Watt Corner: Awesome Photos To Jumpstart Your New Year CBGs

Welcome back to Watt Corner and happy new year!

With 2018 behind us, it feels good to share the photos you'll see in this post knowing they'll jumpstart your new year CBGs.

So first, big thanks to every one of you who, last year, shared photos and videos with us that we feature on our website.

Also, big thanks to those who took time out of their busy holiday schedules to share the guitars they built, many given as thoughtful gifts.

Your submissions, filled with pictures and personal stories, are real acts of generosity – entertaining, informing, and inspiring the rest of the cigar box guitar community.

How To Share Your Own Awesome Guitar

If you're unfamiliar with how to share your work with us, simply follow this link to submit photos, videos, and whatever story you'd like to include.

If you can, take a few moments to cite a couple (or all) the products of ours you used in your cigar box guitar.

In doing so, your handmade musical instrument is shown alongside those same products on our website.

Then those submissions are seen by everyone who visits our site from all over the world.

In turn, your submissions show new and old builders alike precisely how you used the particular components you got from us. 

The First Watt Corner Of 2019

Speaking of submissions, let's get to the ones that made it into this week's Watt Corner.

As you know by now, Watt Corner isn't a popularity contest.

Instead, it's my best attempt to select a handful of submissions that represent the sharing, DIY spirit in the cigar box guitar community.

Since every submission fits those criteria, you can understand how difficult it is for me to choose only a few.

And while I'd love to share them all here, you can see every single submission not only on cbgitty.com but also on Facebook.

So if you like and follow us on Facebook, there you can see the photos added weekly to our Friends of Gitty Spotlight photo album.

Now, without further ado, first up is a photo our dear friend Marty T. shared with us.

About this picture Marty wrote, "The Flying Unicorn build and its new owner on Christmas morning. I used all C. B. Gitty parts including the laser cut box. I woodburned in a Flying Unicorn for her. Gave her a complete setup: CBG, gig bag, silver slide and amp. One happy little lady." - Marty T.

Marty, who is the consummate CBG community member, is always building something for a special someone and involving new CBG enthusiasts. 

Seems to me, he's done it again with this Flying Unicorn build.

C. B. Gitty parts used include:

• 8.5" x 11" Acoustic Wooden Box Kit with "Box Jointed" Side Panels
• Chrome Open-Gear Economy Tuners/Machine Heads - 6pc. 3 left/3 right
• 24pc. Decorative Chrome Box Corners with Screws
• 1LB Bulk Fret Wire - Medium/Medium Nickel-Silver

Next up we have a handsome guitar built by Jason J. for a handsome young fellow.

Proud father Jason wrote, "This guitar is built with an antique cigar box, C. B. Gitty tuners and fret wire. I love this one and I think the little guy does too." - Jason J.

This sort of stuff never gets old. 

Getting handmade musical instruments into kids' hands remains one of the most thoughtful gifts to show a child they are loved.

It's really good to see your son enjoys the cigar box guitar you built, Jason.

Here's hoping he's building alongside you soon.

C. B. Gitty parts used include:

• Jescar Medium/Medium Nickel-Silver Fret Wire (6 ft)
• Chrome Open-Gear Economy Tuners/Machine Heads - 6pc. 3 left/3 right

This next submission shows that it's never too early to give a handmade musical instrument gift.

"Ukulele for my baby girl made from C. B. Gitty uke kit!" - Joey S.

So it'll be a few years before she's ready to play it.

That doesn't mean Joey can't do his best to break it in for her, am I right?

That's a terrific use of our uke kit, Joey, and that bath drain soundhole cover is an excellent addition.

C. B. Gitty kit used:

• Concert Ukulele Parts Pack - Everything except the body!

Moving in the opposite direction on the scale of life experience, here we see our friend Steve W. with a unique gift made from a unique box.

"My latest project" wrote Steve. "Jim, a local cigar shop owner, held this box for me as he knows I like strange ones. At same time, Anthony, a regular, saw it and wanted me to make a guitar for him. I just delivered it the other day. Happy New Year everybody!" - Steve W.

Happy new year to you, Steve! And that skull themed box really is unique. 

The bridge and saddle are exceptionally nice touches of craftsmanship, along with how the fretboard bottom matches the skull nose-holes.

Lots of attention to detail, here, and it all adds up to put a smile on your friend Anthony's face.

C. B. Gitty parts used include:

• 12-pack 3-string Cigar Box Guitar Strings - Open G/Standard - Electric Medium
• Black Open-Gear Guitar Tuners/Machine Heads - 6pc. 3 left / 3 right
• 1LB Bulk Fret Wire - Medium/Medium Nickel-Silver

Keeping in the gift-giving theme, here's a cigar box guitar built by Terry C. with loads of thoughtful touches.

About this guitar Terry wrote, "I decided to build my first CBG for my buddy Austin. I used a C. B. Gitty neck, tuners, and strings. The rest I cobbled together.

Austin and I are part of a moped club, called the Los Dorados, so I used some moped parts for this build.

The pickup is a lighting coil from a Puch Maxi moped. It works surprisingly well! 

Aust didn't want any knobs, but he did want a kill switch for the pickup, so I used a classic pull switch from an old lamp.

The saddle is a vintage church key with an exhaust stud from the same moped the pickup came from, and the bridge is a case bolt from the same moped as well.

The sound hole trim is half of a closet rod hanger kit and there's a naked old lady sticker in the sound hole peeking out, an inside joke between Austin and I that I promise you don't want to know.

And that pretty much wraps up the whole build! It turned out alright for my first go at it. I've built one more since and have about 3 others I'm currently working on. I got the bug for sure!" - Terry C.

Never mind that this guitar was built for a friend, which is awesome enough. 

But those small touches, such as the soundhole trim and, more importantly, the moped parts used make this guitar super-special.

The old lamp pull switch connected to the lighting coil pickup is truly one-of-a-kind. 

Splendid work, Terry!

C. B. Gitty parts used include:

• Standard Cigar Box Guitar Necks - select Wood, Headstock and Fretting options
• Shane Speal Signature 4-String Cigar Box Guitar Tuners
• Electric Light 4-String Cigar Box Guitar Strings - Open G/Open D/Standard Tunings - DBGD/DF#AD/DGBE

Next up we have a sweet gitty built by Mark from one of our most popular kits.

"First time building from one of your kits" wrote Mark. "I did a bit of customization - shaping the back of the neck to make it comfortable, and some airbrush work to get the coloring." - Mark C.C.

Part of why this build is so cool is because Mark personalized the guitar.

Rounding a neck for increased playability, if desired, is always a good thing to do.

And painting the guitar body really adds personality to he instrument.

Often, when many of us are faced with a blank canvas -- in this case, a blank wood box -- it's all too easy to keep it plain. 

It's another thing entirely to take a chance and inject some life into the guitar by staining, woodburning, or painting the box. 

And it's great to see you do just that, Mark.

C. B. Gitty kit used:

• "Tin Pan Alley" 3-String Paint Can Resonator Guitar Kit

Last up is one heck of a guitar, built by Jim S. for his son. 

And what I wouldn't give to see the look on his son's face when he opened up the box containing Jim's handmade gift.

Here's what Jim had to share with us about his gift to his son, "This is my first time building any sort of musical instrument. 

I built it for my son who plays guitar. I was originally going to make a license plate guitar, but he's not really into cars, so I thought, “Just what is he into?”

Well, he likes beer, and every time he comes over he turns the t.v. on to the channel that continuously plays The Simpsons.

Sooooooo, I put the two together and figured Duff Beer (the fictional beer on The Simpsons) would be a fun theme to do. 

This is what a cigar box guitar would be like if Duff Beer made cigars in the Republic of Duff (and I was using one of their boxes). 

I chose a box kit from C. B. Gitty that was almost the same size as the Duff tin sign I got elsewhere online. 

Most of the gear came from CBGitty.com."

Alright. This guitar is so fantastic I don't even know where to say.

And that it's your first guitar, Jim...

Well, perhaps you've found your calling.

Simply tremendous work on this guitar and your son has got to be proud.

C. B. Gitty parts and kit used include:

• 8.5" x 11" Acoustic Wooden Box Kit with "Box Jointed" Side Panels 
• "DeltaBucker Deluxe" 3-string Rosewood Cigar Box Guitar Humbucker Pickup pre-wired with Volume & Tone - No Soldering!
• Electric Medium "Blues Blaster" 3-String Cigar Box Guitar Strings - Low Open G - GDG
• 3-string BLACK Hard-tail Bridge for Cigar Box Guitars & More
• Cigar Box Guitar Fretboards - 25-inch Scale - Choose Wood & Fretting Options!
• 4pc 1-inch Black Screened Grommets
• 2pc. Bone Nut Blanks for Cigar Box Guitar

The Wrap-Up

There you have it: the first Watt Corner of 2019.

I hope you enjoy these pictures and stories as much as I do. 

Remember, you can share the work you've done with the parts and kits you buy from cbgitty.com by submitting your pictures here.

And while 2018 was filled with all the cigar box guitars and other astonishing instruments you all have built, let's look forward to an even better, more motivated, more inspired, and an even more giving 2019.

Let's get building!