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Ordered a lot of 10 boxes from Ebay -- which ones are good?

Posted by Clare on February 7, 2010 at 7:06pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion
Hi, I'm new here.  I've been making mountain dulcimers.  Just recently I got interested in making a CBG, but didn't know anything about dimensions, HxWxD that are good for it.  I bid on this collection, figured the average would be $4 per box, and am waiting for it to arrive.  Question is, I'm not sure of the sizes.  A couple of them look like amp material, maybe a few jewelry boxes?  I'm hoping the flat ones are good for my first build.  The trapezoid one might end up being a ukulele?  So which one should I start with? 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300389145539&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

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Replies

  • Clare February 10, 2010 at 1:24pm
    The trapezoid one might make a nice birdhouse. Sorry guys! :-)
  • Joker February 10, 2010 at 7:36am
    you could make ukes out of the smaller ones. Deeper boxes make better acoustics(obviously) If tou plan to make any electric(wound pickup), I like to use the wide flater boxes for those and fill the free space in them with wood to get a solid body feel and tone
  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates February 10, 2010 at 6:51am
    Yeah Clare, they're always smaller than you think (seriously). Amp candidates for sure. I'll get a LOT of flack from the others here [putting on my fire retardant suit], but you can make other nice things out of them such as amps, odds and ends boxes, clocks, painted containers, shadowboxes, just about anything that needs a small box. You might want to sell them back on ebay to make any money back for what you spent on them or finance your next good build.

    -WY
  • Clare February 10, 2010 at 1:04am
    Well I got the collection today, and yes, everything was smaller than I thought. I think I'll start with The Padrone which is 9x7x1-3/4 and has straight sides. The Las Cabrillas is also good but I want to save it for later. The off-square A Fuente has a warped lid (and now that I look it was visible on the photo), so that one will end up being a knick-knack holder. My daughter walked off with the plush Diamond Crown. The Excalibur and Bahia Trinidad are amp candidates, as is the Joyada Nicauraga. The Ashton has promise, but I'll need more experience since it has to be built on the back. The trapezoid will be hard to work with, not much room to work with. And the Griffin's, well that one is tiny. Postage was $16, even though the seller only charged $10. I'm going to have to haunt local smoke shops in the future. Thanks for looking.

    Now let me get started with the Padrone. Being only 1-3/4 tall, and thick panels, it probably needs a piezo or a pickup? Now that I think about it, maybe I can make cigar box clocks out of the smaller ones. Make lemonade out of lemons?
  • Tres Seaver February 7, 2010 at 11:26pm
    I think the two on the top left and the one on the bottom middle could make resonable CBGs you may need to use a different style than normal to cope with the non-squared sides, i.e., run the neck between the hinges. The trapezoid might indeed work as a uke (I'm assuming you would build on the bottom).
    You are probably right about the taller boxes as amps: they wouldn't be comfortable to hold, and don't have the nice big resonating surfaces of the others.
  • Clare February 7, 2010 at 11:23pm
    Thanks. Don't worry about critical. It's how I learn. I'll start with the bottom right. I had the same feeling after I browsed your pictures. I can make jewelry boxes with the others, and a couple of amps. My little boy wants one just to keep his knickknacks in. I think he wants the one with the velvet lining. Live and learn.
  • Kalmario February 7, 2010 at 11:12pm
    for a uke use the one with the thinest top, most of those look too thick to really sing acoustically but its hard to say with photos, if you are adding mag pickups use the thickest, also use the thicker ones for the amps too.
  • Diane in Chicago February 7, 2010 at 10:34pm
    You are already a seasoned builder of dulcimers, right? So like you said, I'd go with those on the bottom right, and then do something really cool with that trapezoid one! They are all wood, and all will have a unique charm.

    Sometimes builders use the bottom of the box because the wood is thinner, the box will tell you.

    I am looking forward to what you build!
  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates February 7, 2010 at 10:17pm
    Hate to tell ya, but these boxes look a little small. Roger has it right. Bottom right that is -- and then...

    So I dunno where you're exactly at but if I were you, I would look at a local cigar store before I get a lot like this off ebay. ebay tends to be a little pricy for boxes which would include shipping. I have been rather lucky getting them at an average of about $2/box. Sometimes $3 or $5 but that is for really nice, all wood boxes. Something in this size range might have been a little better. Sorry to sound so critical.

    -WY
  • Roger Martin February 7, 2010 at 8:48pm
    From what I see, the best boxes are on the bottom right side for making CBG's The rest I'd use for practice
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