The builder’s experience is the most overlooked parts of a cigar box guitar festival. wanted a quieter space where builders could actually talk, share ideas, and learn from one another. We meet once a month in a classroom at my church, and anywhere from ten to two dozen people usually show up. It’s open to anyone building instruments—not just cigar box guitars.

If you think you’ve seen it all at the Sound Searchers , think again. At our most recent musical-instrument meet-up at the York Town Craft Guild , regular member and resident mad-scientist luthier Jean-Louis Jugeau  walked in carrying something that made everyone freeze mid-conversation: a full recreation of Mr. Spock’s Vulcan Lyre  — the iconic multi-stringed instrument from Star Trek . But Jean-Louis didn’t stop at an already jaw-dropping build. He went… further. Hidden inside the sleek,...

A rake handle and wine box create a playable slide bass. These plans, originally in Modern Mechanics and Inventions, 1931