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Using old Strat parts for my first CBG?

Posted by Brett Hohenwarter on July 23, 2012 at 9:36pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hey everyone, I'm just starting out in the world of CBG's. I picked up a nice little Macanudo box and the other standard supplies listed everywhere to make a CBG, but I was curious about using the neck and pickups from an old Stratocaster of mine that I have laying around. Could I use the wood I bought for the diy-neck as braces inside the box to attach the neck to? For that matter, could I use one or two of the pickups too? I bought a little Piezo buzzer today, though I'd like the quality of the Strat's pickups more. I'm less concerned about the pickups, more so about the neck. Would a neck that big/heavy put strain on the box? Anybody ever attached a standard electric guitar neck to a cigar box of that type (little Macanudo)?

Any tips for a novice? I'm fascinated with cigar box guitars, and on my first build I'd love to do it right

Cheers y'all

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macanudo, neck, new, pickup, stratocaster

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Replies

JL July 12, 2016 at 7:29am

Yes you can use the strat neck, pickups, and bridge. Just extend the bracing in the box out the end of the box far enough.

Measure the nut to 12th fret, likely between 12 and 12 3/4 in. that is 1/2 the distance of the nut-to-bridge that you need to account for, 24 to 25 1/2 scale.

Lay out the neck and your cigar box on your work table, and put the bridge on the box where you think it will work, roughly 1/3 from the far end, 2/3 from the end you will attach the neck. measure from the bridge saddles to the 12th fret, and from the 12th fret to the nut. move the neck farther/close until these 2 measurements are the same.

THAT will show you how much wood needs to stick out of the box to bolt the neck onto.
- Barrie Collins > JL July 13, 2016 at 5:45am
  
  Yep it works this one is a solid body basically the guitar body cut down and rearranged to fit in a cigar box
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Cause the Blue rat July 11, 2016 at 11:42pm

i made my own box. Used 3/4 inch ply for the back. Attached the neck to that and ended up with a great guitar!
J.D. July 11, 2016 at 10:34pm

I'm about to do a six string build using a strat or tele style bolt on neck. I'm going w a undercrown cigar box for the length I will need. I've seen several nice builds using a Strat ,Tele ,Gibson style bolt on necks and really like the out come/look. "hope mine goes as well as some of the others I've come across. Good luck w yours!
The Phrygian Kid July 24, 2012 at 4:47am

I'm with him, it's actually easier to make your own neck than it is to reliably attach a bolt on fender type neck. It can be done for sure ad you'll see plenty around here, but your own neck and a floating type bridge is an easier build IMHO to make the bolt in neck work you really gotta extend it into a thru neck type by bolting it onto another plank tat crosses the box On the inside or the box will likely collapse under the tension
ChickenboneJohn July 24, 2012 at 2:45am

Loads of Strat necks get put into cigar box guitars...BUT firstly you'd need to make sure that the body is long enough to get the bridge on with the typical Strat 25 1/2 scale length. If it isn't, forget it, but if it is, then you'll need a centre block running down the back of the box to fix the neck to. Personally, for a first time cigarbox guitar, I'd build a 3 string fretless, and by all means recycle a Strat pickup..