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Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on June 25, 2012 at 9:42am

Some general guidlines I've learned, with a heavy dose of personal opinion:

 

Bigger boxes will give you more volume acoustically.

Deeper boxes will give you more bass.

Wood resonates better than Masonite or pressboard (what's usually under the paper labels on newer boxes)

Thin wood resonates better than thick wood.

Solid wood resonates better than plywood.

My personal favorites in no particular order are Cohiba Toros, Churchills and Robustos: Padron Series 1926, Maduros, and Exclusivos; Graycliffs (very thin plywood tops); La Aurora Preferidos; Macanudo Gold Label Shakespeares and Tudors; Punch; or anything that catches my eye at the tobacconist's that day.

None of the above really matters, there are no rules, find a box you like and build what you want.  Now go forth and multiply!

Permalink Reply by Tor Börve on June 25, 2012 at 11:01am

 Thanks a lot Habanera Hal! I find your guideline very usefull,with this a builder can choice box for the specific sound he or she is after in each build!That´s great!This is a good help,thanks! By the way...if you had to chose only one box (brand) to build all your cbg´s in the future,what box would you go for then?And If you have a favourite amongst the ones you have built,what box did you use? :-) 

Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on June 25, 2012 at 11:27am

You're welcome, Tor!  That's what we're all here for.  That's a tough question to answer, as I try to never build two CBGs alike!  I guess my absolute favorite for right now as a "standard" box would be the Cohiba "Red Dot" Robustos.  They are solid wood (no plywood), come with a nice clean finsh, and I like the proportions when building a thin (1-1/2" wide) 3-string neck.  I just finished this one a little while back and I have another one in black and believe they also come in a white finish:

But again, it's all personal taste.  This is the one on my workbench right now, an Artesanos de Obelisco:

Sometimes it's just the rarity of the box or the vibes you feel coming from it when you hold it. LOL.

Permalink Reply by Tor Börve on June 28, 2012 at 10:35pm

 Thanks for giving a satisfacting answer to an (almost) impossible question,Habanera Hal! The Cohiba "Red Dot" Robustos looks great,the things that catched my eye especially at that one is the cool shape of the head,I also like the thin bridge,discret,not "disturbing" the look of the box,yeah,I understand you got an eye for proportions! The other one with the "great vibes :-)",the Artesano de Obelisco,Is a beautiful piece,the binding really lifted that box up many levels!The Rising moon up the neck looks great to! Thanks a lot for sharing(bouth experienced knowledge and pictures)!