Cigar Box Ukes

Here you can see the different types of cigar box ukes that I have made over the last few years.
The first one was one i was making whilst making another uke for Foz Foster and he came in to check on progress he loved it so much he bought it straight away.

My first Cigar box Uke

 I was given some old cigar boxes by my uncle in Spain, they were good quality made of solid cedar,  so i thicknessed the top much like I would do to a Uke or guitar and then I braced the top, here I put a ladder bracing, very simple, I also installed a simple pickup, basically all the wood is recycled from odd bits of instruments.

All the components

The neck is simply screwed and glued on with a heel block to add strength.

The assembled uke

Here the Uke was assembled but not glued together, I will get some completed photos from Foz when I'm in the UK.

Next are two Chocolate box ukes that I made out of some old Frys chocolate boxes that were approximately 100 years. They were beautiful old pine boxes with amazing old original advertising and beautiful burnt branding.

They were the perfect size for two tenor Ukes.

The bits of the Chocolate box Uke

The Uke top

 Here you can see the old top with the branding on it, soundhole cut and although you can't see the top is strutted with 3 fan struts.

Freshly strung Uke

Everything on this uke is recycled except the strings.

Here is the finished article, behind you can see some surdo drums that i was making at the time.

Here you can see the soundhole and label designed by Foz Foster.

Uke back

And here you can see the beautiful advertising on the back. This label was actually on the inside of the top but i carefully removed it and stuck it on the bottom so that it wouldn't be lost.

Close up of back

This is a close up of the back with the beautiful old advertising.

Here you can see Bob Brozman one of the worlds great blues and folk guitarist with a vast repertoire of songs and huge discography performing with the above instrument at the Wukulele Festival in October 2010.
The Uke had no pickup just a microphone infront so you can get a really good idea of the sound this uke makes, big and load with a rich sound.

Me and Bob Brozman

As I mentioned earlier I made two of these instruments the other one belongs to Jimmy McGee of the Bobby McGees.