My Next Read: Obsessed with Cigar Box Guitars

Musicians and hobbyists are finding new creative freedom by making their own musical instruments out of unconventional materials. Their ingenious creations range from simple cardboard diddley bows to wooden box electric six-string guitars that are more impressive than anything you can buy in a store.

Obsessed with Cigar Box Guitars celebrates the modern craft of these irresistibly alluring instruments. Here, professional photographer and woodworking enthusiast David Sutton shares his obsession with the genre in an expanded photo gallery that profiles inspiring examples of handmade musical greatness. Sutton details multiple techniques for playing the fretted, three-string cigar box guitar, with easy-to-follow chord diagrams and instructions for a selection of classic tunes. He also provides a new step-by-step project for building your own tenor ukulele.

David Sutton is a highly successful photographer who says that he enjoys woodworking almost as passionately. His portraits of people and their pets have been featured extensively in national media including the Today Show and Animal Planet, as well as in the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Chicago Sun-Times and Crain’s Chicago Business. He has also exhibited his work in numerous venues including Hermés of Paris and Takishimaya New York.

You can get it here.