Reso Bowl Guitar: no cigar box in sight

[By: Norman Moody]
I had the neck ready......boxes never arrived, so after a few weeks I put the Monkeypod Bowl next to it, sizing just over a cracker tin lid. It is very thin, so it seemed like the thing to do to soften the tone.
Its far better than I could have wished for. The bowl was at a garage sale for a dollar. A single coil pup awaits installation.
Does it need a thick or thin back?
Ideas, comments and criticism all welcomed!

Tags: Bowl, Monkeypod, reso

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Hi Norman,

It looks like your Monkeypod Bowl Reso-Guitar project is coming along quite nicely. Here's the new photo:

The resolution of your photos are a bit too high to display without reducing the number of pixels displayed. Here I set the width to 600 pixels and it shows up pretty well. This is about 20% the original size of the photo. The body looks very nice. What does the neck and head look like? Maybe a shot of the whole instrument would be cool as well. When shooting the photos, try setting the resolution of your digital camera down to 3Mpix or less. It will help with the upload speed as well as make it easier to display.

 

Just yesterday, I was looking at another website where the guy builds his own tack-headed banjos using wooden bowls. He used sheep skin stretched over the open side of the bowl and tacked it down.  Are you covering the open side of the Monkeypod bowl with anything (metal resonator, plywood veneer, sheep or calf skin, etc.)?  Or did you leave it open?  A photo of the other side would be interesting, too.

 

-Rand.

 

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Thanks for your thoughts, Rand!
I have Computer replacement challenges again, so I will dig into the not-so- smartphone settings and reset resolutions . Just typing with it is too much.
I have posted other pix which are also too large. I wasn't really able to upload to your group after trying several times. The nature of this resolved.....
I posted start to finish pix which I intend to make slideshow on your groups discussion forum. Housebound for months on end, it has been aittle tough....and costly. My pal was going to tame my first three CBGs with him, giving one each to friends ( other national artists) I showed him the neck and described what scale how what materials. He wanted to help me, but the necks had to have Cigar Boxes specifically to play a song or two ( "depending on how much tone these puppies have, norm") he is one of the national artists on the roster for the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portlad on July 4th week. A Youtube clip of that would propell me to enough orders to get a wheelchair, canes, a heal shim for my feet, and a ramp. ,
Aa quick view of my photos you'll see the Monkeypod Bowl in all phases. I have yet to put a back on. I was going to cut a nice piece of 3/8 plywood that could adorn the bowl shape...but I was concerned it would be too thick, but it will get a single coil from an old Mustang, so my question may be a non issue, I have never been a builder or player of strings. Pianoman/ B3, who sings........but as I'm. "Goin Down Slow" I got this desire To make my final tour. All good after festival party are to be held at my friends house who is storing my early model B3 ... Soon very Well known people will be jammin with my B3! ! That's got me
1) lowering the bowl
2) modify the nut and bridge
3) add back and pup
4) graduate to a new neck design and use machine heads
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Had a discarded scrap of plywood, decided to shape it as much as possible, so it became art ...it should protect the bowl a bit....my question rendered moot. The Monkeypod Bowl should be fit with a single coil pup this weekend. I think the bridge and nut are hardwood and the bowl has been lowered to level the action a little. This will be a good experiment in tone manufacturing ...the waiting time on a new computer.......better make some more instruments!
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Two interesting builds alright! Maybe can record a song on the Monkeypod Bowl once you get your pup installed and upload.

 

Sorry to hear of you mobility problems. I'm 57 and have spurs on both heels where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel, and they given me some mobilities problems as well. Thought of having them operate to remove them, but they said it would require 3 month healing and that they would only do one foot at a time, so I decided to put it off until after my 3 month vacation to the States. Will likely have the operation done on my worse foot this September. Can't walk far without the heel swelling and becoming painful They gave me aspirin-cream to rub on, but it only slightly deadedns the pain. Best thing to do is to stay off the feet as much as possible.

-Rand.

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Yes! I've learned a bit... I will shoot plenty of footage, but have to replace my computer again. I have some wood im looking at, I need clamps and a few more tools...
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