Meet the Moolap man handcrafting cigar box guitars

AFTER decades crafting furniture, Moolap’s Greg McKinnon has turned his woodworking skills to a different kind of instrument: handcrafted cigar box guitars.

Under the name Brookwood Cigar Box Guitars, the retired furniture maker has spent the past decade building one-of-a-kind instruments from reclaimed timber, combining a lifelong love of wood with a passion for music.

McKinnon said he had played guitar since he was 18, but it wasn’t until years later that he discovered cigar box guitars online.

 

“I didn’t push the musical envelope too far after that,” he said. “I was just happy to be knocking around home on my six-string acoustic.

“Years later, I saw a few videos online and the three-string revolution really captured me. I picked up a cigar box guitar and it’s now my new passion. I just love it.

“The cigar boxes I’ve found are often decorative and quite attractive in themselves, however, I’ve opted to craft my own when I can. It gives me my own level of freedom.”

Working from a shed on his Moolap property, McKinnon crafts guitars that are as much works of art as they are musical instruments.

“There ain’t no rules for cigar box guitars, and that’s why I have never made the same guitar,” he said. “They are always different and personalised in their own unique way.

“For me it’s a blank canvas awaiting the artist.

“I’ve just fallen under the cigar box guitar spell. I love the sound and the look of them.”

 

Many of McKinnon’s guitars are built from reclaimed Australian timbers, including mountain ash and blackwood sourced from the Otways.

“The timbers I’ve got in the garage are gorgeous, and no piece is ever the same,” he said. “We leave the natural edges on them always. This gives it unique character.”

While some buyers treat the guitars as pieces of art, others discover just how accessible they are to play.

“I’d say 15 to 20 per cent of buyers just hang them on the wall,” McKinnon said. “But many others learn the three strings and really get into playing.

 

“For beginners, the appeal lies in the instrument’s simplicity.

“They’re incredibly user-friendly and serve as a great gateway to the guitar.

Often sporting his trademark Akubra hat, McKinnon can regularly be found at markets and music festivals across Victoria and interstate, sharing his handcrafted guitars with fellow musicians and curious passers-by.

“There are a few makers around, but I’d say I’m the most serious one in our area,” he said.

 

“I regularly head to the Echuca Winter Blues Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Maldon Folk Festival, and the Wanderer Festival up in Pambula. I just love being around musically minded people. A lot of them continue to inspire what I do.”