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Six string CBG - First build questions...

Posted by Art on May 21, 2010 at 9:12am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion
Hey everyone. I purchased a Karosa neck on eBay which is a nice handmade neck, but it's a little on the rough side for my liking to use in a standard guitar build. I've never built a guitar before, and this neck was going to be used on my first build. I figured that starting with a cigar box guitar would be fun, and this neck would be amazing for this purpose. I've been doing some reading around here, and I think it is time to start asking questions. I apologize if this has already been covered.

-What is the minimum length that the cigar box should be?

-How far back does the bridge need to be? I'm thinking about one of these from Guitar Fetish.

I appreciate any help I can get. In the meantime I'm doing lots of searching and reading to help me on my quest of CBG building.

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Replies

  • David L. May 22, 2010 at 7:56am
    Hi Art, Glad you are enjoying it here. As promised a few shots of the insides of my CBGs

    I only use elecrtic 8s to string them up and the plywood box is fairly strong. Even so I fix down the top and bottom with hinges (adds support and can be easily unscrewed to look inside - the lid starts to flex if you don't fix it down)

    To make the neck pocket I have found making a cardboard template makes it easier to center the pocket.

    I use a cheap dremel type tool with a cutting wheel to cut the pocket outline and file/sand it for a good fit. I do not have a router but use 5/8th inch thick wood (approx 1.5cm) to make the neck pocket (two small pieces to glue either side of the neck and one long piece to glue across these) and this with the 3mm thickness of the top of the box I use sits the neck at the right height above the face of the box so you can get a goos action via the adjustable bridge saddles. (I have seen a CBG on youtube where the builder had the neck flush with the box lid - mega high action.) This height works well for me :

    For a full size neck I try to get three inches + of the neck within the pocket. To work out the depth of the pocket to cut down in the box side I cut a shallow notch only and once the wood is glued in place and set use this as a marker to rasp/file/sand to depth. I would once again suggest you read the Smokehouse guitar link for bracing 6 string CBGs and also look at his other excellent tutorials - I plan to use his method for my next build ;o) Regards, David
  • Art May 21, 2010 at 7:27pm
    David,

    This is a TREMENDOUS help. I have a lot to learn, and you guys have been excellent in assisting!
  • David L. May 21, 2010 at 5:30pm
    Hi Art,

    Minimum length - I use 12 x 9 inch 35mm photoslide boxes (decent cigar boxes are hard to find in the uk) as this allows for a decent neck pocket within the box.

    Bridge position - From The electric Guitar by Donald Brosnac - "Measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret. This distance plus 1/32 of an inch from the 12th fret in the opposite direction is where the treble "E" string should be stopped."

    The bridge you are thinking of buying looks a good choice.

    You need to have the neck fixed in place before you try to install the bridge. If you don't and are a fraction off centre the strings will be off the edge of the fretboard. Once the neck is fixed you can draw in the "nut to 12th times 2 plus 1/32" line and you can run some red cotton thread (easy to see) down both high and low E string slots in the nut through the appropriate saddles on your bridge and then it is easy to centre on the drawn line.

    You may have already realised but you also need to strengthen the box (unlike for 3 string CBGs) because of the increased tension the extra 3 strings add. There is a good section in Smokehouse guitars on this
    http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/smokehouseguitars/forum/topics/...

    Good luck,
    David
  • Art May 21, 2010 at 5:19pm
    Wow. Thank you again.
  • Don Goguen May 21, 2010 at 5:14pm
    If your neck is the same length as my telecasters a ten inch box would only allow about a 2" neck pocket which would not offer enough support. Take a measuring tape and measure from the neck side of the nut out to about 27". This will allow for about an extra 1 1/2 inch for the tailpiece. Now note the distance from the end of bottom of the neck to 27" and add 3 inches to this measurement. That is the minimum length your box is going to need to be. On all of my 25.5' scale guitars that is about 11 1/2 inch. Any shorter and you will not have enough room to either mount your neck properly or have the correct spacing for your bridge.

    Art said:
    Thank you! Should I look for a cigar box bigger than 10" length?

    Don Goguen said:
    It looks as though what he sells are standard 25.5" scale necks. This means that from the neck side of the nut to the bridge saddles needs to be 25.5 inches. Regardless to how long you make your guitar, this spacing needs to be maintained. Otherwise the notes will not be in tune as you finger up the neck. With a hardtail bridge such as these, I measure to the center point of the saddle adjustment. This allows you some range to setting the intonation of the guitar.
  • Art May 21, 2010 at 4:55pm
    Thank you! Should I look for a cigar box bigger than 10" length?

    Don Goguen said:
    It looks as though what he sells are standard 25.5" scale necks. This means that from the neck side of the nut to the bridge saddles needs to be 25.5 inches. Regardless to how long you make your guitar, this spacing needs to be maintained. Otherwise the notes will not be in tune as you finger up the neck. With a hardtail bridge such as these, I measure to the center point of the saddle adjustment. This allows you some range to setting the intonation of the guitar.
  • Don Goguen May 21, 2010 at 4:49pm
    It looks as though what he sells are standard 25.5" scale necks. This means that from the neck side of the nut to the bridge saddles needs to be 25.5 inches. Regardless to how long you make your guitar, this spacing needs to be maintained. Otherwise the notes will not be in tune as you finger up the neck. With a hardtail bridge such as these, I measure to the center point of the saddle adjustment. This allows you some range to setting the intonation of the guitar.
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