What's the Difference Between a 3 String and 4 String Cigar Box Guitar? 

Absolute genius man. Those are some of the best sounding handmade blues guitars I've ever heard. That is REAL soul brother. Well done, from a 71 year old banjo picker.

You're enthusiasm is infectious Mike--I now have 6 CBG's.

I tune my 4 strings to ADGB so it's like the middle 4 strings of standard 6 string tuning, you can play normal chords by rewiring your brain to ignore the two E strings - plus it's really simple to tune the A down to G to get open G. The fun of these things is you can do whatever you want!

The smile you get when you play the 3 string.. awesome :D!

My Grandpa could play a 3 string like the devil on a sunday morning, he picked them with his tooth, but he lost that last one in a bar fight with Jethro over a price chicken. 😭

Fantastic music clip, always great to see and hear you play. Keep up the great work Mike.

Dude, this is by far the best cigar box guitar video i,ve seen so far, they sound awsome.Great playing,great demo.Thanks for showing us those👍

Man I love your energy and your genuine love for making music. You rock Mike.

you rock bro !everytime I start building again always start watching some more of your videos .truly inspirational

Thanks for this. I’ve played for 45 years and have been seriously thinking about buying or building a 3 string. You just made up my mind for me.

Mike, you are an amazing slide guitar player. As a new comer in CBG I have listened and learned a lot from your style of playing. Thank you so much.

As always Mike, your videos are very helpful. Love your style & presentations you offer to beginners, like myself to the Cigar box guitars. Thanks again for all of the very helpful video"s. Dan.

Excellent. Thanks for taking the time to make the video. Nice playing and nice looking guitars.

I have a OLIVA box on a 3 string a friend made me and it has 23 frets and a 25 1/2 inch scale. I have it tuned E B E now. I'm 62 and I normally play 6 string guitar. I love your video and I will keep watching for all the stuff I can learn from ya. Keep on havin fun !

You seem like a relaxed dude to talk about music and building. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Mike. I'm about to leap into the cigar box universe and this helped me decide between the 3 or 4.

I'm really glad that I discoveredy your Channel... like a lot of people I have always been jealous of musicians singers and the like anybody that can make music ... Because it seems to be such a satisfying thing a joyful thing to be able to play an instrument that's why I'm jealous...! well now things are different I discovered 3 string cigar boxes 4 string shovel guitars one string Diddley bows !!! OMG I am so motivated that 48 years old I'm going to make blues music with a slide on a cigar box...! Thank you for inspiring me... Truly

Really dig your personality man! Great playing, its inspiring to me to finish my build to jam like you.

Absolutely love the way you play. I’m sold, I want one of these.

You taught me well, now is the time to restring my regular guitar. Thanks!

Excellent. You have inspired me to try and play. You make it look simple but I know better.

My dad is working on building one of these. Can't wait to play it!

Absolutely wonderful,great for either lead or Rythm alone, really groovy sound Thank you.

Thank you for this...very helpful to have the two compared back to back

Hey Mike! Great video! I continue to learn from your music and your guitars...... thanks!

great video thanks for taking the time to put this out there for us newbies.

This video is one of my all time favorites on your channel. If I could give this video ten thumbs up, I would do it! Love it so much. I wish you happy Holidays! 🤩

Great ups man, enjoyable and informative.. love your playing

Thanks a million for this. I've gone back and forth trying to decide what to build. Now I'm going to build both!

I love instruments that are different from the norm. Not long ago, I saw a three string electric cigar guitar kit in a catalog that I received in the mail and I ordered one. I figured it was some kind of toy more than anything and once I got it, I put it up. Never put it together. I had no idea of it's history. I am retired and I love music and I wanted to learn a new instrument to just have fun with, one that wasn't so dang complicated. Well, now I believe that I've found it! I had no idea the history of this fabulous blues instrument and I certainly didn't know it could sound like you play it! Wow! Now I am super motivated to get started putting it together and making some blues come to life! Awesome!! Thanks for the great video.

What is only slightly less amazing than how cool this is, is that 17 people didn't like it. That, I will never understand.

Great video and guitars, they both sound so much better that the two fretless, three and four strings I have just made, I will have a look at your lessons also, always keen to learn more

Getting one soon! Love the look's. We all make em. Cheers!

That was awesome ,thank you for your video. That gives me more motivation to keep trying to practice thank you 😊

Great video resulted in a self build and helped us move forward. Thank you from N England York

Nice playing dude!

Good work Mike

Gonna build the 3 string first.. this a free country we can have both...

You are simply amazing! You got a new follower

Absolutely beautiful sounds.

This is great, what comes to mind. People that are losing the ability to play a traditional 6 string acoustic (arthritis) can still have a lot of fun. I spent 40 years as an auto mechanic (now 65) I took up the 6 string acoustic a year ago. Yes I still "suck" but it is a lot of fun. 40 years wrenching took a toll on my hands (the left for some reason) Of course I have the skills to build these instruments (my field was light line,AC and electrical, minor in computer science) Perhaps I concentrate a bit more on "builds".

Well done Mike.

Very nice demo... Thanks for the video...

I'm working on a 3 string random parts build using a tin body and the neck is a new shovel handle cut to size the bridge is an old metal antenna clamp and bracket. Strings are spare strings for my guitar. Thinking of painting the body now making the sound hole look like it's an old water well. Sounds fun

Great playing sir! Cool sound!

What is the difference? 1 string! Thanks for the video! I haven't tried the slide yet, but man, those 3-strings are insanely fun!

awesome vid! def love the sound and simplicty of the 3 string! def gonna look into making one with one of my cigar boxes. or more like attempt to make one. lol

Thank you thank you so so much for this ,you are a gentleman ! and yo made my day x

Hi Mike wery nice video, and informative too, I just bought a cigar box guitar and started to play, I love it..

So helpful.... Thank you very much!

Thank you, I have been considering which would work best for me. (3string won)

your guitar playing is awesome.

Thanks, Mike! I have a fretless 3-string CBG that I love to play with a slide. I'd eventually like a CBG with frets, but after watching this, I'm leaning towards 3 rather than 4 strings. I love the simplicity of it! If I want complexity, I can go with 6 strings. :)

Excellent! I like them very much. By the way, have you ever heard that kind of tunings are quite similar to Japanese Shamisen or some other eastern or central Asian instruments? I, Japanese, also play a newly invented instrument named ‘Ichigo-Ichie’ - meaning ‘an encounter in one life’ or ‘fifth degree’ - that has the tuning just same as your 4 strings guitar! I’ll learn from you so much.

nice video bro.thank you for your time.

You are definitely the best cigar box guitar player I have ever heard. Your picking is extremely clean, your slide is amazing, your sound is fantastic. Thanks for sharing

wow that is fantastic dude

Awesome, you really can play, you make it look so easy.

That's a nice video. As a newbie, there is a lot to figure out and understand. I live in Denmark and we don't quite have the Cigar Box Music culture, but I think - it's coming :) I don't have a workshop, so I'm getting a 3-sting, made by a guy, not so far from here. Thanks again Mike!

Hi Mike, you could use a second sound hole as the slide holder if it were the right size. Just a thought.

Thanks. Good instructions.

I sure would love to have one of those

Awesome video buddy, I love hearing you play. My three sting guitar looks like your four stinger,,,same cigar box I mean :) Thumbs UP!~John

You make it look so effortless and the slide sound is the best. I bet you still have years of playing experience behind you. Do you teach playing technique as well as building them?

Both of mine are Arturo fuente boxes, like the 3 string you are playing in this video. One is a King Bee box and the other a Queen Bee box

That was great, just subscribed.

I checked your website, a lil pricey for me but you a good product and talent for building plus you present your product well and it sounds awesome. Excellent job.

Man they sound awesome👍 good playin’

Nice video, great instruments!

Thanks Man. I think you settle the question for me as to whether 3 or 4. I'm going with 3, now I just need to find the right axe to buy! Any suggestions welcome

Real groovy bro. I like a 3 string too. That old traditional sound is always cool!!

awesome dude! subscribed

Good work!

Hello Mike, I saw your video from craftsmanship on which you showed ho to build these nice guitars. On currently busy to build my own now, but I'll remain with one question: How do you attach the neck to the box? You glue it underneath the top op the cigar box? Would be cool to hear from you Keep doing your thing (Y) thumbs up from Holland!

I would love to have one of your cigar box guitars

You remind me of a 50 year old Wayne from Wayne’s world

Thanks very much for this. I was flirting with 4-string but am now convinced I want a 3-string, so thanks for saving me from making the wrong decision. I have lots of 6-strings and am looking for the rawness and simplicity of a 3-string, mostly for slide, in combination with a P90 or something. This will be fun! :-)

you are good mate! many thanks for this :-) GREAT INFO as I'm gonna give it a go. Cheers.

Some great playing going on here! :)

What string did you use in this guitar? Good video thanks!

Grist video, Mike. Thank you

Man, this is so fuckin`awesome. Love this video and your work. So brilliant !!!!!!

That's just great! Thanks

Wow that was great playing... Your good at slide playing... Great blues rift

This _almost_ looks like an instrument I could learn how to play! Really gets me thinking :) Awesome video, had a lot of fun watching!

Sounds great. I definitely want to get one or maybe I will build one

Love to get a couple of 3 strings for my 3 lids to have around and hopefully start playing. Looks easy than 6 string and the lids could make something happen pretty quickly. Which seems to be trend in this day. Cheers.

I came here from Samantha Fish kicking ass on her 4 cbg on "Bulletproof". thanks for the info & playing Mike! i'll want to try a 3 or 4 cbg..i been playing those nasty Fender 6's for 50 yrs, time fer a change

Do all cigar box guitars come with a flannel shirt?

Amigo Mike eu amo o seu trabalho manda um grande beijo pro brasil

I've been fooling around with balalaika tunings, EEA and AAD. Yes, two strings tuned alike but played separately.

Very cool, I see you build these things; I have a quart can of Marvel mystery oil, should I make a three string out of it?

Man you got me interested in cigar boxes years ago with chicken coop blues. I now own two cigar boxes, a non fretted 3 string, and a fretted 4 string.

The 3 string sounds awesome! what gauge do you have on the strings? Im planing on building one!

Hi there Mike Snowden. That 3 string guitar is awesom and it produce great sound. Wow. Thumbs up : )

Stunning

I just madea three string guitar. I used a tin Christmas chocolates container for the tinny sound.

Thank you

Bo Diddley loved those boxes too.

Great demo. Wondering your thoughts. If I build/buy a 4 string fretted mode, will that pretty much cover all bases?