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Newbie building Fiddle

Hey Y'all,

Greetings from the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC. I'm a newbie interested in building a Cigar Box Fiddle. My Mama told me recently that my Great-Grandfather made and played a homemade fiddle, back in the day, barn dances and taverns and all that. I "saw" on a fiddle some, I'm not any good at it, but it's fun. I actually play guitar and piano, but there's something I really like about the fiddle, whether I can play it or not. Anyway, sweet Wife bought me a scroll saw for Christmas, been wondering "what to build, what to build?" Figured I would try to make a fiddle. So, I ordered a few cigar boxes from Ebay (although I think they might be too small), some uke pegs, a tail piece, some strings. I'm looking forward to sawing some wood - I will need some help from you all, too. Then we'll make some music!

Al Lyons

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Thomas "Duck" Petry on January 9, 2013 at 6:03pm

Welcome to the insanity Al. It's really not addictive. I built my first early last year, a Cookie Tin Guitar. Now I've added four Canjos and five CBGs to the list and I have another CBG almost done and eight more boxes and a bunch of cans waiting. Haven't tried a fiddle yet, but I have a wine box that might work and a larger six bottle wine box that I'm thinking may become a stand up bass. I really can quit any time I want to, I just don't want to as I'm having too much fun. :)>

Permalink Reply by Savage Mojo CBG on January 10, 2013 at 8:23am

Hey there Al, I too am working on building a fiddle, it's funny the wife bought me a scroll saw for Christmas as well, so I am cutting a neck piece out of 1 3/4" mahogany, and using a Cohiba box for the body. I will pass on any tips I learn from my endeavors. I also don't play the fiddle at all, but I have played the guitar for thirty years, and I figure if I am passionate enough I can learn to fiddle around.

Permalink Reply by ROBERT GREGORY on January 22, 2013 at 7:31pm

Hi Al! Good to see a fellow Tarheel on the site. I am a NC native living in the desert n Utah right now. Lived in Mars Hill for 14 years and still have a house there. I plan on moving back by spring but to the Outer Banks.

I haven't made any fiddles, but I have made 7 3 string fret-less CBG's. I can honestly say that they get better all the time. The real thrill is finding out what they sound like because no two are exactly the same.

I have been kicking around the idea of fretting a neck, and I will get around to it. But I play a fret-less bass and I really like the sound of a fret-less neck. My next goal is a 2 string Cigar Box Bass.

Hope you have fun and as always keep your eye on the saw blade. By the way, good girl that wife of yours!

Permalink Reply by thomas h. a. brown on February 9, 2013 at 11:12am