Healing, one cigar box at a time: Marblehead man crafts unique guitars from his driveway

Jul. 29—MARBLEHEAD — A new factory popped up on Rowland Street — one invoking a musical spirit with cigar boxes and restoring the soul of forgotten instruments entering their twilight years.

But don't get the zoning map out yet. This is a "cigar box guitar factory," and the biggest soul being restored at 7 Rowland St. is the one running the factory out of his driveway.

"This one was Aztec-inspired," said Michael Whalen, a 66-year-old Marblehead resident. "The world was supposed to end in 2012."

Whalen held out his arms, unveiling a worn, ivory-colored "2012" cigar box from Honduran manufacturer Oscar Valladares that previously held a set of 10 barber pole stogies. A neck extends to the right, supporting three acoustic guitar strings that then tie to a trio of anchors on the left side of the box. A small hole is drilled into the lid to create resonance.

He flipped the guitar over, pointing to a "Made in Danli, Honduras" line along the back.

"They're using Honduran wood," he said, placing the guitar against his hip and positioning his fingers on the fret board. "Really, really good stuff."

He then ran his fingers across the strings. The familiar sound of an E exploded from the box with a reverb characteristic of 1930s-era string instruments. It harkens back to the blues and early rock musicians who homebrewed their own gear when the country's economy collapsed with the Great Depression.

"It's healing in a lot of ways," he said, putting the guitar down.

Everybody has a story of life during COVID-19 and many sound like Whalen's. Entering the pandemic, he was caretaking for his parents, who died as society began to shut down and hospitals became overloaded.

"I was burned out on the healthcare system in general, and to find COVID hitting and see the nonsense going on in the hospitals, then with people not being able to see their loved ones," he said. "I couldn't take it."

So for the first time, Whalen picked up a guitar with the intent to do something with it. He already knew how to play violin, piano and the jazz trumpet, so learning wasn't hard, he explained.

"It got me into the roots of music and Americana, appreciating bluegrass. And I always liked rock and roll," Whalen said. "Music is a great healer. And in these times, when there's so much division with people, the one thing we can agree on?"

He paused, pointing to a row of a dozen or so cigar box guitars on display. They resembled a group of people gathered on a porch.

"Everyone should be out in their front yards, their front porches, getting to know everyone in their neighborhood," he said.

Any self-respecting musician can report that a musical instrument given respect will also repay it.

"And if it's brought back, it'll pay you back for the time you invest in it," Whalen said.

But something happened recently. As Whalen sat playing his guitars in his driveway, more cars started passing by with people watching.

A major construction project had just opened up on Pleasant Street downtown, causing all traffic heading toward the water to drive past his home. As a result, now Whalen has a steady audience for his work, some stopping to take pictures. He also has a gradual stream of potential customers. The guitars are for sale and some found new homes.

"It keeps me happy," Whalen said. "People really need to express themselves a little bit more in life. It's easy to look down and not engage with people. But the more we do, the more we find out we're the same."

Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.