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

Best way to get fretboard over box top

First build and first post so bear with me as I’ll probably have few questions along the way. I’m using a CBGitty box, burnt laser markings are on the outside on purpose. I’ve wood burned the top and I’m going to distress it so I figured the burned marks will help.

Now to my question. I’ve ordered a premade fretboard and I plan on using some old heart pine as the neck. I’m wanting the fretboard to come over the top of the box a little but not sure how the process needs to go. What would be the best way to go about this?

My thinking is to fix the neck so it’s flush with the top then glue the fretboard on. With this box, the top sits on top of the box, which I’ll screw on blocks I’ll put in the corners so he neck will have to be notched so it comes up even with the top with lid on.

Thanks for any advise.

Troy

0 members like this

Attachments:

F73209D8-9E44-42D3-BC59-0424ABBCB00F.jpeg, 650 KB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 11, 2018 at 3:47am

Many "fretboards over box" guitars you see actually have that part of the lid cut out around the end of the fretboard .(usually extending from the notch for the neck. ie:

This way you can still manage to open the box , for repairs / add ons etc ...

just a popular option. hope that helps .

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Korrigan on February 11, 2018 at 11:44am

Wish I had an actual picture to show you but here's a drawing. What I do is make the neck almost flush with the top so that when the fretboard is affixed to the neck it will end up floating about 0.5mm above the top of the box. Doing that creates a slot between the neck and fretboard for the box top to slip into.

Hey AP, I think we use the same CAD software. :D

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on February 11, 2018 at 11:59am

MS paint ? lol.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Korrigan on February 11, 2018 at 2:07pm

Yes sir, only the most cutting edge software for us!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TROY CLECKLER on February 11, 2018 at 12:09pm

Yep, that’s what I’m looking to do, floating neck.
Would it be better to size the neck, fit it to the box then add the freatboard?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by turtlehead on February 11, 2018 at 1:35pm

I do it like Korrigan's picture. Notch the neck and dry fit to make sure the fretboard clears the box, remove the neck and glue down the fretboard, then install the whole thing as one piece. Gives me a chance to make one final shaping pass on the neck and fretboard to get everything as fair and smooth as possible.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Korrigan on February 11, 2018 at 2:09pm

Yes, do all your measuring, cutting and dry fitting before you glue the fretboard to the neck.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TROY CLECKLER on February 12, 2018 at 4:04pm

Thanks for the suggestions. Here’s what I come up with and I think it’ll work ok. The top will be screwed in at the corners. After the fact, I think I should have notched the bottom of the neck instead of cutting the box to the full thickness of the neck. It’s a snug fit so it’ll look ok.

Attachments:

AF646B71-E8F7-4292-B6F1-1F6C1BC1E451.jpeg, 83 KB
3C5D1BA2-88A0-4900-ADE6-471CD94FA7C4.jpeg, 71 KB
AB742D74-F1B1-4E0F-9309-CB6A4987AA2C.jpeg, 70 KB

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Korrigan on February 12, 2018 at 4:24pm

Looks great as it is Troy. Notching the bottom of the neck would have weakened it considerably.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by turtlehead on February 14, 2018 at 3:36pm

Lookin' good!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 13, 2018 at 2:01am

Here's a link to how I make my standard ready-made guitar necks, where the end of the fretboard projects over the top of the box. It is not at all complicated. https://youtu.be/ohXauQXIrjw?t=1m32s

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TROY CLECKLER on February 15, 2018 at 12:46am

Thanks for all the kind words and information. Getting a little closer. Got fret markers in and trying to age the box a little, not quite finished but getting close to the look I was after.

Attachments: