Cardboard acoustic guitar takes centre stage in the latest Cardboard Chaos project, as the collective unveils what is believed to be the world’s first fully functional acoustic jazz guitar made entirely from cardboard. This ambitious creation blends experimentation, craftsmanship, and creative risk, challenging expectations of what an instrument can be.
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The project brings together a cross-country collaboration between Ernest Packaging, Signal Snowboards, and Detroit-based luthier Gabriel Currie, founder of Echopark Guitars, with each contributor playing a vital role in turning an unconventional idea into a playable instrument. While the concept had been circulating within the Cardboard Chaos team for years, it was only when the right creative forces aligned that the build finally moved from theory into reality.
At the centre of the process was a balance between engineered precision and open-ended experimentation. In Southern California, Ernest Packaging’s design team worked extensively to develop the cardboard acoustic guitar’s core structure, shaping cardboard into complex components inspired by traditional archtop designs. Using techniques that combined layering, moulding, and resin reinforcement, they created pieces intended to mimic the strength and curvature of a classic jazz guitar—despite being made from a material not typically associated with durability or resonance.
Those components were then placed in the hands of Gabriel Currie, whose experience building guitars for major artists brought a new level of craftsmanship to the project. Faced with materials that behaved entirely differently from wood, Currie approached the build with a willingness to abandon convention. “Everything I thought I knew, I put aside,” he said, reflecting on the challenge.
From there, the process became as much about instinct as it was about technique. Over multiple sessions in Detroit, the cardboard acoustic guitar slowly took shape through a combination of traditional luthiery methods and unconventional problem-solving. Each stage—from assembling the body and shaping the neck to installing pickups and hardware—required careful adaptation, as the team worked to ensure the instrument could withstand tension, maintain its structure, and ultimately produce a viable sound.
The build was not without its setbacks. Moments of uncertainty, trial and error, and structural challenges were all part of the journey, as the team pushed cardboard far beyond its expected limits. Yet through persistence and collaboration, those obstacles gave way to progress, with the instrument gradually evolving from a series of experimental parts into a cohesive and playable guitar.
By the final stages, what had once seemed improbable had become tangible. The completed cardboard acoustic guitar not only held its form but delivered a sound that defied expectations—marking a significant milestone for the Cardboard Chaos initiative and its ongoing exploration of material innovation.
To complete the project, guitarist Owen Barry was brought in to put the instrument through its paces in a professional studio setting. The result demonstrated that this was far more than a conceptual build or visual experiment; it was a functioning instrument capable of performance.
The cardboard acoustic guitar will now join the wider Cardboard Chaos collection, which already includes a series of fully playable creations such as a Fender Stratocaster-style electric guitar, bass guitar, a Wurlitzer-style keyboard, and a cardboard drum kit developed in collaboration with Masters of Maple, featuring cardboard drum shells. Beyond instruments, the project has also produced a range of functional builds, including a snowboard, skateboard, surfboard, wakeboard, and even fully skateable Vans Classic Slip-Ons—previously highlighted in Good Star Vibes’ coverage of Signal Snowboards, Vans, and Ernest Packaging’s cardboard footwear innovation.
This new cardboard acoustic guitar will also feature in upcoming Cardboard Sessions, a free-form video series that brings musicians together to experiment with these instruments in an unstructured, collaborative setting. Previous participants have included the collaborative duo of Billy F. Gibbons, legendary guitarist of ZZ Top, and Matt Sorum, drummer best known for his work with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, alongside solo performers such as Return to Dust, Pete Yorn, Daru Jones, Meg Myers, and Dogstar, whose bassist is Keanu Reeves, highlighting the project’s reach across music, skate culture, and creative innovation.
Ultimately, the project stands as a testament to what can be achieved when technical expertise meets a willingness to challenge convention. By reimagining both the materials and methods behind instrument design, Cardboard Chaos, Ernest Packaging, and Signal Snowboards have demonstrated that innovation often begins by embracing the unexpected—and seeing potential where others might not.
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