Acoustric lap steel from a 'cigar box'?

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 8 Jun 2010 7:30 pm

Has anyone in the Forum ever played such an instrument? Last summer I played one that a family friend in Colorado made. Now I am asking him to make me one.

Are there any recommendations for tunings, or any concerns with string gauges? Should I get a pickup installed?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

It may be ready by late summer, and I will post pictures of it then.

Thanx,
Jim

David Venzke · Post by **David Venzke** » 8 Jun 2010 7:34 pm

Jim,

You might want to check out:

http://cigarboxguitars.com/

John Burton · Post by **John Burton** » 9 Jun 2010 5:48 am

My father makes Dulcimers. I visited him about a month ago in North Carolina and he showed me a four string lap steel made from a cigar box he had made. He tuned it DAGD, which I tried but didn't like, so I tuned it DAF#D and found that a little more friendly.

This one didn't have a pick up, but he said the next one he makes will. I would have a pup installed if I was you as they aren't very loud acoustically.

I also sometimes play one of my dulcimers he made(which is a lap instrument anyway) with a steel. I tune my dulcimers low to high, DAdd.

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 9 Jun 2010 7:32 pm

The one I will have made is a six string model, with a hum-bucking pickup.

Thanx,
Jim

J. Wilson · Post by **J. Wilson** » 10 Jun 2010 10:11 am

Several months ago I was contemplating building my own six string cigar box lap steel. I have just completed my drafts and have ordered a pickup. Once I am finished I will post pics and samples... tho at this rate that might not be 'til xmas.

If you want to see an example of a six sting cigar box lap steel that I think turned out quite nice check out this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbtWjbjZoEY

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 11 Jun 2010 7:32 am

Jim,

I have been building acoustic/electric Cigar Box Guitars for some time now, mine are all three string guitars.

It never occurred to me that a lap steel could be made using one. Great idea! If I ever get caught up around here I am going to try it!

Some guys refer to the one guitar in the line up as the Stogie~Bud LMAO! Poor Shot must be rolling over on that one!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 28 Jun 2010 2:07 am

A short clip of my nephew playing one of my three string cigar box slide guitars. He tunes to G-D-G

I now have a CBG/Lap steel in the works, it may take a while...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpZCEgeu7Z4

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 28 Jun 2010 6:48 am

Cool stuff John! .... looking forward to your lap style version

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 28 Jun 2010 9:56 am

I've been following this 'un at a different Forum. Gas can guitar.
http://www.guitarseminars.com/gs/viewtopic.php?t=5303
http://www.guitarseminars.com/gs/viewtopic.php?t=5305

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 28 Jun 2010 12:16 pm

John,

I once saw Cindy playing a similar contraption, that is some trippy stuff!

I would be damn careful about plugging one of those things in!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 28 Jun 2010 12:17 pm

Tom Pettingill wrote:Cool stuff John! .... looking forward to your lap style version

Thanks Tom!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 18 Jul 2010 8:32 am

Did a serious feasability study on the CBG lap steel thing and deduced that it would be a really long run for a very short slide (pardon the pun). Never really made it past the drawing board.

I would be interested in photos of any guitars like that, they would look cool and most likely sound nice with the right pickup.

It would be pretty user unfriendly, very neck heavy, cumbersome to say the least, plus it would be a PITA to build.

Worse, the cost would be off the grid, lots of time, not worth it to me, I'll stick with the 3 string slide guitars.

Just finished this one for myself, I love it! Very cool guitars! IMHO

Leroy Beal · Post by **Leroy Beal** » 19 Jul 2010 4:44 am

I've built a couple cigar box lap steels. They are very liberating to build and sound great. Here is my first one.

More images:
http://www.leroybeal.net/guitars/lap/gu ... index.html

This one is a double neck convertible CBG in the Junior Brown vein. It was a very interesting project for a www.cigarboxnation.com build contest.

The 4 string neck can also be setup with a nut riser to be played lap style.

More pictures:
http://www.leroybeal.net/guitars/cbg/db ... index.html

These are great fun to build and play.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 19 Jul 2010 6:32 am

LeRoy,

Nice guitars! Your workmanship is impeccable!

I entered my Perdomo double in the contest, didn't get very far! There were some great guitars entered, yours included!

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 20 Jul 2010 4:55 am

I would love to build a 6 string cigar box lap steel but there are a couple things I'm wondering about. For one, how do they sound acoustically? Seems like the cigar box lid would be thick for a soundboard. And how much hollow is there? If a thick neck is used, should it be stepped on the bottom to make it thinner inside the box to get more hollow? I see boxes with four soundholes but are they functional or just for looks? If there's a science to making a good sounding one as opposed to a conversation piece I'd like to know before experimentinig.

Thanks, Mark

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 20 Jul 2010 5:10 am

Mark,

Never ventured beyond the 3 string realm. I bet LeRoys axe sounds great though by looking at it.

As far as sounding as good as a Dobro with a Fishman, ?

Maybe LeRoy could jump back in here as he owns one.

On the 3 strings I normally use a couple Dobro soundhole screens and they sound great, some guys want a few more holes so I put them in there and it seems to work out OK.

Good luck!

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 20 Jul 2010 10:05 am

John, I watched the video of your nephue and your 3-string sounds great from what I could hear so it will be interesting how your lap steel will turn out.

My guess is that Leroy's guitars are meant to be mainly used plugged in since there are no sound holes and the neck appears to be attached to the top and bottom of the box. I can see in your video that your box opens and there is a fair ammount of hollow space.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 21 Jul 2010 6:23 am

Mark,

Yes they are hollow all except for the neck running thriough it. Lots of volume unplugged, and plugged in the piezo pickup does well.

I have made a couple with magnetic pickups but the piezo is really the way to go.

I have scrapped any plans for a lap steel CBG, sticking with the 3 string guitars.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 21 Jul 2010 7:12 am

John Drury wrote:
I have scrapped any plans for a lap steel CBG, sticking with the 3 string guitars.

Is a 4-string with a raised nut an additional burden not worth pursuing? To me, CBGs are minimalist instruments, so an abbreviated lapsteel CBG seems logical.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 21 Jul 2010 7:43 am

Chris,

I never get asked for a 4 string instrument, probably because slide is done easier on 3 strings spaced wide so to slide one string at a time when necessary.

Besides the boys down in the delta back in the day made mainly 3's, I don't want to wander too far off the trail.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 21 Jul 2010 8:15 am

John Drury wrote:Chris,

I never get asked for a 4 string instrument, probably because slide is done easier on 3 strings spaced wide so to slide one string at a time when necessary.

Besides the boys down in the delta back in the day made mainly 3's, I don't want to wander too far off the trail.

Ah, I understand. Those are some great-looking guitars you've made. I've stumbled onto those pictures in the past while searching out CBGs and I've always thought those were some of the coolest I've seen.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 21 Jul 2010 11:31 am

Chris,

Thank you for the kind comment!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 8 Aug 2010 6:42 am

Heres sumthin a little different, a baritone CBG, 28 1/4" scale. A real moaner!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 7 Nov 2010 10:04 am

Cigar Box Guitar built for Dobro/Steel/Slide guitar great, Cindy Cashdollar. I was really pleased when I heard she was happy with it, I hope to hear her on it one day.

Jim Bates · Post by **Jim Bates** » 7 Nov 2010 11:15 am

Here is the 6 string 'Cig-Tar' my friend in Colorado made for me (I supplied the cigar box and the vintage tuning keys (from a 70's Gibson 330.).

The neck is maple. with an oak verneer on headstock. Frets are accurate.

Un-plugged it has a nice quiet guitar /banjo sound. Plugged in it sounds like a lap steel. Currently, there are light gauge phos-bronze on it, which diminishes the volume a lot on the wound strings, but nickle wound will better balance the voulume.

I have it tuned down from G to F to lessen the bending force on neck.

Here are some pics -

Thanx,
Jim