This project was a commissioned build for a friend. He wanted to use a license plate from one of his Dad’s early cars. I loved the idea and a chance to make a guitar that is a little different from a normal cigar box guitar.
The build process wasn’t much different than a regular cigar box guitar. The main difference, was that it didn’t use a cigar box. I made the box using some quilted maple. Its about the same size as a cigar box so wasn’t to difficult. I just glued up the back and sides. There is no wooden top. The plate will become the top. Most of the work went into making the neck. After lots of shaping and sanding, I finished the whole thing with laquer. I applied many coats until it had built up a nice gloss finish. Then it was on to the assembly and wiring. I installed 2 separate pickups selectable using a 3 position switch. This way, several different tones can be selected. The last step was to install the license plate, and string it up.
Overall, the guitar turned out great. My friend was very happy with it and will be getting some good use out of it.