My first build when horribly wrong... please help!

OK, I am new to cigar box guitar and I decided to build one because it didn't look to hard, now I don't know if me and my Dad over complicated it or it is actually quite difficult either way... It was all going so smoothly until I came to put the strings on this morning, this is when a sea of problems arose. I'll try to keep them in the order of which they arose; first of all the strings were sitting far to high above the neck and where just hovering above the nut so what I did is made the slots in the bridge which my dad had made (I didn't want slots in the bridge) deeper. Despite this it made hardly any difference at all, my theory is that we didn't tilt the head stock like you normally see which would bring the stings down. then as I was stringing up the second string (it was meant to be a 3 string model) instead of making the note D it just rattled, I then realized that the string was up against the wall of the groove in the bridge. Then the second string snapped up by the head stock then followed by the first also by the head stock.

Can any one help me with suggestions or plans or any thing really?

(if you made it this far well done! I'm not very good at getting to the point!)

Also I will attach pictures of it so you may be able to see what went wrong that I can't see.

By the way I've just realized that in one of my photos the bushes on the tuning pegs aren't flush with the head stock, this is because I hadn't hammered them in yet the 'finished' product did have the bushes hammered in.

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I'm confused, send a pic.

David Beasley said:

Well my dad cut off the head stock and has made a new one and glued it on but the neck is still the same

William McCauley said:
The number 1 sounds cool. What did you decide about the neck?

David Beasley said:
I am already doing the brass hinge idea, but instead of an eye bolt I'm using a number '1' like you would see on the front of a house I thought it would be a nice touch and it is as thick as an eye bolt

William McCauley said:
After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.

Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps

Replies

David Beasley September 2, 2011 at 6:11pm

I have finished the CBG now but it's not perfect, but hey, it's my first one it's allowed to not be perfect right? I do have pictures and I plan to upload ASAP but I don't have them handy right now! So stick around I'll upload them soon :)
William McCauley August 28, 2011 at 11:47am

That looks good. Hope it works for you, keep us posted.

David Beasley said:

I made no changes to the neck, the new head stock, bridge, tail piece and string trees of some description should solve the problems.

I have uploaded the unfinished headstock but bare in mind it is unfinished and it will have a nut, string trees of some description, be "smoothed out" and varnished; http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/056?xg_source=activity and I didn't tilt it either I just carved out the face of the headstock but I may have to make it deeper....

Dan Sleep said:

Sorry Man, and when you say the neck is the same, you mean the strings are still hovering above the nut?
David Beasley August 28, 2011 at 8:12am

I made no changes to the neck, the new head stock, bridge, tail piece and string trees of some description should solve the problems.

I have uploaded the unfinished headstock but bare in mind it is unfinished and it will have a nut, string trees of some description, be "smoothed out" and varnished; http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/056?xg_source=activity and I didn't tilt it either I just carved out the face of the headstock but I may have to make it deeper....

Dan Sleep said:

Sorry Man, and when you say the neck is the same, you mean the strings are still hovering above the nut?
William McCauley August 27, 2011 at 8:09pm

I'm confused, send a pic.

David Beasley said:

Well my dad cut off the head stock and has made a new one and glued it on but the neck is still the same

William McCauley said:
The number 1 sounds cool. What did you decide about the neck?

David Beasley said:
I am already doing the brass hinge idea, but instead of an eye bolt I'm using a number '1' like you would see on the front of a house I thought it would be a nice touch and it is as thick as an eye bolt

William McCauley said:
After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.

Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps
Dan Sleep August 27, 2011 at 7:19pm

Sorry Man, and when you say the neck is the same, you mean the strings are still hovering above the nut?
William McCauley August 27, 2011 at 10:59am

The number 1 sounds cool. What did you decide about the neck?

David Beasley said:

I am already doing the brass hinge idea, but instead of an eye bolt I'm using a number '1' like you would see on the front of a house I thought it would be a nice touch and it is as thick as an eye bolt

William McCauley said:
After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.

Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps
- David Beasley > William McCauley August 27, 2011 at 11:59am
  
  Well my dad cut off the head stock and has made a new one and glued it on but the neck is still the same
  
  William McCauley said:
  The number 1 sounds cool. What did you decide about the neck?
  
  David Beasley said:
  
  I am already doing the brass hinge idea, but instead of an eye bolt I'm using a number '1' like you would see on the front of a house I thought it would be a nice touch and it is as thick as an eye bolt
  
  William McCauley said:
  After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.
  
  Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps
DonnieC August 26, 2011 at 2:52pm

I concur with the others, you'll be less frustrated if you move on to the next one. I have 4 necks hanging on the wall that got misengineered. Take a look at a bunch of different neck/headstocks from the side and find common features, angles and measurements, then draw something out with your own style. You'll do fine, d
William McCauley August 26, 2011 at 1:25pm

After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.

Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps

100_2015.JPG
- David Beasley > William McCauley August 27, 2011 at 8:24am
  
  I am already doing the brass hinge idea, but instead of an eye bolt I'm using a number '1' like you would see on the front of a house I thought it would be a nice touch and it is as thick as an eye bolt
  
  William McCauley said:
  After looking at your pics I would move the the attaching point for the strings on the box lower and on the front side of the box. Use a brass hinge or something similar (there plenty of ideas in the gallery section). Also use an eye bolt or piece of thread-all for the bridge. As for the neck, I would cut off the shaved portion and glue another piece of wood (half the thickness of the neck) to the bottom. Try to get it similar to the red neck shown in this post.
  
  Another thought, just scrap this one and do another one, keep the box, it looks pretty good. I added a pic of my first one ,I hope it helps

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