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Paper or Wood?

Posted by Gene Robinson on January 20, 2013 at 8:03pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hello all,

I'm now up to my 5th CBG and fell into a nice lot of boxes to work with.  I have some wonderful Fuentes boxes that are wood with paper labels.  The CBGs I have built so far have all been solid wood with no labels and they sound great!  I was just wondering though..... would the paper covering on the boxes damp vibrations?

My Oliva and 1960 boxes just ring like a bell when strummed.  When you tap the paper covered boxes they just seem to be a bit "dead" but I'm wondering if it might not be my imagination.  I love the artwork on the paper covered boxes but my affinity to wood is pulling me that way.

Any thoughts on that?

Gene

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Replies

  • RTZGUITARS January 27, 2013 at 11:16pm

     I like the Cohiba boxes they are Spanish cedar but if you look inside the box it looks just like mahogany which it is a relative of. 

  • Gene Robinson January 27, 2013 at 7:52pm

    hehehehe.......ya know there is a ton of truth in that last statement Kid- I reckon you and I would get along just fine. i would think it.....and you would say it. Not neccessarily in that order either.

  • The Phrygian Kid January 27, 2013 at 5:09am
    Well I'd say if you want the most volume.

    PRACTICE!

    I've made over 100 guitars and I'm still learning it.
    There is a lot more to be gained from perfecting your craft than there is splitting hairs over this box or that box. Want it to be loud? Build the fucking lot.
    Period :)
    • The Phrygian Kid > The Phrygian Kid January 27, 2013 at 2:50pm
      What I mean is practice the craft of building them. More so than talking about it. More than reading five pages of other ppls rhetoric and opinions. I'm of the opinion that most ppl including my good self are completely full of shit
    • Gene Robinson > The Phrygian Kid January 27, 2013 at 8:38am

      Nah.... I can be REALLY loud and REALLY bad too!  But I do plan on building the lot!

      I've built everything from steel pan, to dulcimers, to hurdy gurdies to bagpipes.  And in the two months and 6 CBG's I've built so far I've never had so much fun!  C.B. Bitty is probably getting to expect my order every week (gotta stop that!) and there is no end in sight. The best part is, I stand a real chance at being able to make some music on these.  More so than I did on anything else I've built. Anybody know how to play a harp?

      • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Gene Robinson January 27, 2013 at 1:33pm
        "Anybody know how to play harp?"

        Sure. First, you suck. Then, you blow.

        ;-)

        Then, you practice like crazy, so you can do both almost, but not quite, simultaneously. Listen to good harp players. A lot. Try real hard to sound like them. Keep at it. After that, you should start getting pretty good.
        • Tom Drommond > Ron "Oily" Sprague January 27, 2013 at 2:29pm

          That's just wrong.  I'm still wiping my eyes.

          That ought to be a signature...

          ...First, you suck. Then, you blow.

          ;-)

          Then, you practice like crazy,

          • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Tom Drommond January 28, 2013 at 4:06pm
            Coulda been worse. You coulda shot hot coffee out yer nose. ;-)
  • Gene Robinson January 27, 2013 at 12:02am

    I've about decided that if you want to get the most acoustic volume, then go with a reso.  After that, it's solid wood, then after that any ol' square thing will do!  The little piezo acoustic pickups they sell here can really take just about anything and get you "out there" with an amp.  I've wrapped them in leather and in high density polyfoam and they STILL crank!

  • Uncle John January 25, 2013 at 10:19am

    Ha, ha,.   I like all the comments, especially Phrygian's.   Of my top 4 home builts, 2 are paper /fiber board, one is wood and one is a hubcap.

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