I live in Estonia. It's hard to find used cigarbox or humidor in Estonia. New humidors are 51 euro.For me buying form ebay is to expensive. I have never build a guitar only didley bow.

 

I'am not soft guitar player. I don't like nylon strings.

I never learned to play my calssic guitar. It wa to hard for me

 because strings was to high and to away from each other.

I only know how to play my electric guitar and diddley bow.

 

I was thinking do build 5 or 4 string cookie tin banjo.

4 string guitar made from cookie tin or alternative for cigar box.

I don't wanna use plywood. Plywood sounds awfully.

 I was thinking to use nails for frets and bolt or something like this for nut.

When I put trussrod I need to make fingerboard.

For pickups I have two piezo elements. Cork under piezo mutes screaming highs.      

 

 

Do I need to make trussrod or no't ? For neck maple oak or poplar ?

Can I make neck rounded with sandpaper ?  I have no idea how to attach piezo with cork in box.


 

 

 

Views: 4211

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Hi DJ

There's a discussion group here on Cigar Box Nation (CBN) that focuses on building your own boxes. I live in China where cigar boxes are about as common as hen's teeth. So, I created this group to help people learn about basic box building. So far, I have built 3 box guitars all with home-made boxes. One is a square box, the second a triangular box, and the third is what I call a "paddle box" shape. I just completed the paddle box 'gitar' today. All three sound real nice, better than most of the Cigar Box based instruments I have built in the past. The discussion group is called "Home Made Resonator Boxes 101". There is some good reading there. To join the group you have to be approved. I approve everybody, but it may be a day or two till I get around to checking my e-mail to be informed that you want to join. (I wish I could figure out how to turn off this "feature", it certainly is a hassle for me as well.) CBN also has a canjo group with info on building cake/cookie tin guitars. That group is called the "Can Jo Consortium". There is a wealth of other information here on CBN, so don't be afraid to search around a "steal" any ideas you may need. We are all about helping others out building their instruments.

 

Also, I build three string guitars using a simpler so called "diatonic" fret layout, modeled after stick dulcimers and mountain dulcimers. I find it is a lot easier to learn and play on than a 6-string guitar. You might consider making one of these as well. They're even easier to learn how to play than ukuleles.

 

My last 3 instruments were built using 220cm x 3cm x 0.5cm cherry trim wood for the neck and box. For the sound board and the back board, I used veneer (a fancy name for plywood) that comes in large sheets 2mm thick. Although the veneer is a bit tricky to work with (the edges split quite easily), the resulting sound board sound really good in comparison to most cigar boxes I have heard. But if you have access to good quality tone wood and a planer, then by all means, build a high quality instrument. I just don't have the same access to quality material as I would if I were living in the States. Also, I make my necks by gluing about 6 strips of this trim wood together. For each board in the "stack", the curvature of the grain (as viewed from the ends of the boards) are reversed so as to build as strong a neck as possible. They are plenty strong without having to resort to a truss rod. I also use another strip of this trim wood for the fretboard. Needless to say, I use a lot of carpenter's wood glue.

 

If you have access to poplar, it is a good "hardwood" to begin on since it is not as hard as say Red Oak. A softer hardwood will make wood working easier, especially if you are limited to hand tools as I am. The only electric tool I use is a hand drill (and of course my computer for access to CBN for information and ideas). Rounding necks by hand is best done with a "spoke shave" and a few wood rasps. Some people have taken belt sanders, built a rack to support it upside down and have used that to sand down and shape necks, but I can't say I recommend this practice as I've never done it and there maybe some risk of injury involved.

 

All my instruments are acoustic. I played around with piezo-electric on one of my guitars and could never get rid of the finger noise pickup. So, I'm planning on experimenting with magnetic pickups, next. That will likely be this summer. In the mean time, there are a ton of discussions and articles on piezo pickups on CBN. Just search on piezo and related key words.

 

Well, good luck with your builds.

 

-Rand.

 

If you need boxes, you pay the freight and I will send you some to build with, Maximo

I was thinking first found something in estonia. 

First I try on cookie tin because these are easier to get and cheaper.


Most certainly use a cookie tin. I have built some very fine instruments using them.

Can you locate some very thin,2.5mm plywood and replace the bottom with it? It mellows out the tone nicely. Also I have built some boxes from thin plywood and have been quite pleased with them.

Don

I have only some 5mm and 10mm thick plywood at home.

For me buying maple oak or poplar is extremely hard.

These woods is under precious wood in estonia.

Is there any alternative for maple oak or poplar ? 

I was thinking to put leather on cookie tin box for better sound.

What kind of wood can you get? If you can't get maple, oak, or poplar, you could use a different wood like pine, and just laminate several strips together and make the neck stronger.

Hi Don,

That's a good idea. I'll have to try it sometime. That's a beautiful instrument, too.

-Rand.


Don Thompson said:

Most certainly use a cookie tin. I have built some very fine instruments using them.

Can you locate some very thin,2.5mm plywood and replace the bottom with it? It mellows out the tone nicely. Also I have built some boxes from thin plywood and have been quite pleased with them.

Don

I second Dan's idea. Laminating pine can produce a pretty strong neck, plenty strong for a 3 or 4 (or maybe a 5 or 6 stringer, I've not tried that). My last six necks were all laminated from "polmelo wood" or cherry trim wood with very good results. You can also alternate two colors of trim wood so as to have a stripe pattern. When finished, it will usually result in a very pretty neck that will "wow" people who see it. Just use what you can get and start building. You'll learn as you go. And don't be shy about posting questions to Cigar Box Nation.

 

P.S. If you are laminating the neck out of a few (or several) pieces of wood, then rather than orient the boards horizontally (like a sandwich), turn them 90 degrees upright. The resulting neck will be even stronger in this "vertical" orientation.

 

-Rand.

 

 

Dan Sleep said:

What kind of wood can you get? If you can't get maple, oak, or poplar, you could use a different wood like pine, and just laminate several strips together and make the neck stronger.

Is there a common hardwood in Estonia? A hardwood of some kind would be much better than a softwood such as pine. It doesn't have to be oak, cherry, maple or poplar. Most areas have a local hardwood of some kind that is available, though I know nothing about Estonia or it's regional woods and the availability of hardwoods there.

 

just a thought.

 

Brian Hunt.

 

I just did a google search on trees in Estonia and harwoods appear to be quite rare. Birch, spruce, aspen and pine are plentiful, but few hardwood trees. I did find one mention about hard spruce. Imported woods might be rather pricey.

Don

RSS

The Essential Pages

New to Cigar Box Nation? How to Play Cigar Box GuitarsFree Plans & How to Build Cigar Box GuitarsCigar Box Guitar Building Basics

Site Sponsor

Recommended Links & Resources


Forum

crossover guitar.

Started by Timothy Hunter in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 21. 11 Replies

Tune up songs

Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies

Duel output jacks

Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies

How to Get Your Own Music on Spotify

Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 21. 2 Replies

CB Bass Guitar

Started by Mi Rankin in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Justin Stanchfield Jan 27. 5 Replies

Latest Activity

A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video
Thumbnail

Im Troubled (Tribute) Mc K Morganfield by BCB - A.D .Eker 2024.

"Thank you Poorness ! for loving it ! appreciated!"
15 hours ago
Southern Ray replied to Timothy Hunter's discussion just came accross this pickup idea on youtube.
" Very interesting. Thank you Timothy!"
15 hours ago
Kent Thurston updated their profile
16 hours ago
Southern Ray posted a photo

Punch Project!

She now sports gold metal CBGitty knobs, speaker and an Artec 2.5 watt speaker. Finished this in…
17 hours ago
Southern Ray posted a photo

Project Punch!

Gonna finally get back on this long-delayed project that is more than half complete. (The matching…
17 hours ago
Poorness Studios liked A.D.EKER's video
19 hours ago
BrianQ. left a comment for Rob (Uker) Porras
"Hope this helps?"
19 hours ago
Doug Thorsvik commented on Doug Thorsvik's photo
Thumbnail

Dueling Flatheads

"I appreciate the kind words Papa D! I have always loved the look of these cigar boxes. Glad to have…"
22 hours ago
A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video
yesterday
A.D.EKER posted a video

Im Troubled (Tribute) Mc K Morganfield by BCB - A.D .Eker 2024.

The recorded History By Alan Lomax for the library of Congres of the Blues, from Mc Kinley Morganfield (Aka Muddy Waters) the in this take recorded Tribute ...
yesterday
Papa D commented on Doug Thorsvik's photo
Thumbnail

Dueling Flatheads

"Beautiful..Nice work Doug.."
yesterday
Papa D commented on Papa D's photo
Thumbnail

american1 Sun Glo

"Thanx AGP & Doug..  4 more coming soon"
yesterday

Music

© 2024   Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

\uastyle>\ud/** Scrollup **/\ud.scrollup {\ud background: url("https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/963882636?profile=original") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;\ud bottom: 25px;\ud display: inline !important;\ud height: 40px;\ud opacity: 0.3 !important;\ud position: fixed;\ud right: 30px;\ud text-indent: -9999px;\ud width: 40px;\ud z-index: 999;\ud}\ud.scrollup:hover {\ud opacity:0.99!important;\ud}\ud \uascript type="text/javascript">\ud x$(document).ready(function(){\ud x$(window).scroll(function(){\ud if (x$(this).scrollTop() > 100) {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeIn();\ud } else {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeOut();\ud }\ud });\ud x$('.scrollup').click(function(){\ud x$("html, body").animate({ scrollTop: 0 }, 600);\ud return false;\ud });\ud });\ud \ua!-- End Scroll Up -->