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Spinal Tap references aside (thank you Matt for that reminder!) homemade guitars and their accoutrements have a long and proud history here at MAKE. In MAKE Volume 4 Ed Vogel introduced us to his โsweet-sounding, three-stringed mini guitarโ that used a cigar box as the instrumentโs resonator. In MAKE Volume 9 Ed returned in collaboration with Blind Lightninโ Pete and built a $5 Cracker Box Amp using a low-voltage LM386 op-amp. In Volume 15 electronics author Charles Platt would theorize a โHypothetical Tremolo Wheelโ that would later become the Optical Tremolo Box; and most recently in Volume 21 MAKEโs Editor-in-Chief Mark Frauenfelder updated the Cigar Box Guitar to include some high-quality โstring and stickโ options. Not to mention roasting pan, bundt pan, tuna can, and even game console guitars all reported on over the years.
Now our latest Weekend Project continues this time-honored tradition of building a guitar from scratch by turning a disused license plate into the resonator top of a guitarโs soundbox. We call it the License Plate Guitar and it looks and sounds great! We walk you through the woodworking steps needed to build a custom box fitted for your license plate, how to hand-wind a pickup, and solder and mount some basic electronics components. Whether youโre from the Empire State, Show Me State, Golden State, or anywhere that uses license plates for that matter, no two will look or sound the same!
And if youโre looking for some novel ways to string up your License Plate Guitar be sure to check out these DIY Tuning Peg options!
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