Hi Everyone!
Had lots of fun reading through the forums. I have tried to find out all the questions reading up on it and searching the forums, but I didn´t find the answers to the following questions:
1) I have a box (see picture) which is hinged and the lid is quite strong. Can I just glue the neckpiece to the side and reinforce it with two brackets (on the side)? The woodglue I have is really really strong and the lid should be able to take the force of the strings. Or am I totally wrong here?
If I am wrong, how should I cut the holes in this case (with a box which is split right in the middle with hinges)
Also doesnt the normal build of a CBG hinder the resonance a bit when the neckpiece goes through the body itself? Even if the box is sealed tight?
2) Is it possible to just glue two strong pieces of wood together like this? (Sorry for the crude scetch :)
3) Why dont CBG builders make a big resonance hole like a guitarr has? Is it because of the size (since a guitarr is much bigger)?
Thanks for the input people! (And sorry for any Spelling misstakes, English isnt my first language) :D
/Vincent
Replies
/Vincent
Another thing to keep in mind. While that box is very pretty, they have a thick top, so unless you are adding a pickup of some kind, the volume will be low since that top will not resonate much. I sometimes flip the box over and use the (usually) much thinner bottom as the sound board. That also keeps the pretty artwork intact, although you have to flip the guitar over to see it!
2 yep that's real possible.
3 it's a smaller top. The hole isn't really about letting sound out, it's about changing the shape of the soundboard so that it can sing better.
4 have fun with it, just roll up your sleeves and get started :)
Kid,
Please elaborate on the hole changing the soundboard shape to sing better.
This is my method, less the end piece
I do a through neck 'style' I guess you would call it but my neck doesn't come out the bottom of the box I do this just so there islittle chance of the neck bending with the tension of the strings. personally I wouldn't just glue a neck to the side because of this reason. that's my understanding of it anyway! ( I'm no expert builder)
and as for the 'large sound hole like a guitar' I've done some research on this and I don't put sound holes in unless I'm unhappy with the sound/volume of my build. (as I said though I'm no expert) but from what I understand a large sound hole will increase the higher pitch and smaller holes will increase the bass notes.
hope this helps!!
I'm no expert so maybe someone else can clarify or correct me on these things?? this is what I have found out doing my research on building.
good luck!!
You're doing well for English not being your first language ;-).
Here's what I think you mean:
1) You want to just glue the neck to the outside of a short side of the box (with a split down the middle box like yours, this will not offer much surface area to which to attach the neck) and support that with a bracket under the neck ( and maybe one inside the box as well). You don't say if this is going to be a 3, 4 or 6 stringer, the most common CBG configurations. This approach is, at best, likely to lead, to severe neck bowing, even on a 3 stringer; depending on the string gauges you use, you are looking at something like 30-40 ft-lbs of tension. Not good. That'll probably fold the box and neck right up, even with the braces, which would be an absolute shame on such a lovely box. If, however, you are determined not to do a neck-through design, then you want to put a block of wood into the neck end of the box, that typically runs across the short side of the entire box, and is as thick as the box is deep. You could then attach the neck in a couple of ways. If you make a heel to the neck, you can run two screws through that, running from the headstock toward the tail, through the side of the box, and into the block of wood inside the box. You can also use bolts. The other way is to use a 3 or 4 screw bottom plate, like a Fender bolt-on neck, and screw into the bottom of the block of wood and the neck.I have an Ashton VSG 4 stringer, #268 by Wichita Sam, that is built like this, with four furntiture screws. This can allow for some downward neck angle adjustment with shims. It also allows you to open the box up for repairs, if you are thinking of adding electronics like pickups, jacks, and volume or tone pots.
2) Driving the air inside a CBG requires good transference of string vibration through the top. As on commercial gits, a thin top seems to work better as a soundboard (although people here have built exceptions with relatively thick tops). I have a Las Cabrillas 6-string build by Dan Sleep, that does not have a soundhole. Instead, it has a neck slot (it is a neck-through design with a truss rod to counter neck bowing from the string tension) that I suspect Dan just cut a little too deep. However, that slot functions reasonably well as a sound hole. The git is plenty loud for what it is. It will never be as loud as a 3-1/4" to 4" deep rosewood and spruce Taylor acoustic, for example. One of the side benefits of a neck-through design is improved sustain. On your split-down-the-middle box, if you do a neck-through, you will possibly have to cut a neck slot in both parts of the box.
3) Most CBG builders do not make a big soundhole like a regular acoustic guitar because of several reasons. One is that the air volume inside a CBG is only about 1/5 -1/6 that of a standard acoustic. The soundhole on a commercial git is designed to tune the soundboard to pass a balance of frequencies, and is typically braced for that. Sound holes on CBGs are partially aesthetic, although if you assume a guitar is an approximation of a Helmholtz resonator, you can calculate a soundhole size for the frequencies you want to pass; this ends up being just slightly larger than the diameter of a US 25 cent coin. There is much debate as to whether more sound holes are better or worse, where they should be put on the soundboard, and even if they are necessary. I personally believe that they are somewhat necessary, and that a single one near the upper left shoulder is a good spot for this. Others will disagree, and that's OK. Builders like to tweak for aesthetics as well as sound. Many people cut f holes, and other pleasing shapes. No rules.
When you say "the side", do you mean the lid or the back? Or the actual narrow side of the box?
first of all remember that there are no rules, so if it works for you then it is the right thing to do. I will now continue on with my own possibly worthless opinions.
1. I am not sure of the question. are you saying to not use a neck that goes all the way through the box, but just glue the end of the neck to the outside of the box. I dont think this will work. even a single string exerts quite a bit of force. Even it your glue is strong I think the neck would bend up and break away from the box.
I believe the majority of CBGs use a through neck design. Take a look on the inside of a real guitar at all the reinforcement. Before I mess up my box, I would try a test run glueing the neck to something else, then put it under tension and see what happens. If you are worried about the neck hindering the top from vibrating, you can inlet the neck a bit to allow a space between the through neck and box top.
2, Yes, glue will hold your wood together just fine. I ususally through a screw or two in there as well, but I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy.
3. Some do put holes in the top. I personally dont think it makes much difference. However please refer to the opening statement.
Good luck.
Thanks for the reply. Just want to clarify some of my questions.
1) What I meant was that instead of running the neck through the box itself, wouldnt it be enough to just glue it to the side and reinforce the neck piece with brackets. basically not cutting a hole, since the lid itself is very solid and might be able to take the tension between the neck and the endpiece.
2)Alot of instructions show how people cut the neckpiece, while not many seems to just glue two pieces together. Just wondered if there was any special reason behind it :)
3) Gonna try and see what happens. Can always make holes otherwise :)
Thx for the input Yankee Dog!
/V