Hello Folks, I am a newbie and I am getting ready to build mi 1st cigarbox guitar and have a question on how to make the groove in the neck so it will fit well into the top of the cigar box. I bought the Bill Jehle's DVD "how to Build a Guitar" and he uses a router to carve out the material in the neck so it will be almost flush with the top of the box I do not have a wood shop or access to a router, or wish to invest in an expensive router. I got a bench chisel and been practicing in a scrap piece if wood the with and thickness of a neck, but boy it is tough to carve out the slot of approx. 1/32 of an inch (the thickness of the box top. After working some sweat for 2 hr the slot is certainly not flat and smooth so I do not think that it will glue well to the top and be flush to transmit the vibration (sound) to the box. I need some suggestions on how to cut a smooth slot in the neck... I though that perhaps a hand rotary tool like a Dremel with a router attachment and a router bit could achieve this Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated.
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Ditto Sam. I use a mitre saw with a piece of scrap wood clamped to the saw as a depth guide. Make the cuts, remove with the chisel, sand flat. I use the same process to thin down necks. Cut the back, remove wood, wood file then sand. I then make cuts on the edges and follow the same process. Time consuming but accurate.
Wichita Sam said:
try this //// mark your 1/4 that you want to remove. (mark both sides of the neck) take a hack saw and cut a series of lines to the mark... This is time consuming but accurate. Break out the pieces of wood inbetween the cuts with a screw driver or your chisel and then sand smooth. Again, it's time consuming but very accurate... should give you a nice some and level surface....
let us know what you decide to do and how it turns out..
You're right... everyone builds differently.... there's a lot of ways to solve construction problems... and you're right again, the best way to learn is to build and build some more.... Look at stuff you like and ask questions....
the best,
Sam
Wes Yates said:
Check out the 'Free Plans' under 'Free Resources'. I'm sure we all have our madness and method but mostly the plans here will get you in the right direction. Sam builds differently than I as does Josh, John, Shane, etc (big names here), so the best way is to build and build again -- but better ;-)
-WY
Esteban Celis said:
Crow, Many thanks for your response. Would it be possible to get more details on how you made your guitars? The general concept is really neat!
Check out the 'Free Plans' under 'Free Resources'. I'm sure we all have our madness and method but mostly the plans here will get you in the right direction. Sam builds differently than I as does Josh, John, Shane, etc (big names here), so the best way is to build and build again -- but better ;-)
-WY
Esteban Celis said:
Crow, Many thanks for your response. Would it be possible to get more details on how you made your guitars? The general concept is really neat!
this construction design is time proven in mountain dulcimers..... I watched your links.... You've done a great job....
the best,
Wichita Sam
Crow said:
i say forget all of that. i don't have the tools to set up the neck-in-body arrangement, so i just don't worry about it.
i build all my instruments like a stick dulcimer - the 1x2 is the entire instrument, from the tuning head right down to the string stops at the tail. that peice of wood is treated like a complete instrument. once it is finished, it is then bolted to the face of whatever resonator i want. look at my videos and you'll see what i mean.
works for me. no fuss, no muss, and i can swap my necks to different bodies in less than 1 minute if i want. also, i always mount to the "body" side of the box or can, leaving the lid on the back. this way i can always open up the instrument for wiring or adjustment later.
some cigar boxes have no clasp on them. these i hold closed with electric tape around the entire circumference of the box, covering the gap. it dresses it up nicely too.
my build method avoids all the issues involved with fretboard height vs box face height and so on. it allows me to worry more about the other aspects of instrument construction, and produces an "stick instrument" that is ready for any kind of body. in the future i plan to make cutouts of popular electric guitar shapes from some nice plywood and bolt them on. frets can be installed like any other neck. i've used wooden toothpicks before, and i plan to build another with them soon.
i say forget all of that. i don't have the tools to set up the neck-in-body arrangement, so i just don't worry about it.
i build all my instruments like a stick dulcimer - the 1x2 is the entire instrument, from the tuning head right down to the string stops at the tail. that peice of wood is treated like a complete instrument. once it is finished, it is then bolted to the face of whatever resonator i want. look at my videos and you'll see what i mean.
works for me. no fuss, no muss, and i can swap my necks to different bodies in less than 1 minute if i want. also, i always mount to the "body" side of the box or can, leaving the lid on the back. this way i can always open up the instrument for wiring or adjustment later.
some cigar boxes have no clasp on them. these i hold closed with electric tape around the entire circumference of the box, covering the gap. it dresses it up nicely too.
my build method avoids all the issues involved with fretboard height vs box face height and so on. it allows me to worry more about the other aspects of instrument construction, and produces an "stick instrument" that is ready for any kind of body. in the future i plan to make cutouts of popular electric guitar shapes from some nice plywood and bolt them on. frets can be installed like any other neck. i've used wooden toothpicks before, and i plan to build another with them soon.
1/4" oak strip from Lowes or Home Depot but you will have to fret it yourself. It isn't hard but daunting if you've never done it before. I bet if you ask, someone* here might fret one for you (I'd be glad to for cost + a small gratuity). I can even put in perloid fret markers if you like.
There is also a great thread here that goes into fretting.
- WY
Esteban Celis said:
Any recommendations on where to get inexpensive fretboards? Wade said:
Adding a 1/4'' fretboard to the neck may be the way to go. It will save time instead of all that cutting(you may still need to cut some). It will give you a stronger neck. Also, by adding a fretboard you get the strings higher off the body(box) which results in a larger string break angle at the bridge and should give you more volume out of your CBG.
Any recommendations on where to get inexpensive fretboards?
Wade said:
Adding a 1/4'' fretboard to the neck may be the way to go. It will save time instead of all that cutting(you may still need to cut some). It will give you a stronger neck. Also, by adding a fretboard you get the strings higher off the body(box) which results in a larger string break angle at the bridge and should give you more volume out of your CBG.
Adding a 1/4'' fretboard to the neck may be the way to go. It will save time instead of all that cutting(you may still need to cut some). It will give you a stronger neck. Also, by adding a fretboard you get the strings higher off the body(box) which results in a larger string break angle at the bridge and should give you more volume out of your CBG.
Replies
Wichita Sam said:
You're right... everyone builds differently.... there's a lot of ways to solve construction problems... and you're right again, the best way to learn is to build and build some more.... Look at stuff you like and ask questions....
the best,
Sam
Wes Yates said:
-WY
Esteban Celis said:
Many thanks for your response. Would it be possible to get more details on how you made your guitars? The general concept is really neat!
this construction design is time proven in mountain dulcimers..... I watched your links.... You've done a great job....
the best,
Wichita Sam
Crow said:
i build all my instruments like a stick dulcimer - the 1x2 is the entire instrument, from the tuning head right down to the string stops at the tail. that peice of wood is treated like a complete instrument. once it is finished, it is then bolted to the face of whatever resonator i want. look at my videos and you'll see what i mean.
works for me. no fuss, no muss, and i can swap my necks to different bodies in less than 1 minute if i want. also, i always mount to the "body" side of the box or can, leaving the lid on the back. this way i can always open up the instrument for wiring or adjustment later.
some cigar boxes have no clasp on them. these i hold closed with electric tape around the entire circumference of the box, covering the gap. it dresses it up nicely too.
here's some videos. hope they help!!!
cardboard box guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd5jEWV4By8
and sample of it being played:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU8BMoxdINc
next, i moved up to a cookie tin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEGM8HZ_xow
and a sample of a cookie tin being played:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkj5F0rUlpg
finally, i started building with cigar boxes, with the exact same construction method:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cyPID1FinM
and of course one of the videos with me playing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM5RchVyihc
my build method avoids all the issues involved with fretboard height vs box face height and so on. it allows me to worry more about the other aspects of instrument construction, and produces an "stick instrument" that is ready for any kind of body. in the future i plan to make cutouts of popular electric guitar shapes from some nice plywood and bolt them on. frets can be installed like any other neck. i've used wooden toothpicks before, and i plan to build another with them soon.
hope this helps!!!
There is also a great thread here that goes into fretting.
- WY
Esteban Celis said:
Wade said:
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