So I just ordered my first resonator CBG from a builder down in Alabama. I wish I could have found a huge box, but I couldn't, so I'm hoping it's gonna sound good. I am using a Charles Atchison "Lightning" reso cone and cover, not a Walmart dog bowl or paint lid.
Anyway, it never occurred to me that the neck cannot run through the cigar box because of the reso cone dipping down into the box. I have always read that the neck needs to go through the box to be able to handle the strain of the string tension. So I am curious, how is this addressed on a resonator? If the neck can't go through the box, what keeps the git strong and rigid from warping? Do people have issues with keeping their reso's in tune because of this?
Would love to know more about this. Any internal pics of resonators would be helpful. Would love to know how they are properly constructed.
Replies
My reso with a Atchison cone has the neck thru too.,.,but to answer your question, you just brace the box real well.,.,I used a steamer lid that looked like a fire bell one time and the neck was not neck thru.,,.bracing solved the stress .,.,.,
Hi, I have only used a neck through the body system just to see what it is like, all my CBG's have a neck block, and/or a heal for neck support. even with my six strings I use a neck block and heal.
Having said that I also do not use a proper cigar box either, so I am not restricted by box dimensions. In the only actual cigar box I have used, again to test their use, I used a neck through system. I think it depends on what you want out of your instrument. For me putting a hunk of wood into an already small box cuts down on available volume in the box, a bit picky I know, but I like to get as much as I can out of my CBG's as possible.
I would think that a suitably reinforced neck area in the box could be devised to take the strain of strings, there is only 3 of them, without going through the box.
But lets not forget that many of these guitars are built by people with no woodwork knowledge or tools and skills, so the easiest way may work best. As we increase our skills and understanding we can "try another way". As has been mention on here "there's more than one way to skin a cat"
Cheers Taff
Hi Richard, I'm collating photos and will post soon.
Taff
Thanks, I've been woodworking for many years, but you sir have some mad skills!
Hi Richard just posted neck block info in new post.
Taff
Have a ton of projects, but busted water lines in the house have kept me busy, waiting for warmer weather to get back in my shop, -2 degrees tonight, the cold here won't let go for more than a day or 2.
Have to finish the reso, license plate build, more Fuente boxes a punch box and crap load of comacho boxes, plus a classical 6 string La Valenciana to finish restoring and doing a left hand conversion to. Plenty of projects, no time
Atchison's cones aren't that deep, my neck doesn't go all the way through, but it could with just a little notching. I made mine bolt on and I have his 7" thunder cone
you can see here it's just resting on the through portion of the neck, the cone will actually be a lot higher as it mounts to the top of the lid
semi finished, but I stole the neck for the arture fuente build, so i have to make another
so I guess it depends on how deep your box is as well, I made mine so I wouldn't have that issue
Hi again Snuffy, I sorted out some photos of a build I did some years ago.
As you can see there is no support needed between the neck and tail end of the box. A suitably sized neck block and tail block plus the top and the back, will all contribute to stopping the box from collapsing from string tension. My reso's no matter what the cone used stay in tune.
You can, like I have, make the sides thicker than normal if you are concerned as the sides do not play a part in the sound quality, but the top and the back do. My tops and backs are normally pretty thin but are braced accordingly.
This is a six stringer and was very stable, even with all the cutouts for the pickup, soundholes and cone. Those areas are week and have been reinforced as shown.I hope this helps.
Cheers Taff
Hey Taff, if not proprietary, I would really like to see more pics and details of your neck block setups, I'm impressed by the strength you state especially with the minimal intrusion in the box. Like you, I only do through necks on actual Cigar Boxes due to their lack of strength, I mostly prefer to build my own boxes and with those do a bolt on, but my neck bolt on are completely inside the box with a lot of bracing. By the way, gorgeous Resonator!
Wow, pretty git there. Yeah, I'm not the builder here. I've got a builder putting this together for me. I'm crossing my fingers it sounds good.