Howdy!
All input is appreciated.
The top and the bottom are exactly the same width and length. The box uses an inner liner (four thin pieces of wood against each side which are the depth of the box).
Do I glue these strips in, or pull them out?
Themes tere's a debate about whether or not to glue the lid down. Does this type of construction lend itself to going one way or the other?
Installing the neck (with a seperate fingerboard)... Should the fingerboard be even with the surface of the cigar box, or should the neck be flush and the fingerboard "lay on top" of the surface of the cigar box?
I plan on staining/sealing the neck. What do I do to protect the cigarbox? Tung oil, seal and polyurtherathne, or something else.
I know it's the first one and there are always more, but I con't want to make junk if a few questions can help me out.
I've gotten some great advice fso far from Big Daddy at Back Pourch Mojo and from Witchta Sam. I'm glad I've joined tis group.
Replies
Thank you much for for info. So many different paths to get to the same place. I've got to out of town for a week, so I need to hold off building till I get back.
Dave
Craig Cox said:
For my most recent (and just my second) build, I used a nice Padron box. Here's the album:
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/albums/leaf-2
The Padron boxes I've seen are somewhat shallow; this one was just 1 and 5/16 deep. Dimensions of the box will affect the sound you get, as you might guess. Smaller means a bit twangier/brighter. Larger boxes have more room for string vibes to turn into sound, first across the top, then inside the body. Of course, if you are electrifying you can modify your sound a little or a lot.
First, the cedar strips inside the box. I decided to keep them on this guitar, mainly as a place to screw the lid down. On a standard flat-topped cb lid, you can simply run a small screw or two down through the lid into the side wall. This is trickier on a box with a lid like the Padron has. I went through the side of the lid and into the cedar strip I'd glued in place (bottom side of the guitar). And you do want to secure the lid to minimize unwanted vibration. The clasp is little more than decorative on most boxes. Use small screws rather than glue so you can get back inside if you want to.
Second, the neck. On this one, I decided to attach the neck to the bottom rather than the lid, mainly because I wanted the smallish-lid to vibrate freely. The Padron box is shallow enough that I needed a couple of small blocks under the neck and screwed into the bottom. The fretboard, 1/4" walnut, extends 1/8" above the box, and originally extended over the lid an inch. I had to trim that off when I decided to mount the neck to the bottom, and liked the way it looked cut flush. In fact, the walnut on the tail piece was a reaction to this, a visual extension of the fretboard. Hey, stand back, we're makin' freakin' art here!
Third, finishing is something people discuss a lot, on this forum and others, so here is what I've done on my whole inventory of two guitars: Tung oil. On the maple necks, on the walnut, on the box where wood is bare. It is more time consuming than some other products (like spray poly, etc.) but in my opinion gives wood an unmatched finish. It raises the grain nicely, gives the surface a nice warm sheen depending on number of coats (at least 3), and tends to darken the wood some. Of course, it will also have to be reapplied occasionally. In my opinion, if you are buying and crafting good wood, then take care of it rather than seal it up in plastic chemical goo.
One of the unexpected joys I've discovered in this little pastime is puzzling out how to do each step, sometimes making an error and then trying to figure out a fix that surprisingly becomes an elegant solution.
Ask lots of questions, make a few mistakes (my first guitar is a lovable mess), and enjoy the process. It has been just a week since finishing the last one, and I'm already thinking about the next!
craig
The box does not have a finish, just raw wood. I'd like to run steel wool over it to try and minimize some scratches, I'll be posting photos, if only to help catch mistakes.
Thanks for the input.
Dave
I'd pull the liner strips out and save them for some other use. They just take up space and may deaden the sound a bit with the added mass.
With that style box I wouldn't glue the lid down. The clasp should do a fine job of holding it shut. Also that gives you the option of being able to get inside if you want or need to for further tweaking. If you need to clamp it down shut a little tighter, I'd run some fine screws in the corners to hold the lid down. But I think the clasp will do the trick.
I'd run the neck flush with the box top and have the fingerboard on top of the box top. Though I would shave a bit off the underneath of the fingerboard that actually is over the box so as to let the top of the box resonate better. Doesn't need to be much just so that it doesn't touch. Putting the fingerboard on top like that will give you a little more space between the strings and the top for your fingers to do their thing. Also gives a bit more string angle from the bridge to where the strings are mounted, giving a little more tension on the bridge. Just something I like that can eliminate a possible source of string buzz. Are you going fretted or fretless?
I like tung oil for finishing raw wood. If the box is finished already, then nothing needs to be done to it but if its natural wood, then a couple of coats of the tung oil would protect it.
Don't agonize too much over the details, especially over the first one. And it is the first. You WILL be making numbers 2 and 3 and 4 and...you get the idea :) And with each one you'll learn something new. Main thing is to get that first one done and start making joyous noise! Then on to the next one. Hope this helps...post pics when its done. And a sound check too :)