Hi All;
I found this tin and I think it would make a great guitar. My question is would I be wise to build a box inside the tin or jsut run the neck through the tin?
I'm just not sure what to do, any ideas would be great.
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Replies
Looks like a real nice tin for a guitar. With a neck-thru-the-tin design the neck ought to provide all the bracing you need. I've made some great sounding guitars that way, including the first one I ever built. I've got some pics and a description online at the following link:
http://www.airburst.co.uk/junkboxinstruments/tinguitar1/index.htm
With subsequent builds I run the neck out the other end and use it as a tailpiece - in which case the neck is attached to the box at the tail with the same sort of bracket arrangement as at the front.
See: http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/tin-3string
Ignore all these guys.
I recommend that you send it to me for closer evaluation, then I will tell you how to make a cool guitar from it..............
Hey, have fun. I cant wait to see the result!
I forgot to add that the tin is 8 1/2" wide, 10" long and 3 3/4" in depth.
I thought with that size it might twist and somekind of support would be needed.
I like the can idea for more sound.
Thank you all for your help.
Kevin
Flatrat said:
Canjo.JPG
Hi Kevin,
One of my builds last year was with a retro Cadbury Chocolate Biscuit tin. It was similar to your JD tin but not as wide. Dimensions were about 5"w x 5"h x 14"long. I ran the stick straight through notching the lower section of the tin to accept the 'stick' and notching the stick to accept the lid so it could close. Held the lid closed with two discreetly place drywall screws. I needed to add some blocking to reinforce the tin as the whole thing flexed a good bit after I first strung things up. I'd wager you will too when you get to fine tuning it.
I drilled some 1/4" holes in a pattern in several places to 'let the sound out' as it were. I also experimented with suspending a crushed pineapple can inside the tin with the upper canning ring removed from the pineapple can underneath the 'stick' with a bolt and some washers to let it vibrate. The pineapple can with the upper 'ring' cut off with some tin snips rang like a bell and I think it added a nice resonator effect to it.
I used a 1x3" pine stick which if I had it to do over would've used a less flexible wood but one neat thing was that if you flexed the fretboard you could get kind of a 'whammy bar' effect out of it. I also experimented with using wide Romex staples for frets with all but about 1/4" of the tangs of the staples snipped off with bolt cutters and inserted into drilled holes. That was a surprising success for easy frets. Used old mandolin tuning pegs I had left over on it.
The whole thing looked really antique and primitive when i finished it. Shipped it off to a buddy who does Civil War re-enactments in Gettysburg to use around the campfire. He is very pleased with it.
I like a neck through method when I use a tin. But I tend to only take the neck down to the bottom of the tin and put a screw through the bottom end of the tin to secure the end of the neck to the tin and I use a tail piece that is attached to the wood of the neck for the strings rather that go all the way through the tin. For me, this helps keep the tin from bucking and bending under the tension of the strings. Also some tins are fairly thin and could use a couple of support braces glued to the sound board area to keep the strings from collapsing the tin through compression at the bridge. A couple of 1/4 inch square hardwood dowels running the length of the lid and hot glued in place has worked well in the past for me.
Just some thoughts.
Brian Hunt.