How Do My CBGs Compare to Others?

There are generally two types of people: those who know what a cigar box guitar (CBG) is---at least conceptually--and those who have never seen or heard of them. Most folks who grew up here in Appalachia have seen a washboard or jug used as accompanying instruments, and some might even know what a "washtub bass" is. But our culture nationwide is so familiar with guitars, banjos and mandolins as "the norm" that we don't really think too much about how folks who might not have had access to those types of stringed instruments might have made their own music outside of homemade drums, whistles and primal clanging of household items. Truth is though, some scrap wood, a cigar box, a few nails, screws and other random bits and pieces, some wire and a few handtools, and boom. Let's make some racket. 

Obviously in the last century, building cigar box instruments has shifted to more of a hobby with a specific group of enthusiasts, instead of being a necessity. Manufacturing has reached a point to where even most inexpensive instruments are more than adequate for the beginner or cash-strapped guitarist, and we are living in an age where it's become less likely that even a sub-$100 instrument is not serviceable. Hell, you can even buy "kits" from some sources that include a "cigar-box-like" box and all the components to assemble a CBG-like instrument for a couple hundred bucks or less, and if you look at some of the CBG supply stores, you'll see where a LOT of builders are using the premade components from places like MGB and CBGitty with few-to-no alterations. It's not something you're going to be able to play in your weekend cover-band, and might not survive a couple Saturdays busking in the park, but I'm sure they're fun for creating wall-art that can make musical noise.

So CBG building is something we do more for emotional health therapy or the "mad scientist" mentality, watching your creations come together and feeling that immense satisfaction when a build "comes alive". Some builders still stick to the old "stick-through-the-box" methods and keep it traditional, despite advancements in technology and availability of parts, and others (like myself) combine some elements of old-school building with some modern techniques and using manufactured parts. But whichever method we use, what we do is kind of an art form of its own. I forget sometimes that it DOES take a certain skill, talent and ingenuity to turn random bits and pieces into something that is functional and enjoyable. And art DOES have a certain value.

As I've mentioned many times, my goal is to produce those "playable pieces of art" that function similarly to that factory-built guitar you normally play, so that not only are you getting the sound and at least a somewhat-familiar feel, but also that street-cred of playing something completely out in left-field, unlike your peers. And trust me when I say that when you play a freakin' little wooden box with a neck on it, you DO stand out a little bit, and conversations WILL initiate.

Some CBG builders are modest with their pricing, while others definitely charge a "made in USA" price for their instruments. Based on what I've found in my online research, my builds are comparable to a lot of the higher-priced options, but I have mine priced more in the "upper-lower to lower-middle" price range. When I've had players inquire about a build of their own, I think they were shocked when I was giving them ballpark estimates of $350-400 for a basic build instead of $700. When I got to doing research, I saw that people doing builds similar to mine were getting anywhere from $595 to over a THOUSAND DOLLARS for their CBGs. Not knocking ANYONE for demanding they make what they believe they should make on one of their creations, but I struggle with those higher-end build prices, especially when they're using the same techniques a hack like me uses to assemble a solid, well-playing instrument. As I've said before, it's not "fine luthiery", it's just being a "modestly-competent guitar tech".

My pricing is based on materials and time, but I also don't try to crank out one of these per day, or even per week. There MAY be times I start two or three builds at once, working on each one at different paces which will result in either a staggered completion or in some cases, I'll literally finish them back-to-back. I often "discount" instruments I consider "experiments" or where I'm teaching myself a new technique or build configuration, and I've been known to give friends/associates a deeper price break if they show interest. If you've seen me playing one of these at a gig and have come to talk to me, you know I am somewhat flexible, within reason. And we SHOULD be. Because ultimately, the best advertisement is word of mouth, and there's an enormous satisfaction in seeing someone using something you built in your garage onstage.

So the purpose of this post is to demonstrate that instruments like what I am building are all over the map as much in price as they are in features, appearance and functionality. Since I've talked to folks who weren't aware of the existence of a "market" or a "culture" of CBGs, I thought I'd show that there ARE indeed several builders out there doing similar instruments, and we all have our particular niches. Whether you're wanting an OG 3-string short-scale style CBG to pluck on the back porch or a fully-functional 6-string guitar (or 4/5-string bass) that you can feel confident will perform onstage, you have options. Hopefully this set of screenshots will help you folks understand the differences in others' offerings, as well as the value in some of the specs I offer with my builds, and will encourage you to take the leap. 

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Here are some examples of "apples-to-apples" comparisons with similar builders:

This one uses the same Oliva 135 Anniversary box I love, with the same OEM style bridge I use on some of my builds and even one of the kinds of corner protectors I use, but the pull-off neck still even has the factory logo (Glarry) on it, and is only a simple piezo pickup with no "electric" magnetic pickup. For not much more dough, I pack in at least one standard pickup in addition to the piezo, along with a more player-friendly construction---I mount the neck free of the body for full access, whereas this one has several frets inset into the body, rendering the playability impossible on those higher frets. I also tend to remove the extra decals on these boxes to show off the nicely-lacquered box, whereas this builder left them intact. 

Another one using the Oliva 135 Anniversary box I love, along with the same OEM style bridge I put on some of mine. This one's a little more "apples-to-apples" to one of mine, with the electric/magnetic pickups, but again, another one with several frets inset into the body, rendering the playability impossible on those higher frets. And yet another builder who didn't take off the less-aesthetically-pleasing decals. A comparable instrument of mine sells for less than this, although for a "custom" build or something with more ornate hardware, certain pickup/control configurations or a special-order neck, this would be more in-line with what I may charge. 

A somewhat-similar build as one of mine (again though, with the deep-inset neck and unplayable upper frets), for a healthy $700. Wow. 

I saw this one was over $1100 and my mind was blown. Don't get me wrong, as CBG builders, our time IS worth something. But when we use pull-off/pre-fab'd necks and OEM parts, it definitely helps our productivity, and it would be hard for me to mentally justify a thousand-dollar-build unless, for example, it was a custom build where the customer wanted boutique pickups, hardware, etc. and some exotic center-block wood or something. I mean, go 'head, if you can sell one for that much, kudos. I would just have to be assembling something pretty bougie to bump the price up that high.