Early on Saturday morning, Anthony Walker sets up his handcrafted Southpaw Cigarbox Guitars at Soda City and begins to strum on the instruments. Market onlookers stop by to ask him questions about the unique guitars, and some even test them out on their own.
The history of cigar box guitars is something Walker values and makes sure to preserve in his work. These guitars gained popularity after the Civil War and again during the Great Depression. They were an inexpensive way to create music for those who could not afford high quality instruments.
“A lot of times they would get a cigar box, pull a picket off a fence, take the wire off of a broom or any particular piece of wire and they made their own guitars,” Walker said.
Walker’s love for tradition drove him to create these cigar box guitars. Walker was a law enforcement officer in Columbia for his entire life. While recovering from back surgery, he wanted to find a hobby that could keep him busy. After watching a video of a woman playing a cigar box guitar, Walker decided he wanted to make one for himself.
The process of handcrafting the instruments is fairly time consuming. He visits cigar stores in Columbia to collect cigar boxes, or sometimes he makes the boxes on his own. He does the fretwork and assembly himself. Each guitar represents the rich tradition of cigar box guitars.
“I try to stay true to the history of the cigar box,” Walker said. "These are made to survive. These are made to last."
The original cigar box guitars were not made well enough to survive because they were pieced together by scraps of low quality materials. Walker makes his instruments to last while keeping the tradition intact.
Several famous musicians are known for using cigar box guitars. Bo Diddley even got his name from the single string cigar box guitar known as a Diddley bow. Also, Buddy Guy is known for using a two-string cigar box guitar referred to as a chugger.
Walker said when he first started at Soda City a year and half ago, he couldn’t play a single chord. The market has given him a chance to improve his progression, but in his mind, he thinks of himself as a creator. He said that Eric Clapton is one of the most well-known guitarists, but he wasn’t expected to build his own guitars. Walker said it’s important to know when to stay in your lane.
“I never see myself as being a performer ... I am and I will always be a builder,” Walker said.