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just a newbies questions

Posted by nick tyson on June 21, 2010 at 5:27pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion
Hi all,
hope you wont mind me putting these questions out here but im hoping they will help me makes some choices so i can get on with building my first cigar box guitar.

So here goes,

What is your favourite type or size of cigar box to use and why?

And secoundly, after just having a look on ebay and seeing just how many new and old pickups are out there, What is your favourite one to use and why?

Last one, if im trying for and old sound im a best getting and old pick up or is there another way?

Sorry if these are very basic question but i have never built one before .

Thanks for reading this and taking the time to answer.


Nick

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Replies

  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates July 10, 2010 at 9:11am
    You did mention open tuning which as you are aware means the notes of a chord. Some popular ones are Open D and Open G. Now these aren't the only ones, but certainly popular. I tune open based on the strings I use (which is NOT the rule mind you). I use the 1-4 strings of a pack. That is the DGBe strings so I usually do Open G or Open D. One could use any strings and get an open tuning I would say.

    Normally I tune standard DGBe and if needed drop the e string down to D to get Open G-ish (not to be confused with Open Irish -- which is also a good whiskey, bwaaa ha ha).

    Lately I've been doing a lot with the DGB strings and using the e string as an upper addition to the songs. Strange how that happens like that.

    -WY

    Roy Alderman said:
    Hi Guys, my name is Roy Alderman and I just joined. I have been playing blues harp off & on for 20 years and I am a mediocre guitar player at best, but have always had a knack for open tuned slide. i just started (& finised) my 1st build. Took 6-8 hours or more, but at least half of them were scaring up my old woodworking tools and going back & forth to Lowe's. Your comments make me feel better as I made a plethora of mistakes on my first one. It is playable for sure, but not exactly a wondrous piece of art.Wired pickup backwards and didn't know it until the box was complete & enclosed - duhhh. 3 strings will take a little while to get used to - what tuning works best for someone transitioning to a 3 string?
  • Roy Alderman July 10, 2010 at 8:28am
    Hi Guys, my name is Roy Alderman and I just joined. I have been playing blues harp off & on for 20 years and I am a mediocre guitar player at best, but have always had a knack for open tuned slide. i just started (& finised) my 1st build. Took 6-8 hours or more, but at least half of them were scaring up my old woodworking tools and going back & forth to Lowe's. Your comments make me feel better as I made a plethora of mistakes on my first one. It is playable for sure, but not exactly a wondrous piece of art.Wired pickup backwards and didn't know it until the box was complete & enclosed - duhhh. 3 strings will take a little while to get used to - what tuning works best for someone transitioning to a 3 string?
  • L.J. July 3, 2010 at 10:38am
    I find deeper boxes have more volume. Thinner wood but not so thin its weak. sound wise they all sound their own way. I would think twice about the pickup option. It adds a bit of work to a first build. Id get my feet wet on an acoustic and let the electric fall into place after you learn from your earlymistakes. I build acoustic or electric with mag pickups. If I do a piezo I buy it from someone with a lot of experience. Like a pickup bridge. They just sound terrible if they arent done proper and add alot more thought to the build.
  • nick tyson July 2, 2010 at 8:45am
    Hi Rev. Nix.
    Sorry its taken me so long to reply.
    Thats was a nice offer and i wish i did live in the states so i could take you up on that offer.

    just trying to get teh materials together now to start the first one.

    Rev. Nix said:
    If you lived in the states i would mail you a mac pow i got about 50...they have a nice sound. One thing i can tell you is build one, the rest will come. After i built one i understand alot more now. Wanna do a really fun CBG build a Crow style there fast and FUN!
  • nick tyson June 22, 2010 at 7:51am
    Wes,
    Thank you so much for your advice and help.

    Wes Yates said:
    Nick,
    Cool. So if you ask if larger == better, I can give you more of a definitive answer. Well, a definitive maybe. Bigger does make a deeper tone but again, that isn't the only factor. And, yes, pickups do make a difference. Remember, all cigar boxes will sound different. Dimensions only contribute but are not the total ticket to tonal tantra.

    To be even more confusing, some of the grittiest, dirtiest, grungiest sounds come from some of the builders here who make their own. Now, they know what they are doing in terms of building pickups, but take some things one at a time is my opinion. Make a simple CBG. Build it to be changeable (don't glue the neck on for one so you can change the neck when you feel like it.) Put in a piezo or two, and before you ask, we have diagrams for wiring. Do a search or just ask me and I'll find what you need. We have had that question posted ad nauseum. There are a few things more you can do to make the first build an evolution in CBG, so when you get to that point, post the question on this discussion (saves electrons, he he).

    So, first thing, and I know you've done some of this, is to look at the plans. Second suggestion is to review the 26K photos here in the gallery [take a vacation and do this he he]. Study how the others here do things. Learn and build.

    -WY
  • Rev. Nix June 21, 2010 at 7:26pm
    If you lived in the states i would mail you a mac pow i got about 50...they have a nice sound. One thing i can tell you is build one, the rest will come. After i built one i understand alot more now. Wanna do a really fun CBG build a Crow style there fast and FUN!
  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates June 21, 2010 at 7:19pm
    Nick,
    Cool. So if you ask if larger == better, I can give you more of a definitive answer. Well, a definitive maybe. Bigger does make a deeper tone but again, that isn't the only factor. And, yes, pickups do make a difference. Remember, all cigar boxes will sound different. Dimensions only contribute but are not the total ticket to tonal tantra.

    To be even more confusing, some of the grittiest, dirtiest, grungiest sounds come from some of the builders here who make their own. Now, they know what they are doing in terms of building pickups, but take some things one at a time is my opinion. Make a simple CBG. Build it to be changeable (don't glue the neck on for one so you can change the neck when you feel like it.) Put in a piezo or two, and before you ask, we have diagrams for wiring. Do a search or just ask me and I'll find what you need. We have had that question posted ad nauseum. There are a few things more you can do to make the first build an evolution in CBG, so when you get to that point, post the question on this discussion (saves electrons, he he).

    So, first thing, and I know you've done some of this, is to look at the plans. Second suggestion is to review the 26K photos here in the gallery [take a vacation and do this he he]. Study how the others here do things. Learn and build.

    -WY
  • nick tyson June 21, 2010 at 5:51pm
    Hi wes,

    Thanks for the reply it did help.
    The main reason i asked about the size of box was because , after looking on ebay they come in lots of different sizes , so really was just wonderting which size was the best to start with, ie a 7'' or longer and does a deeper depth give a different sound.

    Wes Yates said:
    What is your favourite type or size of cigar box to use and why?

    The one I have in front of me. Sarcastic sounding but really, not a big deal. In reality I don't like the small (palmitas size) boxes.

    And secoundly, after just having a look on ebay and seeing just how many new and old pickups are out there, What is your favourite one to use and why?

    Depends. Piezos are popular with CBGs, so... Look for CBGitty here on the Nation. He has a store and does ebay IIRC.

    Last one, if im trying for and old sound im a best getting and old pick up or is there another way?

    Not necessarily. I could be sarcastic here again, but again in reality you get what you get.

    The truth is, cigar boxes are not really meant to be musical instruments. We just happen to make musical instruments out of them. Shane and I both have made CBGs out of Macanudo Protofino Cafe box CBGs, but they will never sounds the same (obviously). Even him playing mine would not sound the same as me playing it. Style is a large factor in the sounds you get. Pickup and placement is also important but you have to know where and how to place them to get a unique sound. Note I said unique. John McNair makes some of the best sounding CBGs I know, and I can mostly tell when his are being played, but that is his mastery of what and how to make CBGs. the other 90% of course if his style of playing. His amp is also important, so I would look into that too.

    Look, I see what you want, but truthfully, build one or two and see what you did right and what you did wrong (and you will do plenty wrong). I seriously doubt anyone here has made his 'desired sound' on the first build. And I really don't mean to sound discouraging. On the contrary! We here on the nation say that the first build is the best reason to build again (and again, and again, and again...). Its just recently that I've gotten my Mac box (mentioned above) to sound really cherry.

    -WY
  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates June 21, 2010 at 5:41pm
    What is your favourite type or size of cigar box to use and why?

    The one I have in front of me. Sarcastic sounding but really, not a big deal. In reality I don't like the small (palmitas size) boxes.

    And secoundly, after just having a look on ebay and seeing just how many new and old pickups are out there, What is your favourite one to use and why?

    Depends. Piezos are popular with CBGs, so... Look for CBGitty here on the Nation. He has a store and does ebay IIRC.

    Last one, if im trying for and old sound im a best getting and old pick up or is there another way?

    Not necessarily. I could be sarcastic here again, but again in reality you get what you get.

    The truth is, cigar boxes are not really meant to be musical instruments. We just happen to make musical instruments out of them. Shane and I both have made CBGs out of Macanudo Protofino Cafe box CBGs, but they will never sounds the same (obviously). Even him playing mine would not sound the same as me playing it. Style is a large factor in the sounds you get. Pickup and placement is also important but you have to know where and how to place them to get a unique sound. Note I said unique. John McNair makes some of the best sounding CBGs I know, and I can mostly tell when his are being played, but that is his mastery of what and how to make CBGs. the other 90% of course if his style of playing. His amp is also important, so I would look into that too.

    Look, I see what you want, but truthfully, build one or two and see what you did right and what you did wrong (and you will do plenty wrong). I seriously doubt anyone here has made his 'desired sound' on the first build. And I really don't mean to sound discouraging. On the contrary! We here on the nation say that the first build is the best reason to build again (and again, and again, and again...). Its just recently that I've gotten my Mac box (mentioned above) to sound really cherry.

    -WY
This reply was deleted.