Crafting a CBG Amplifier from a Cohiba Cigar Box
Introduction
For the CBG universe, the sky is the limit, when it comes to creativity. So I asked myself: how about the CBG Amplifier? It’s much easier to make than any Cigar Box Guitar. Of course, if you don’t mind do a soldering.
There is a lot of cigar boxes that are not good for the guitars but may be perfect for CBG amplifier.
Choosing the Perfect Cigar Box For the CBG Amplifier
So, I get one that looks very boxy but at the same time has enough room for a small dynamic and the amp circuit. It has to have room for the battery also as it certainly has to be mobile.
Small Cohiba cigar box: from some point in time my local cigar stores started to give away cigar boxes if they are smaller than a certain size.
Gathering Components
2 Watt speaker from the old computer audio system:
It can be any loudspeaker from 0.5 to 10 Watts of power. The best match would be 8 Watts. But in my closet, only a 2-watt loudspeaker of the required size was found. Remember one of my CBG rules: I make the cheapest possible instruments from some spare materials. I minimize the costs. Not by caprice, but paying tribute to tradition. First CBG makers didn’t have money.
And here is what I had to add:
-
- 3/4 input jack ($0.70).
- 9V
- battery connector ($0.90).Switch ($1.50).
- And finally the amplifier module itself. After some research I’ve ended up with this one below.
Amplifier Module Overview
That’s actually it. As you may see in the upper images the amplifier module is quite small. And 3 of the 4 sides have the connection/control elements:
- DC Input;
- Audio Input;
- Volume Control.
Soldering Process
There is no way that I can adjust the amp module in the cigar box to make all 3 things accessible from the outside. That’s when it’s time for soldering!
So I extended all three controls with the wire. The “spider” in the following image is the result of this soldering.
CBG Amplifier: Final Product
So. The final result is like this:
Closing Remark
When I demonstrated it to my son last weekend I asked him: “Sound awful. Isn’t it?”.
He responded immediately with the question: “But that was the point. Isn’t it?” 🙂
CBG Amplifier: Demo Sound Recording
The following is just a demo of the sound. Nothing more.
Oh, and the sound was recorded through the Fishman Loudbox Mini.
But the only alteration to the sound made is a slight reverb. No other effects.