Hi, my name's Kevin, I started building a cbg last week and plan to build three at the moment to get a better understanding of the whole thing.. I know very little about guitars and music, but I do play ukulele and I am trying to learn the charango. When I heard the cigar box instruments online I couldn't get the sound out of my head so I knew I'd have to build a few. My first one is almost done I am just short the fret wire but I stringed it up anyway as I was a little excited. So it makes a real nice sound with a stainless slide I cut from waste pipe.. hopefully when its varnished up and the frets are finished it will sound the same :)
Im posting a few pics but have mede a good few changes since.. the groves for the frets are cut and I,ve put dowels in to mark the important ones, I took the neck out again and removed an inch of stock from where it rests in the box because I thought it might interfere with the sound .. but I'm just guessing here..and I made a nice bridge from some waste brass .
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Like the others, I started much the same way as you about 2 years ago and haven't stopped. Your first one will probably be fine and the others will be better and maybe different as you try things and see what you like. Enjoy!
ps Cigar Box Ukes are a great way to use a smaller box too.
Welcome to the addiction.
Thanks Paul :)
Hi Kevin, welcome to the Nation. Don't worry, after you build the 3rd one you'll probably build another three. I started out just wanting to build one in march of 2012. Just finished my build #24 and have three more in process. To put it in perspective, I know that others here build lots more than that, but I'm not building them to sell, I just can't seem to stop building the things. Have fun, that's what life's all about. Don't worry, you can quit any time you want to, you just won't want to. So many different ideas to try.
Thanks Thomas, I'm pretty sure you are right, my kids have already seen the unfinished one and I know that look in their eye. I think this is something I could do for quite a while :)
Kevin, I just turned 70 in April and probably have another 12 or 15 boxes on the shelf. It seems like as soon as friends see one of my builds they end up giving more boxes. I'm thinking that I'm going to be building these things for the rest of my life. Each build puts a smile on my face and when I run out of space on the wall in our hall they migrate to other places in the house or in some cases to musician friends as birthday presents or such. Nothing better than hearing one of my "babies" singing in public at the hands of a friend.