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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on March 21, 2009 at 12:08pm

Look around the site, you'll see many ideas. Most of our cigar-box items only have three or four strings, and don't require the neck to be really stiff. A piece of hardware store maple or oak 1X2 will be fine, even better with a 1/4" X 2" material glued on as a separate fretboard.
The neck on most just goes through the box, so the box structure is not greatly stressed.

However, many guys build complex necks that are laminates and such; carved to shape much as a standard guitar neck would be. The neck on my signature-photo mandola is such; a maple/oak laminate carved to shape with headstock "ears" glued on and bolted to the body.

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on March 21, 2009 at 12:14pm

Well, what kind of neck? Traditional through the box? Mounted to a heel block? Scarf joint for the headstock? Or cutting it down from a deep piece of wood (like a uke)? Or just trad CBG flat slab? Fingerboard? Fretted?

These things all require particular tools.

I mostly do neck-throughs. I cut the scarf joint free hand with a back saw. Shape the neck with a sureform, half round rasp, half round file, and sandpaper. Usually, but not always, add a fingerboard if using frets. Cut the fret slots freehand with a fret saw (a real luthier tool that is definitely worth the price). Sometimes I don't bother with the scarf joint, in which case, I make a slotted head stock to get the break angle over the nut. For the carry-through relief, I sometimes use a saw and chisel and sometimes use the sureform depending on the mood I'm in.

None of this applies to my give-away guitars which are much simpler.

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Permalink Reply by William H Bonney on March 21, 2009 at 12:31pm

Thanks for the info.I buIld Tub Basses and work Blue Grass fetivals but I think I'm becoming hooked on this Cigar box stuff.

Thanks again,
Terry

Mark Werner said:

Look around the site, you'll see many ideas. Most of our cigar-box items only have three or four strings, and don't require the neck to be really stiff. A piece of hardware store maple or oak 1X2 will be fine, even better with a 1/4" X 2" material glued on as a separate fretboard.
The neck on most just goes through the box, so the box structure is not greatly stressed.

However, many guys build complex necks that are laminates and such; carved to shape much as a standard guitar neck would be. The neck on my signature-photo mandola is such; a maple/oak laminate carved to shape with headstock "ears" glued on and bolted to the body.

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Permalink Reply by William H Bonney on March 21, 2009 at 12:35pm

Thanks for the info,

Terry

Doc Oakroot said:

Well, what kind of neck? Traditional through the box? Mounted to a heel block? Scarf joint for the headstock? Or cutting it down from a deep piece of wood (like a uke)? Or just trad CBG flat slab? Fingerboard? Fretted?

These things all require particular tools.

I mostly do neck-throughs. I cut the scarf joint free hand with a back saw. Shape the neck with a sureform, half round rasp, half round file, and sandpaper. Usually, but not always, add a fingerboard if using frets. Cut the fret slots freehand with a fret saw (a real luthier tool that is definitely worth the price). Sometimes I don't bother with the scarf joint, in which case, I make a slotted head stock to get the break angle over the nut. For the carry-through relief, I sometimes use a saw and chisel and sometimes use the sureform depending on the mood I'm in.

None of this applies to my give-away guitars which are much simpler.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on March 22, 2009 at 2:33am

James, this was one of my guides :http://cigarboxguitars.com/workshops/How_To_Build_A_CBG.php Very very basic but a start. I also go the most info from the DVD I purchased from Jelly Belly Music. Now I just look at pictures on this site and when I see something I like I give it a try. Least I going to, I'm only working on my second one right now.

The DVD really took most of the mystery out of it for me. (I got it off of e-bay). Kept me from getting frustrated trying to figure thing out on my own.

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Permalink Reply by William H Bonney on March 22, 2009 at 4:13am

Thanks,
Terry

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