Hi,
I have made a few CBGs and usually opt for a recycled 6string neck.
I fix this by making a neck pocket out of 2 layers of wood with a gap in the one nearest the sound board side for the neck to sit in. This means I can avoid using a router which I haven't got nor ever used.
So far this has worked well and I glue with "serious glue" which gives a great bond. I normally use only electric 8s or 9s and the CBGs tolerate this very well. My last build was a resonator 6string and I tried 11 gauge but had to switch to 9s because the CBG started to bow (it is fine with the 9s).
My question is how can I reinforce this neck pocket further so it will cope with the much increased string tension of 12 strings - I will use the 8 gauge set of strings (Gauges 8-8, 10-10, 14-8, 24w-11, 32-17, 40-22w). One idea I have thought of is to increase the size of the planks used to maybe a third of the box or even the whole box size. I plan to use a magnetic pickup and piezo discs so dampening of the sound board is not a main concern although if anyone has any ideas where I can avoid this I would be grateful to hear them. I always screw hinges neck and tail end to improve the box strength.
My tools are limited to a hand saw, electric jigsaw, electric drill and a dremel like tool I cut the pocket out of the plywood box.
Thank you to all in advance,
David
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
David, It's been my experience that mdf is only good to use as a filler for table top laminations and such. Hardwoods are pretty strong, softwoods will flex or bend under pressure. Plywood on the other hand doesn't normally flex much (when used in the same thickness as dimensional lumber). It doesn't warp & bow as bad when influenced by humidity or similar conditions. But there's really not anything more beautiful than a finished piece of hardwood. I guess it just depends on what or where you're gonna use it. Hope this helps, Wray
Could anyone tell me the pecking order of the different woods possible please ie hardwood/plywood/MDF/any other when it comes to adding strength?
Thanks,
David
Wray said:
David, you might try a full piece of ply the full lenth on the back. put a smaller piece on front of it towards the tail to fasten the bridge and string fastening to. Or you could cut 2 pieces to run from head end fastened to the side of the neck running from neck end to tail end , cut a square corner out of the head end put a piece across just like the one with the screws in it (in the picture) You could run a block accross the tail end for string and bridge fastening.
David, you might try a full piece of ply the full lenth on the back. put a smaller piece on front of it towards the tail to fasten the bridge and string fastening to. Or you could cut 2 pieces to run from head end fastened to the side of the neck running from neck end to tail end , cut a square corner out of the head end put a piece across just like the one with the screws in it (in the picture) You could run a block accross the tail end for string and bridge fastening.
Your welcome David, i'd choose the same depth as the box and fix it at the bottom and top but i guess that doesnt matter as much as long as the piece of wood is thick enough.
As far as the wood goes, any hardwood will do just fine for as far as i know.
You mean like a neckplate or all across the back of the neckstick? Your gonna need a neckplate or else the screw's might rip trough the wood, a metal plate all across the length of the stick would be unnecicary i.m.o. I dont think the holes will weaken the stick that much but you would need a pretty thick metal plate to compensate the weakening from the holes, your better of getting a nice quartersawn piece of wood saw that in 2 (lengthwise) and glue them back together with the grains oppostite to eachother. That would make a pretty tough stick and should have no problem coping with the pressure/tention.
Best wishes, Frans
David Lloyd said:
hanks Bluesdog,
For the neckstick do you make it the depth of the inside of the box so it can be fixed to the top and bottom or do you have a free edge and just glue to the top? Also what would you recommend for the wood? Final question - Do you think screwing a metal plate on the underside of the stck would help or would the screwholes weaken the stick (could always glue I suppose)?
Regards, David
Bluesdog said:
A neckstick would be a good solution i think, take a piece of wood about the same length as your box and make a neckpocket in it (like on a regular electric guitar) that you can bolt the neck to. Your pressure distribution is much larger that way because the tention isnt going to push on the crossmembers at the top of the box like it does now but linear to the neck itself since your basicly enlonging the neck.
You probibly gonna need an extra tool to cut the neckpocket, a wood chizzel. The rest can be done with what you have. You take a pencil draw out the shape of the neckpocket on the wood, mesure the depth of the pocket, take a drillbit and tape it off at how deep it has to be according to your mesurements, start drilling within the drawn lines on the wood untill you have a lot of holes where the pocket is gonna be and simply chizzel that out. Clean that up with the dremeltool and your good to go
For the neckstick do you make it the depth of the inside of the box so it can be fixed to the top and bottom or do you have a free edge and just glue to the top? Also what would you recommend for the wood? Final question - Do you think screwing a metal plate on the underside of the stck would help or would the screwholes weaken the stick (could always glue I suppose)?
Regards,
David
Bluesdog said:
A neckstick would be a good solution i think, take a piece of wood about the same length as your box and make a neckpocket in it (like on a regular electric guitar) that you can bolt the neck to. Your pressure distribution is much larger that way because the tention isnt going to push on the crossmembers at the top of the box like it does now but linear to the neck itself since your basicly enlonging the neck.
You probibly gonna need an extra tool to cut the neckpocket, a wood chizzel. The rest can be done with what you have. You take a pencil draw out the shape of the neckpocket on the wood, mesure the depth of the pocket, take a drillbit and tape it off at how deep it has to be according to your mesurements, start drilling within the drawn lines on the wood untill you have a lot of holes where the pocket is gonna be and simply chizzel that out. Clean that up with the dremeltool and your good to go
A neckstick would be a good solution i think, take a piece of wood about the same length as your box and make a neckpocket in it (like on a regular electric guitar) that you can bolt the neck to. Your pressure distribution is much larger that way because the tention isnt going to push on the crossmembers at the top of the box like it does now but linear to the neck itself since your basicly enlonging the neck.
You probibly gonna need an extra tool to cut the neckpocket, a wood chizzel. The rest can be done with what you have. You take a pencil draw out the shape of the neckpocket on the wood, mesure the depth of the pocket, take a drillbit and tape it off at how deep it has to be according to your mesurements, start drilling within the drawn lines on the wood untill you have a lot of holes where the pocket is gonna be and simply chizzel that out. Clean that up with the dremeltool and your good to go
Replies
Thank you for the information.
Could anyone tell me the pecking order of the different woods possible please ie hardwood/plywood/MDF/any other when it comes to adding strength?
Thanks,
David
Wray said:
LastScan.jpg
As far as the wood goes, any hardwood will do just fine for as far as i know.
You mean like a neckplate or all across the back of the neckstick? Your gonna need a neckplate or else the screw's might rip trough the wood, a metal plate all across the length of the stick would be unnecicary i.m.o. I dont think the holes will weaken the stick that much but you would need a pretty thick metal plate to compensate the weakening from the holes, your better of getting a nice quartersawn piece of wood saw that in 2 (lengthwise) and glue them back together with the grains oppostite to eachother. That would make a pretty tough stick and should have no problem coping with the pressure/tention.
Best wishes, Frans
David Lloyd said:
For the neckstick do you make it the depth of the inside of the box so it can be fixed to the top and bottom or do you have a free edge and just glue to the top? Also what would you recommend for the wood? Final question - Do you think screwing a metal plate on the underside of the stck would help or would the screwholes weaken the stick (could always glue I suppose)?
Regards,
David
Bluesdog said:
You probibly gonna need an extra tool to cut the neckpocket, a wood chizzel. The rest can be done with what you have. You take a pencil draw out the shape of the neckpocket on the wood, mesure the depth of the pocket, take a drillbit and tape it off at how deep it has to be according to your mesurements, start drilling within the drawn lines on the wood untill you have a lot of holes where the pocket is gonna be and simply chizzel that out. Clean that up with the dremeltool and your good to go
Hope this helps.