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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on February 7, 2010 at 2:40pm

i'd start with the ugliest / least favourite and work my way to the nicest / most promising..
ur only going to get better at them

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on February 7, 2010 at 2:48pm

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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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 7, 2010 at 4:17pm

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

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on February 7, 2010 at 4:34pm

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!

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Permalink Reply by Kalmario on February 7, 2010 at 5:12pm

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.

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Permalink Reply by Clare on February 7, 2010 at 5:23pm

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.

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Permalink Reply by Tres Seaver on February 7, 2010 at 5:26pm

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.

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Permalink Reply by Clare on February 9, 2010 at 7:04pm

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?

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on February 10, 2010 at 12:51am

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

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Permalink Reply by Joker on February 10, 2010 at 1:36am

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

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Permalink Reply by Clare on February 10, 2010 at 7:24am

The trapezoid one might make a nice birdhouse. Sorry guys! :-)

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