- Home
- Cigar Box Guitars

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

Workshop Series, ruby crackle 'Blues Trash - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£175.00
Our simplest and most basic guitars, the "Workshop Series". Ruby crackle finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and "Crossroads" custom design. Derived from our highly successful "Make and Play" workshop guitars, these offer genuine playability and great tone at a bargain price. Poplar through neck, through body reinforcem...

Workshop Series - Custom "Hoodoo Potion" red crackle - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£265.00
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 Potion" 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...

Workshop Series, darkburst distressed finish - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£175.00
Our simplest and most basic guitars, the "Workshop Series". Dark burst finish over veneered ply box with zinc plated fixing brackets and aged tinplate scratchplate. Derived from our highly successful "Make and Play" workshop guitars, these offer genuine playability and great tone at a bargain price. Yellow Poplar through neck with backstrap thr...

Romeo & Julieta, Humbucker - 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
£325.00
Modern high gloss "Romeo & Julieta" cigar box. Cherrywood neck with Blackwood Tek fretboard, Van Gent super jumbo nickel silver frets, with white position dots and side markers with a machinescrew nut. Our guitar necks are fully profiled by hand using traditional methods for great playability and comfortable in-the-hand feel. Finished in han...

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
£97.50
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...

Illinois Licence Plate 3 String Guitar - Micro-angle adjustable neck
£505.00
Super cool deluxe 3 string guitar made on a custom box with a genuine USA licence plate. Crackle paint finish with plated corner protectors. Xtra special quality features - through-body strung stainless steel bridge, real bone nut. Laminated sapele and walnut through neck, BlackwoodTek fretboard with Van Gent super jumbo frets. This has a comfo...

Handpainted Skulls 'n ' Roses - 3 String CBG with hardshell case.
£557.00
Beautiful handpainted box by Anne Zilpha Wormald with embossed metal corners. Skulls and roses painting in the Mexican Day of The Dead tradition with classic F-holes. Cherrywood through neck with BlackwoodTek fretboard, Van Gent jumbo nickel silver frets, machine screw nut, mother of pearl position markers and white edge dot markers. Our guita...
Octopus Ukulele

Octopus Ukulele
£28.00
Nice quality beginners soprano ukulele with cool colours and graphics. Mahogany neck Geared tuners, Aquila strings Gig bag included 53cm long overall

3 String Guitar Kit. Plain Box and repro cigar box.
£75.00
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...

Humbucker 3 String Guitar Kit - Bronze hardware. 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...

"Special" 3 string cigar box guitar, humbucker pickup, bronze hardware
£285.00
Beautiful traditional style "Special" box. The graphics are reproductions of American cigar boxes from the late 19th and early 20th century, on a custom birch ply box. The result is a really resonant guitar which has a nice full acoustic sound. Beech through neck, sapele fretboard with Van Gent super jumbo frets. White position dots and white e...