So here's the CBG I'll be teaching folks to build after my show Monday (5/25/09). I can build this design from scratch in about 10 minutes.
Everything except the box came from a hardware store. The bridge doubles as the tuner and is an eye screw. The string is a length of 16 gauge electric fence wire and the end of it doubles as the nut. The neck is held on with screws and only extends to the middle of the sound hole, making this a half spike lute like a Senegambian guimbri or ngiri.
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Well, I've got 10 2ft dowels cut and ten boxes ready. I pre-drilled 5 for folks who want a really easy build and left 5 undrilled for the more serious students. Several Romeo y Julietas, a couple of Macs, an ungainly Punch box, and some others.
Got all the hardware and tools together. Should be a good cbg building workshop.
If anyone here is in central NC, I'm playing at 5pm Monday 5/25 and then leading the building workshop at 6pm at Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro. Come check it out.
BTW, my giveaway guitars are essentially the same design except that I cut a flat area on the dowel where it goes into the box and glue it (in addition to the screws). Still takes about 10 minutes, but requires a saw and a chisel... and for this class (and my press kit) I'm trying to keep it down to the screw driver, drill, and adjustable wrench that everyone has lying around the house.
I've gotten some requests for how I build this in 10 minutes...
It's similar to a design I use with my press kit - when I send out a CD to radio or whatever, it goes in a cigar box with a couple of screws, a zither pin, a string (18 ga. steel wire, because the 16 ga fence wire won't fit through the hole in the zither pin), and plans to build it into a guitar using a dowel to be supplied by the recipient. The cigar box already has all the holes pre-drilled, so the plans start from there - but include a good pic showing where the holes are.
To use an eye screw instead of a zither pin, screw it all the way in, wrap the string (moderately tight) in the eye, and tighten by unscrewing the eye screw. That way, the string winds down the screw as the screw raises, keeping the action about the same. You have to start with the string moderately tight, because you can't wind very far before the screw comes out of the wood.
Replies
I was too busy to think about it :(
Jacob Blackwood said:
Then, afterwards, I helped 5 kids, ages 4 to 10, plus one adult, build their own one-string guitars.
I'm exhausted, but it was great fun.
Well, I've got 10 2ft dowels cut and ten boxes ready. I pre-drilled 5 for folks who want a really easy build and left 5 undrilled for the more serious students. Several Romeo y Julietas, a couple of Macs, an ungainly Punch box, and some others.
Got all the hardware and tools together. Should be a good cbg building workshop.
If anyone here is in central NC, I'm playing at 5pm Monday 5/25 and then leading the building workshop at 6pm at Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro. Come check it out.
It's similar to a design I use with my press kit - when I send out a CD to radio or whatever, it goes in a cigar box with a couple of screws, a zither pin, a string (18 ga. steel wire, because the 16 ga fence wire won't fit through the hole in the zither pin), and plans to build it into a guitar using a dowel to be supplied by the recipient. The cigar box already has all the holes pre-drilled, so the plans start from there - but include a good pic showing where the holes are.
To use an eye screw instead of a zither pin, screw it all the way in, wrap the string (moderately tight) in the eye, and tighten by unscrewing the eye screw. That way, the string winds down the screw as the screw raises, keeping the action about the same. You have to start with the string moderately tight, because you can't wind very far before the screw comes out of the wood.
Plans attached.
Guitar kit plan.pdf