In 2025 the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation (CAPO) requested for an item to be donated to their Exhibition and Auction. CAPO supports artists in the ACT by a series of generous grants, and in 2024 I was fortunate enough to receive a Workplace Research Associates Award from them to help develop my workshop. I thought a (cigar) box guitar would make a nice item to include in the auction, though making my own box, rather than a cigar box per se.

The guitar turned out to be a little more classy than your average vernacular cigar box guitar using some beautiful and rare timbers, though I tried to keep to the “found” ethos.

The guitar is made from Australian Cedar (Toona Ciliata) back and sides, which was given to me by a friend, and which came from his father who had collected a shed full, but could only rescue some of it from a bush fire. The timber had burnt edges. The top is Tulip Satinwood (Rhodosphaera rhodanthema), a rare, yellow timber that Gerard Gilet gave me.  The neck is New Guinea Rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus), a blood red example of the timber which I found in a skip.  The fingerboard is Beefwood (Grevillea striata), an offcut from a resophonic guitar fingerboard.  Gidgee and Ebony are used decoratively. The Gidgee came from a log from the property of a fellow ANCA resident.  The Volume and Tone knobs are hand cast glass made by Jacqueline Bradley.  The pickup is the neck pickup from a box of Fender Telecaster parts that friend and fellow luthier Graham McDonald gave me.

 Each piece has a story!

Photography: Andrew Sikorski