Hello all: I'm getting ready to (attempt to) build a CB violin. I have a cheap fiddle that I can use to check tolerances and stuff but what I'm Wresting with is how to attach the neck (its an actual violin neck) to the box and how much bracing I'll need in the box. My guess is that the tension on a fiddles neck is not as great as the tension on a 4 string CBG but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway...any suggestions (and maybe even some pics) would be greatly appreciated. Thx all for any help or advice you can provide. BTW here's a pic of the box I plan to use. It's all wood and over 12 inches in length (man that just sounds so wrong...hehe).
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
Replies
thank you all for the responses.
Bobby: That's exactly how I think I'm going to tackle it. It will also add strength to the box if I take it all the way through to the end pin.
I would consider cutting the heal off of the neck and replacing it with a "tongue" that would fit into a pocket (solid body giutar) in the neck block. I can visualise the process but can't show it here, sorry. Oh! You will need to brace the box, but cross brace's would be the go in this case.
Cheers Taff
Check out Jim Morris's builds, he has made a lot of them, and would be the best person for help.
Never built one myself, but ...
a 'traditional' violin neck/body attachment is a dovetail joint, the end of the neck is one BIG tail with a matching tailsocket cut in the end of the body. so you will need to add a block to the inside of the box to cut into. The end-pin that holds the tail-piece will also need a block added to the inside.
Because of the severe break angle over the bridge, traditional violins have a lot of pressure on the face, thus a bass-bar (wooden rib running longways) under the face near the bridge's bass foot, and a sound-post wedged between the face and the back near the bridge's treble foot.
Thanks JL....I was hoping to avoid the traditional dovetail joint method because I'm not real sure I trust my skills to get a tight fit. Might have to bite the bullet and go that way though.
You are permitted to think 'outside the box' (pun intended)
perhaps use a pair of hanger bolts instead...some acoustic guitars are built that way...