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Class project manufacturing CBG's needs help

i'm an engineering student at ETSU and i'm trying to get my class on board to manufacture some CBG's. we're going to have to make about 50 of these (one for everyone in the class and some extra's for faculty) and i'm trying to see how doable this is. we have a budget but it's unclear exactly what it will be at the moment. we are looking an making relatively traditional 3 string jobs with piezo pickups. here are my questions/things i need to source:

1. the cigar boxes (relatively the same shape)

2. opinions as to whether this can be done for about 30 dollars a unit

3. sources for tuning machines and hardware in bulk

if anyones feeling really generous the university will provide any documents needed for a tax writeoff. again, i'd appreciate any tips or advice.

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Permalink Reply by Andy "Cracka" Duplay on September 4, 2010 at 8:04pm

I am finishing my first CBG right now, Here is an estimate for how much I have in it now:

1. Cedar cigar box: $3.00
2. Mahogany 1x2x4 4.00
3. 3 tuning machines 4.00
4. strings that I had already
5. Misc hardware 12.00

Of course you can go WAY cheaper. The box I got from a tobacco shop. You could use a less expensive wood for the neck. The tuners I got 6 for $8 on eBay. The hardware, I got stainless steel, just because that is the kind of guy I am. Essentially, as long as you have a source for boxes, and a source for neck wood, you could build these for WAY less than $30! Remember, these where invented by po' folk in the 19th century... they didn't have fancy to work with... it's just po' folk like me today like to make 'em fancier because that is how we are! :)

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Permalink Reply by GI Junker on September 4, 2010 at 10:04pm

I don't know if the fretting issue was discussed. but you don't have to use frets you can just cut the slots in or draw or wood burn. Then make it a slider. If you want to use frets there are plenty of places you can get the frets pre cut to save time. personal opinion though...I would omit the fretting just because you don't know who in the class knows how to work with wood and fretting might complicate things...

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Permalink Reply by GI Junker on September 4, 2010 at 10:07pm

I like those necks M-Park

Mungo Park said:

You do not need such a big piece of wood for the neck, mine are maple with a oak strip down the middle for strength, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" wide is good, 3/4" thick and something like 25 to 30" long is lots for a through neck, depending on the scale, I found for me 21" makes makes a good sound and gives the CBG a good balance, that is the neck is not so long it is hard to hold.
[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f333/mookie098/P1011106.jpg[/IMG]
You can make them complicated or simple, depends on you, a straight neck with a little round on the back will not take long. Look through the photos, get some ideas and draw out what you think looks good, engineer something wild and efficient to build.
I am not a engineer but maybe blueprint( for the old guys here), sketch up the thing and then find materials that fit and massage it as you go along to fit in materials you find cost/time effective. Hard to price/source a piece of wood that you do not know the dimensions of or what type of wood it is. The engineering is finding the materials that have the right properties, cost, time to assemble ..... A straight neck is less strong than the laminated neck, but less time to make, the laminated is stronger with less wood but more time..... Photos are not on order, but you get the idea.
[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f333/mookie098/P1011109.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f333/mookie098/P1011108.jpg[/IMG]

The bridge and nut is just another piece of small wood, could be a cutoff, I am not a fan of bolts for mine but does not mean they are not a good thing and work well for people. My bridge is a piece of wood with a welding rod on top of it with the flux pounded off the rod. The thickness of the wood sets the height.
I still think marking the frets is a great idea and in the spirit of the original CBG, course CNC router is old meets new, very cool. If you mark the frets in say black and mark the blues frets in red or blue then it will make it even easier to play for a beginner. Fretless can still be playde without a slide, just take a look at Shane's playing. Cheers Ron.
[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f333/mookie098/P1011389.jpg[/IMG]
Cheers

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Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on September 5, 2010 at 4:00am

Thanks for the kind words, I found if I make a bunch all at one time then it seems like making a CBG is rather quick, once I get a idea or a box I can grab a neck and get building and I am done in no time. I have only had one bend a little while it was sitting around waiting for a box. I did not chuck it, figured I would butt heads with it to see it I can get the kinks out.
Cheers Ron.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on September 5, 2010 at 4:29am

Please see my instructional video CD 4 (How to Play 3 string CBG):
http://shop.ebay.com/njmikeb/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&a...
If you are interested, we can make arrangements for a bulk discounted purchase.
Thank you for your consideration, Keni Lee

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Permalink Reply by ken farmer on September 7, 2010 at 2:23am

I ran a workshop just a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun, a few thoughts:
- You can do it for under $20 each, including a slide. CBGitty is your friend!
- Fretting takes practice and may not be appropriate unless you build in a lot of time, materials, and additional tools.
- It helps to write a very detailed guide with illustrations that addresses your exact designs
- Most young people these days have little to no with power tools - they need supervision & instruction otherwise someone's hair will get caught in a drill-press, etc.

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Permalink Reply by jarret lynch on September 14, 2010 at 7:18pm

ok well the class shot me down saying there was no way to build these fast and under 30 bucks and they be playable. well just out of spite, i whipped up my first one in under 3 hours and i'm suprised at how clean the sound is on it. here's pics (and yes i know i botched the box cutting)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0913101738.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102034a.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102035.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102036.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102034.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102221.jpg

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Permalink Reply by ken farmer on September 15, 2010 at 2:10am

Nice job Jarret.

Just remember - "perfect is the enemy of good enough". Sounds like yours is good enough.

jarret lynch said:

ok well the class shot me down saying there was no way to build these fast and under 30 bucks and they be playable. well just out of spite, i whipped up my first one in under 3 hours and i'm suprised at how clean the sound is on it. here's pics (and yes i know i botched the box cutting)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0913101738.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102034a.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102035.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102036.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102034.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/r1ng3l78/CBG/0914102221.jpg