So I went ahead and made me a guitar. I got me a cigar box, I cut me a round hole in the middle of it, take me a little piece of plank, nailed it onto that cigar box, and I got me some screen wire and I made me a bridge back there and raised it up high enough that it would sound inside that little box, and got me a tune out of it. I kept my tune and I played from then on.

—Lightnin' Hopkins

  It's as simple as that.   After watching videos on You Tube featuring Blues Beaten Redshaw and Richard Peek I was hooked. I had to make my own musical instrument! 

  You can make your own instrument out of just about anything; a cigar box, soup can, cookie tin, oil can, and even a tin from a canned ham.  I'll be starting out with making a three string box guitar with the instructions I found here.

  You can view a lot of terrific historic images of handmade instruments at the Museum of Appalachia.    I also strongly recommend the website Cigar Box Nation  as there are many photos, instructions,  and resources.

  That's all for now; I'm heading to the hardware store.  Look forward for more posts to come as this project gets underway!  As always, thanks for reading.