Scale length??

Hi All,

I am really new to this and am just preparing to build my 1st Cigar Box Guitar, after getting really interested on the idea from reading about them on the internet.

I have played guitars for 30yrs and never seen these before a couple of weeks ago. I have an old Strat copy which I just set the action flat and high for slide, but these Cigar Box Guitars look like they are way more fun.

So far I've got some tuners (machine heads) on the way, as well as a bridge & some fret wire. I already have an old strat, single coil pick-up and a nice piece of Tasmainian Oak (Vic. Mountain Ash) for a through neck.

The Cigar Box might be a bit of an issue. Haven't got one, dont know where I am gonna get one in Sydney (Australia), but I'll get around that problem - even if i've just got to make my own box. I am even thinking of incorporating a Hubcap into a "Dobro" style set-up (might make two!) - this could become really adictive!!

Questions;-

What scale length do YOU use? the necks I've seen do look pretty short

Which 3 (of the 6) strings do YOU put on YOUR CBG? sorry, I am a Newbie and need help.

Any help, advice, tips, or on-discission will be really appreciated - Thanks for reading this!

Greg

Here is a comment which I made some time ago on CigarBoxNation which you may find useful. It was in reply to how many frets-v-scale length.

I find the fret calculator on the Stewmac site very useful. You can input inches or mm but I prefer mm as that's the system we use in Australia and also it is easier to estimate a fraction of a mm when measuring. For example 34.2 mm is just more than 34 mm but not as much as 1/2 a mm greater. I figure that on a cigar box guitar a placement of frets within .25 of a mm is OK. I mark the fretboard with a pencil measuring against a 1 metre steel rule and always measure from the nut to the fret - NOT the distance between frets (this gives greater accuracy)

I first decide where I want to position the bridge on the box to take regard of both the pattern/picture/graphics on the lid and also to get a position approximately 1/3 of the distance from the end of the box. I believe this gives better resonance than positioning the bridge too close to the end of the box. I then decide what fret scale I want to use (generally the same as my Martin D-18 which is 25.340" or 643.636mm). This then determines the length of my neck - - measure from the position determined for the bridge to where the nut will be to establish neck length.

A Martin D-18 has 20 frets and you probably will not want any more than this.

Another very good fret calculator is FretCalc which is available at http://www.dougsparling.com/software/fretcalc/index.php

I use the ADG strings from a standard set and tune them GDG. My favourite so far is a three stringer with Dulcimer fretting. With this you get the best of both worlds. Can still be used for slide work. You will see photographs on my home page.

Ask at any and all cigarette/cigar shops for boxes. You can get them for as little as $ 3. In Sydney try Sol Levy Pty Ltd 713 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia, Bogart’s House of Fine Cigars & Tobacco, located at Martin Place Shopping Circle, Shop 5, Sydney. (tend to be expensive - up to $20 for some timber boxes) or have a look on ebay for the seller from Penshurst (I've bought from her - a bit expensive sometimes). Here is a current example http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Large-Solid-Cedar-Mexican-Cigar-Box-Monteneg...

All the best, John D

Replies

Crow June 10, 2010 at 1:45pm

i use a 22" scale length on most of mine. it works well with the strings i use, and the size is nice for performance. i play fretless with slide and find the shorter neck gives me easier command of the length while playing with a slide.

i use the AGB strings tuned AEa
John Drake June 9, 2010 at 7:18pm

Here is a comment which I made some time ago on CigarBoxNation which you may find useful. It was in reply to how many frets-v-scale length.

I find the fret calculator on the Stewmac site very useful. You can input inches or mm but I prefer mm as that's the system we use in Australia and also it is easier to estimate a fraction of a mm when measuring. For example 34.2 mm is just more than 34 mm but not as much as 1/2 a mm greater. I figure that on a cigar box guitar a placement of frets within .25 of a mm is OK. I mark the fretboard with a pencil measuring against a 1 metre steel rule and always measure from the nut to the fret - NOT the distance between frets (this gives greater accuracy)

I first decide where I want to position the bridge on the box to take regard of both the pattern/picture/graphics on the lid and also to get a position approximately 1/3 of the distance from the end of the box. I believe this gives better resonance than positioning the bridge too close to the end of the box. I then decide what fret scale I want to use (generally the same as my Martin D-18 which is 25.340" or 643.636mm). This then determines the length of my neck - - measure from the position determined for the bridge to where the nut will be to establish neck length.

A Martin D-18 has 20 frets and you probably will not want any more than this.

Another very good fret calculator is FretCalc which is available at http://www.dougsparling.com/software/fretcalc/index.php

I use the ADG strings from a standard set and tune them GDG. My favourite so far is a three stringer with Dulcimer fretting. With this you get the best of both worlds. Can still be used for slide work. You will see photographs on my home page.

Ask at any and all cigarette/cigar shops for boxes. You can get them for as little as $ 3. In Sydney try Sol Levy Pty Ltd 713 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia, Bogart’s House of Fine Cigars & Tobacco, located at Martin Place Shopping Circle, Shop 5, Sydney. (tend to be expensive - up to $20 for some timber boxes) or have a look on ebay for the seller from Penshurst (I've bought from her - a bit expensive sometimes). Here is a current example http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Large-Solid-Cedar-Mexican-Cigar-Box-Monteneg...

All the best, John D
John Stockwell June 9, 2010 at 4:10am

I use a 630mm scale length. Just mark it off your strat. Works fine. I use the A D G strings out of any acoustic guitar set.
ChickenboneJohn June 9, 2010 at 3:55am

Typically I use 25 1/2 or 24 3/4 inch length scales, but go down to 20 inch sometimes. especially on "Strumstick" dulcimer style intruments. For 3 strings, the top 3 of a standard set of 012 or 013s works fine..and I use the bottom for fretless baritone style guitars.
- Patrick McGill > ChickenboneJohn April 22, 2016 at 1:29pm
  
  I'm also doing my first, but having a heck of a time trying to figure out this 20" fret scale...you don't possibly have a template, do you?
  - John Sawyer > Patrick McGill April 22, 2016 at 5:30pm
    
    Fret calculators abound... you just have to measure from your nut...
    
    here's stewmac's: https://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator.html

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