Making cigar box guitars from scratch and scrap

Shoemaker in his shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States, where he creates cigar box guitars, an old-time folk instrument that’s experiencing a resurgence in recent times.

A cigar box is just a cigar box – except when it’s a guitar.

In the hands of Gipson Shoemaker III, the simple wooden box becomes a musical instrument worth hundreds of dollars and capable of producing a raw, gritty and authentic sound.