When AJ Gaither built himself a guitar out of an old cigar box he was instantly hooked.
The raw sound it made was something he identified with.
"It's kind of the sound of struggle and hardship," said Gaither. "I don't know there is something about it being homemade. This guitar is all road scars, its all miles and songs an bars rooms and whiskey."
Gaither has built his career on his hand-built cigar-box guitar. He performs most Sunday nights at the Westport Saloon. He's a one man band and he is proud of his sound.
"The guitars are blast to build. You get to plan out your own instrument," Gaither said. "If you take the time to build it, you are gong to want to play it that much more."
Gaither's guitar is so unique that his cigar-box guitar pattern is now manufactured by C.B. Gitty, a craft supply company that makes parts and patterns for people who want to make guitars.
Gaither calls his guitar the "Arkansas Tenor," after his upbringing in Arkansas.
"It's not a true tenor, it's kind of a joke in my upbringing," Gaither said.
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Richard Sharp can be reached at richard.sharp@kshb.com.
