#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Yamaha Silent Guitar

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuXIwsNmY6o

These guitars are pretty cool for a minimalist type guitar/travel guitar and they sound great. Sweetwater has them for about $650, but I'm thinking that a good 2 x 4 piece of wood and a few scraps you could make your own. Add a C.B.Gitty Rod Piezo, maybe a pickup and a preamp with a couple of one knob effects and your golden.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Craig on February 18, 2019 at 1:47am

I think you're right. Any of us could build a silent solid-body that had earphones. $650 is a lot of money. Although it is an interesting and attractive construction.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 19, 2019 at 11:01am

It is an attractive guitar and the built in effects are nice.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 18, 2019 at 5:54am

I'm going to build one for myself one of these days, but it'll be at the back of the project list. I got 6 unfinished builds sitting and collecting dust at the moment. Haha

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 18, 2019 at 6:07am

The problem around my neck of the woods is the only 2 x 4's available are White or Yellow Pine. Which is a soft wood for this kind of build.

Stewmac has some Mahogany at 3" x 4" x 2' for $126(pricey). They also have some body blanks for about the same price. It would best to find a cheaper lumber supply for some Mahogany for the body piece and use a Maple electric guitar neck. I could probably make one of these for $300 total cost. Still a lot of money so some Oak would be just as good. ;)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on February 18, 2019 at 11:12am

Yep, I consider it a lot of money due to the fact that when I did a hearing test without seeing the captions [eyes closed] most of the effect changes were practically unnoticeable. I did pick up reverb and chorus effects but most of the other switching had me guessing.

Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on February 19, 2019 at 11:00am

It can be harder to determine differences in a recording than being there in person depending on the quality of the recording. That being said, recordings can be manipulated to prove points as well.

It did have a good sound and it made me think of the 2 x 4 Bass builds that a few people did recently. Then I thought about doing on of these type guitars with a similar construction. Just don't want any soft woods like the Pine Cedar and Tulip Poplar available around here. Red Oak is available, but not in 2 x 4's, so I'll have to get a few 1 x 4's and glue them together and use a bandsaw or jigsaw to cut out the form.