Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on October 1, 2014 at 3:02pm

Ohhhhh-kayyyyy, here we go agin! :-)

Rate we're going, Scruggy will soon be building and playing the extremely rare, almost whisper-quiet, No-String Trance Wonder, in homage to Seasick Steve, but will not be sure how to finger-tap the 35th fret properly so as to nail the most intricate solo on "Hot For Teacher."

Beauty of the diddley bow is that the scale length almost doesn't matter, as you'll be finding the "good" notes by ear. Me, I'd use that E bass string, and make it approx a 34" scale. You should then be able to play most of the bass parts to "Enter Sandman." >:-E

For pickups, you can just take a single coil pup, run it lengthwise so that all the pole pieces line up under the string. The Phrygian Kid has a pic here somewhere, where he strapped one on to a DB using a zip tie.

Time for the rest of the crew to weigh in, with Rat the eventual winner by default through fatigue...

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Permalink Reply by robert jones on October 1, 2014 at 3:22pm

Good Fellow Sprague, pray thee be chary in thy speech with regard to The Mighty Rat lest thou be laid low as he hath firmly ensconced himself upon the highest pinnacle where none dare engage to unseat him!

Scruggy, Ron's pretty much covered the diddley bow here so just run with what he said.

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Permalink Reply by Scruggy on October 2, 2014 at 1:04pm

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/prewired-magnetic-pickup/next?c...

This is the one I have! Does it have to be flush sunkin into the box? Or can it sit on the outside! Would save a lot of hassle cutting slot out plus would need to cut into neck as its directly under it?

Ps wrong pic above click on previous pic and it's the prewired pickup I have!

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 2, 2014 at 1:24pm

sure  you  can   put  it  on the  outside   ..  if you  dont    plan on   fretting or fingering  the  neck    and  just  play  with a slide  .    your string   will  be   cloths hanger high  tho  .  unless  you  top  mount a neck  too  .  but it  really  dont  matter  with a diddly .

   you  can   also  even     invert   the  pickup  *above the  string  ..(bridged  over  it  )  and    keep  the  string  lower  .. 

like this ;

 i did this to  a guit that was  glued shut  . 

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Permalink Reply by Scruggy on October 2, 2014 at 1:49pm

Neck inside the box! What you mean by cloths hanger high?

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 2, 2014 at 2:47pm

means  really  high  .   ;-)

 

but as i  said  it  dont really  matter     with a diddly  .. if you  just  plan to  slide  .

  so  top  mount it  ,  or   put it  upside  down   bridged  over the   string    . 

bridged  over  will  allow   for  a  low  nut  and  bridge  and  less   strain  angle  on the  stick/neck.  

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on October 1, 2014 at 4:05pm

What Ron said...

Truthfully, a Diddley bow can be anything you want with one string.  Mine are 25" ish scale length, low E string, and a magnetic pickup as Ron described...    most start their lives as a 2x4 or 1x4-1x6 about 30" long...

All you need is a bridge and a nut, for me that's a piece of scrap 1x2 screwed down with a slotted screw for the bridge/Nut.

If you use a magnetic pickup, be sure to ground the string through the bridge or it might hum...

Most of all:  If it makes noise, you did it right...  don't stress, the only wrong way to make it is one that won't play...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on October 1, 2014 at 4:43pm

Like so: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dZNk76_4lds

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Permalink Reply by Scruggy on October 2, 2014 at 3:12am

It most certainly might get loud!! Lol

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Permalink Reply by Scruggy on October 2, 2014 at 3:11am

What do you mean by ground the string through the bridge?

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 1, 2014 at 10:45pm

sounds  like  you are  making  more    of the  guitar   / strummer type,   than   the   string on a 2x4  thing  , so  .. here's mine  with a bridge position    single coil  mag  ,  ,32  or .40 gauge  string  , and a short scale  donor  neck  . 

Find more videos like this on Cigar Box Nation

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Permalink Reply by Scruggy on October 2, 2014 at 3:38am

Pretty cool!

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