fiddles were also important in the rise of jug bands and blues. As most of these performers were black Americans living in poverty, many could not afford a "real" instrument. Using these, along with the washtub bass (similar to the cigar box guitar), jug, washboard, and harmonica, black musicians performed blues at social events. The Great Depression of the 1930s saw a resurgence of homemade musical instruments. Times were hard in the American South, and sitting on the front porch singing away the blues was a popular pastime. Musical instruments were beyond the means of most people, but with an old cigar box, a piece of broom handle and a couple of wires from the screen door, a guitar was born. Modern revival A modern revival of these instruments (also known as the Cigar Box Guitar Revolution) has been gathering momentum with an increase in the number of cigar box guitar builders and performers. A loose-knit group of underground musicians tour the East Coast of the United States each summer under the banner "Masters of the Cigar Box Guitar Tour." These musicians include Doctor Oakroot, Johnny Lowebow, Tomi-O and many others. A growing number of primitive luthiers are adding cigar box guitars to their items for sale. Some cigar box guitar builders of today include Shane Speal, Mike Snowden, Del Puckett and Peter Lake of Heavy Fog Guitars. The modern revival is partly due to interest in the DIY culture, as a cigar box is inexpensive in comparison with other factors, such as strings and construction time. Many modern cigar box guitar makers can be seen as practitioners of a type of lutherie and implement various personal touches, such as the addition of pickups and resonator cones. The modern revival of cigar box guitars is documented in the 2008 film Songs Inside the Box, which was shot primarily at the Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza, an annual event held in Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville, Alabama is home to the world's longest-running cigar box guitar festival. The 17th annual Cigar Box Guitar Festival was held in 2021. Huntsville, Alabama is home to the only brick-and-mortar cigar box guitar store in the world. Located at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, the store was founded by John Nickel and his father Pat Nickel, after John attended the local cigar box guitar festival and was inspired to build and play cigar box guitars. Luthier Jeff Mello