| Music and cigars aren't something I usually | | | | The earliest known cigar box instrument is |
| equate with each other. In fact, cigars are | | | | believed to have been concocted during the |
| almost the last type of smoke I think of when | | | | Civil war. This is based on the discovery of |
| I turn the dial of the radio. If I hear Ryan | | | | a drawing by Edwin Forbes, a French artist |
| Adams, I imagine him on stage surrounded by a | | | | working for the Union Army. This drawing |
| grayish cloud, a cigarette dangling from his | | | | features two soldiers sitting around a |
| mouth. If I hear Bing Crosby, I imagine that | | | | campfire, one watching the other play a cigar |
| his White Christmas also involves a black | | | | box fiddle. |
| pipe. And, if I hear Willie Nelson, I think | | | | |
| of a type of smoke sure to make him hungry | | | | Eras marked by poverty saw cigar box |
| for some Kenny Rogers Roasters. Cigars, | | | | instruments, particularly cigar box guitars, |
| however, don't typically cross my mind when I | | | | begin to flourish. Both the blues movement |
| think of music. | | | | and the emergence of jug bands are believed |
| | | | to have been facilitated, at least in part, |
| It turns out this is a misconception on my | | | | by cigar box guitars and the Great |
| part: cigars, or rather their boxes, contain | | | | Depression, leaving so many people broke and |
| some of the true roots of music. | | | | out of work, became a catalyst for these |
| | | | homemade instruments. |
| Cigar box guitars are homemade guitars where | | | | |
| used cigar boxes serve as the resonator, | | | | During these times, many people couldn't |
| echoing the vibrations that cause sound. Used | | | | afford guitars so they simply made their own. |
| by many poverty stricken musicians, these | | | | Using cigar boxes, screen wire and broom |
| instruments forever have a place in the | | | | handles, as well as anything else they could |
| history of song. In fact, cigar box guitars | | | | find, countless children made playable |
| go all the way back to the 19th century. | | | | instruments. Since these instruments were |
| | | | made by so many different people, they had |
| Before 1840, according to the curator of the | | | | many different varieties. Some cigar box |
| National Cigar Museum, Dr. Tony Hyman, cigars | | | | guitars had one string, some had three or |
| were not shipped in boxes but large crates, | | | | four. Some had frets up the neck, some did |
| crates that would hold over 100 cigars at a | | | | not. Some of the creators built their guitar |
| time. These crates were found to be too big | | | | and simply moved on, some grew up to be the |
| in size for efficient shipping and were | | | | trail blazers of rock and roll. |
| eventually reduced into smaller crates that | | | | |
| would hold much fewer sticks. And so, the | | | | Among the notable musicians believed to have |
| cigar box was born. | | | | played cigar box guitars at some point are |
| | | | Carl Perkins, Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, |
| About the time cigar boxes emerged, cigar | | | | Ted Nugent, BB King, and Ed King of Lynyrd |
| smoking did as well: people from all walks of | | | | Skynyrd. |
| life indulged, leaving their cigar boxes | | | | |
| empty in the process. Picked up by innovators | | | | Part of so much of our nation's musical past, |
| and creators, these empty cigar boxes were | | | | the cigar box guitar has an entire museum |
| quickly turned into guitars, banjos, and | | | | dedicated to it. The National Cigar Box |
| fiddles. Unbeknownst at the time, these | | | | Guitar Museum is located in York, |
| instruments would soon give those who were | | | | Pennsylvania and features a wide display of |
| too poor to afford a guitar a chance to | | | | various cigar box guitars as well as the |
| experiment musically. | | | | stories of the legendary musicians who played |
| | | | them. |