The Only CBG Store In The World!
While there are many home-based cigar box guitar builders who sell their guitars online or in person as vendors at music festivals and outdoor markets, The Cigar Box Guitar Store is the only brick-and-mortar store specializing in cigar box guitars in the world! We offer a selection of about 40 cigar box guitars at any given time, as well as other cigar box instruments.
We make three and four string cigar box guitars, cigar box bass guitars, as well as cigar box amplifiers and tambourines. Guitars start at $175. Guitars are tuned to Open G making them easy for beginners to learn to play, while more advanced guitarists can play them in more complex ways. All guitars can be played acoustic or electric and feature unique designs making them playable art. Well-known guitarists that have played cigar box guitars include Bo Diddley, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Hendrix, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Lynyrd Skynrd’s Ed King and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. In Huntsville, local musicians John Nickel, John Savage and Microwave Dave play cigar box guitars. We also offer build-your-own CBG classes with lessons for team building events, school curriculum/after-school clubs and Scouts.
Try It This Week For Free!
Join us every Saturday for FREE cigar box guitar lessons. Drop in anytime during Noon and 2:00 pm and stay a few minutes or for the whole two hours. No experience is required! We always offer free loaner guitars and there's never any obligation to buy.
Come see how easy it is to make a joyful noise with us!
Longest-Running Cigar Box Guitar Festival In The World!
The Cigar Box Guitar Store is located at Lowe Mill A&E, home to the longest-running cigar box guitar festival in the world. The 19th Annual Cigar Box Guitar Festival was held June 2-4, 2023 at three locations in Huntsville, Alabama. This free festival featured seven music acts and raised $4,600 for music education. Click here to learn more and sign up for updates for the 2024 festival, scheduled for May 31-June 2.
Home to Mad Sci Innovations
The Cigar Box Guitar Store is the exclusive brick-and-mortar location of cigar box guitars and other musical creations from Mad Sci Innovations. Luthier Jeff Mello, who owns the store with his wife Tara, showcases his works of playable art, which include three- and four-string guitars made out of cigar boxes and other recycled materials, such as lunchboxes, tins and even baseball bats. He also builds other music items from recycled materials including tambourines, amplifiers, Bluetooth music players, bass guitars and washboards. Click here to see examples of playable art from Mad Sci Innovations.
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HOURS
The Cigar Box Guitar Store is located in Studio 106 at historic Lowe Mill A&E.
2211 Seminole Dr. SW, Huntsville, AL 35805
Regular Hours:
Weds: 11:00a- at least 3:00p
Thurs: 11:00a- at least 3:00p
Fri: 1:00p- at least 5:00p
Sat: 11:00a- at least 6:00p
Sun.-Tues: Lowe Mill is closed to the public. Call 256-886-8554 for a private appointment.
Thanksgiving Week Hours:
Weds. 11/22: 11:00a- at least 3:00p
Thurs. 11/23: CLOSED
Fri. 11/24: 11:00a- at least 6:00p
Sat. 1/25: 11:00a- at least 6:00p
FIRST-TIME VISITOR?
We are located at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, a historic textile mill built in 1901. Lowe Mill A&E houses 161 studios and is the largest privately-owned artists' community in the United States with 198,000 square feet of space. The Cigar Box Guitar Store can be tricky to find once you are at the Lowe Mill complex. Click here for a map and directions to our studio on the property.