Oliva "O135TDR" - Department Store Special CBG

 

These Oliva 135th Anniversary boxes are next-level cool. The deep wine red lacquer finish is classy looking, and the box is hands-down my favorite in terms of size. This particular build was inspired by the old Teisco Del Rey, Harmony, Kay and Silvertone department store guitars of the 60's, with their wacky knobs, lo-fi microphonic pickups, minimalist hardware and overall "garage-y" vibe. 

There are players who obsess over those old inexpensive "student" guitars, for good reason. They're quirky, fun and often have a unique tonal voice. What better DNA to cross with the Cigar Box Guitar???

 For this particular one I got lucky with some unconventional parts/materials that just happened to work out. The fir plank I made the center block from was far too thick for most builds, HOWEVER, with these very tall "toaster" pickups, it raised the neck high enough to clear them. 

I DID have to modify the bridge a bit, use some more stout posts and add some support (via a couple brass inserts pulled from a long-gone mod project that have been in my parts bin for a decade, converted to post sleeves), to compensate for the extra height needed, but the end result looks cool and actually plays and intonates just fine. 

Enjoy this bizarre cross between your old guitar from Sears and the American tradition of upcycling cigar boxes into playable instruments!