Printable View
I just acquired several nice wooden cigar boxes of various sizes. I'm interested in trying to turn one into a mandolin. Looking around the internet I can find plans and kits to build cigar box guitars and ukuleles but not mandolins. There are youtube videos of people playing cigar box mandolins and a few people sell them but I'm not finding instructions on how to build one.
Can anybody point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
Steve McI
Do you want a neck-through instrument or do you want to add a neck block and attach the neck more like a conventional instrument? Once you decide that just make some modifications to a cigar box ukulele or guitar plan that has the type neck you want.
I have a neck off of a mando banjo that I want to use on a wooden cigar box that I have. I will probably reinforce the inside with either a neck block or a neck rod like used on banjos. I still need to apply a fingerboard to the neck. Ukulele necks attached to cigar boxes have so much less tension than the steel stringed options.
Cigar Box Nation... it is a start.
Also, I recall quite a few people on The Musical Instrument Makers Forum have made cigar box and cookie tin instruments.