Cigar Box Guitars - Delta Blues Classics Tuning

When learning how to make a cigar box guitar you really need to understand the following: Most 3-string models utilize the A,D, & G strings from a standard Light Acoustic string set. The string gauges are .042, .032, and .025 and were chosen because they offer a bright sound and relatively light string tension. You’ll find the lighter tension is very welcome when fretting the notes and we have found them to be durable enough to stand up to many hours of slide work as well.

Cigar box guitars are usually set-up in an Open G or Open A chord, but there are an almost endless list of tuning options. Open tuning allows you to play slide guitar with ease and achieve that delta blues mojo you’ve been craving. Common tunings range from the low, growling delta blues style Open E(E,B,E) or D(D,A,D) to the more versatile Open G(G,D,G) or Open A(A,E,A). My personal favorites are Open G or Open A, because I feel both offer a balanced mix of lows and highs. You can also tune to (A,E,F#) for some Hawaiian Luau music, (A,E,G) for some smooth jazz riffs, or just whatever sounds right to you.

The beauty of the 3-string is that it distills things down to a much simpler level. You will begin to have fun with the guitar again and will feel the freedom of returning back to the very roots of music. The greatest blues musicians were not formally taught and definitely couldn’t read sheet music or understand music theory. They just picked up the guitar, tuned to what sounded good, and poured their hearts into it.

People often get hung up on what they think are the right way to do things, but music is meant to be felt, not analyzed. So just relax for once and feel the mojo and learn how to make a cigar box guitar!

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