My newest CBG and Diddley Bow completed and wanted to share

Thanks to all the help I have received here, I have finished my 2nd and 3rd builds. 2nd one finished was last one started, a diddley bow. It is much more plain jane. The 3rd was started 2nd and is a 3 string CBG.

The 3 string is for my youngest daughter so is much smaller than my first, it is a 22.25" scale. It has a single piezo pickup, a red oak neck and maple fingerboard. I burned in the frets markings rather than put in actual frets. I used nylon strings at suggestions by others and it is so much easier on her fingers. My other daughter now wants me to swap out her strings... :) I also like the mellow tone of it with the nylon strings. Run through an amp it sounds nice, much better than my first which still I thought sounded good.

I had read that piezos could sound good in some and bad in others - or all bad or all good depending on who you ask.. ;-) I have to say the on in my diddley bow I am not happy with it. It it is wood box vs the paper covered others I did which both have MDF tops. It picks up everything I do. on the others, unless I knock the box it really does not pick up a lot. On the wood box if you just run your finger across the box it picks it up. But if I run my finger across it when not plugged in you can hear that more than the other boxes as well so maybe it is just way it is with a wood box, I have not done one before so don't know.

Anyway, I wanted to share and say thank you again for everybody here that is so helpful. It is nice to have a forum like this. Thank you.

Mike

Replies

TN Twang March 18, 2015 at 10:50am

I can't claim any real expertise on piezos, but the ones I've used I based on Mike Orr's book and his technique seems to work:

Got a sheet of 1/16 balsa at Hobby Lobby. Cut out squares about the size of a saltine cracker. Butter two crackers with a thin layer of silicone adhesive. Put piezo disc on one cracker and make a sandwich with the other cracker. The result seems to mute the undesirable characteristics (scratch and feedback) while leaving some life in the piezo.

Maybe one of these would give you a mellower sounding pickup. I've not tried putting one in a bottle cap, but I was afraid the metal would be a bit harsh.
- Mike > TN Twang March 18, 2015 at 12:24pm
  
  Thanks I will try it. I got the bottle cap idea from a video posted by Justin Johnson. I have not tried it any other way yet. I will try the wood and let you know how it goes.
Richey Kay March 18, 2015 at 3:51am

You should be proud of those Mike, you're off to a very good start!
- Mike > Richey Kay March 18, 2015 at 8:40am
  
  Thanks Richey. I am and love doing it. I need to learn how to use them properly now. :). I am in the middle of a 3 string for me I need to finish. Then I can spend more time learning.
the anonymous pick March 18, 2015 at 12:43am

good stuff :o
- Mike > the anonymous pick March 18, 2015 at 8:39am
  
  Thank you. It is a fun journey. :)
Keith March 18, 2015 at 12:31am

Nice work mike! Very cool instruments. No advice on the piezo imma noob too.
- Mike > Keith March 18, 2015 at 8:38am
  
  Thanks Keith. I'm really happy with how my daughter's Mickey CBG came out. The diddley bow was a practice run as I am going to build them with her brownie troop next month. It is fun to play around on. I have no musical experience so it is really just sounds I am making at this point. :)
Mike March 17, 2015 at 8:31pm

And this is the plain jane diddley bow...

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