on some of our guitars - tailpieces, jack sockets and control plates. These are designed by us and manufactured right here in the UK West Midlands.
We ship guitars worldwide, and all our guitars are packed with care, double-boxed in custom made twinwall corrugated card boxes. When ordering a guitar please include a phone number with the delivery information.
CUSTOM ORDERS - We are pleased to announce that we are once again taking orders for custom guitars. If you can't find a guitar that you like on our site, or have seen one of our earlier guitars that you'd like, we can make one for you! We ask for 50% deposit, and delivery time is typically 2-3 months. We can advise on specification and special features, and will give you a fixed price quote, including shipping anywhere worldwide.
Cigar Box Guitars

Cortes - Fretless 3 string cigar box guitar
£85.00
Traditional "Cortes" cigar box made from solid Spanish cedar with a dark satin lacquer finish. 'Hot Biscuit' piezo pickup bridge produces a great sound for at home or busking performances. Walnut stained yellow poplar through neck with a simple round over profile, a traditional paper fret marker and a machine screw nut. These have been really ...

Punch - Fretless lefty - 3 string cigar box guitar
£100.00
Left Handed. Colourful Classic "Punch" cigar box, with a flat single coil pickup provide a great sound for at home or at the open mic down your local pub. Poplar through neck with a simple round over, finished with gunstock oil and a wax coat with a traditional paper fret marker. Machine screw nut and maple fretwire bridge. These have been real...

Workshop Series - Yellow crackle 'Crossroads' - Fretless - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£165.00
Our simplest and most basic guitars, the "Workshop Series". Yellow crackle finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and 'I Went Down to the Crossroads' hand painted design. Derived from our highly successful "Make and Play" workshop guitars, these offer genuine playability and great tone at a bargain price. Yellow Poplar dis...

Humbucker 3 String Guitar Kit. Plain Box and repro cigar box.
£88.00
Everything you need to make your own 3 string cigar box guitar. All you need to add is some wood glue and materials for putting a finish on the neck and box. The kit comes with a a handsomely-sized plain birch ply wood box and gives a great acoustic volume - they turn out pretty loud! It's an ideal starting point for adding your own decoration...

Workshop Series - Custom "Born Under a Bad Sign" green crackle - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£270.00
A deep green distressed crackle paint finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and hand painted "Born Under a Bad Sign" design. Derived from our basic workshop guitars, these offer an improved pickup with tone and volume controls, nicer machineheads with a colour coded headstock and block position markers to match the box. T...

Workshop Series - Custom "Hoodoo Spirit" red crackle - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£270.00
Introducing our "Custom" Workshop Series line of guitars. A red distressed crackle paint finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and hand painted "Hoodoo Spirit" design. Derived from our basic workshop guitars, these offer an improved pickup with tone and volume controls, nicer machineheads with a colour coded headstock and...

Partagas humbucker - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£315.00
All wood rustburst "Partagas" cigar box with bronze hardware. Ashwood through neck, blackwood TEK fretboard with Van Gent super-jumbo frets. White position dots and white edge dot markers with a machine screw nut. Our guitar necks are fully profiled by hand using traditional methods for great play-ability and comfortable in-the-hand feel. Finish...

Workshop Series, green crackle "Blues Trash" LEFTY 3 string cigar box guitar
£180.00
Left Handed. Our simplest and most basic guitars, the "Workshop Series". Light green crackle finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and hand painted '185% Blues Trash' design. Derived from our highly successful "Make and Play" workshop guitars, these offer genuine playability and great tone at a bargain price. Poplar throu...

Romeo & Julieta humbucker - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£380.00
Traditional style "Romeo y Julieta" cigar box with cherrywood wings for a perfect balance on the strap and ultimate comfort for seated playing with chrome hardware makes for a stunning cigar box guitar. Cherrywood through neck, with backstrap reinforcement, eco-freindly Blackwood TEK fretboard with Van Gent super jumbo frets, white face and side...

Partagas Humbucker, Lefty - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£315.00
Left Handed. All wood Partagas cigar box, with matching bronze hardware. This simple box has made up into a stunningly elegant cigar box guitar with an aged feel to it. Ashwood through neck, eco-friendly Blackwood Tek fretboard with Van Gent super jumbo frets. White position dots and white fretboard edge dot markers with a machine screw nut. Ou...

Diplomaticos humbucker "Double Top" Cigar Box Guitar
£455.00
Traditional style vintage "Diplomaticos" cigar box with classic "F"-hole. This special guitar is tuned G D GG, and has a double course top pair of strings, strung with a light gauge octave G on the top. It gives it a chiming tone, and adds a really different sound to your playing, whether fretted or played with a slide. Cherrywood through neck, ...
Hardshell Case for cigar box guitars

Hardshell Case for cigar box guitars
£87.50
Custom made to fit cigar box guitars, exclusive to Chickenbone John. 3 hinges and 3 clasps (one locking). Beautiful plush velour padded interior with neck support and accessory compartment. Available in 2 sizes. Standard will fit most cigar box guitars up to 91cm long, 18cm wide and 9cm deep. Wide will fit most cigar box guitars up to 91cm long...