Does string action matter on a slide guitar? My personal preference is high action--1/8" at the nut and 1/4" at the bridge. I did make one CBG that had low action, but I found it difficult to play. Since then I've gone with high action on my slide
Read more…I've got a collection of 1st (E) and 2nd (B) strings. Does anyone have a use for these? I found that I can make diddley bows using the 6th (low E) string, but don't know what to do with the others. I would gladly mail them to anyone who wants them
Read more…I thought this might be a way to share videos of those who play CBG...
Read more…
I made a diddley bow for a guy and now he's asking whether I can make a 3 string bass cbg. Has anyone any experience with such? If so what needs to be considered in making one? I'm assuming the tuning machines required are different than what I wo
Read more…I've gotten so accustom to working in a mess that it just doesn't seem to matter anymore. Still, it would be nice to reclaim my workbench, but I just don't have any room to hang or store my tools and other items. How about it, do you work among a
Read more…Making a Bottle Top Slide
Hey People. So I've learned how to make bottle top slides...successfully. It took a lot of time and a lot of failure, but with persistence I did find the best method for cutting glass. Rather than let the knowledge die with
Read more…I'm wanting to write my own tabs for my slide CBG but don't know which program to use. I do have MuseScore on my pc, but I couldn't figure out a way to make a three line stave template. I'm wondering how others are doing this. If there is a work a
Read more…When I build I buy acoustic string packets of six, which always leaves me with the low E, high E and B string when I'm finished. What creative things might I make with those extra strings? I've also got a couple extra lengths of poplar (about 29" e
Read more…Hanging a Cigar Box Guitar
Getting your creations off the floor
I was searching for ideas on how to hang my cigar box guitars on the wall. They just seemed to be in hazards way sitting on the floor. So I went exploring online for an answer.
The bes
Read more…So my most recent build seems fine without a sound hole. After I put it together I gave it a play, and I just don't hear a need for the addition of a hole in the body. The body is 1/4" ply, which seems to resonate just fine and produce plenty of sou
Read more…I think one of the things about building a CBG that I enjoy the most is that it brings out the creative part of my nature. Not only is a CBG interesting visually, it's also functional--it serves two purposes. So do you, a CBG builder, consider your
Read more…So I'm working on four builds this week--all for friends and family--when it came to me that I should be recording the date and build number on the CBG's. I've created labels on my printer that has the following information...
Eric's Cigar Box Guita
Read more…I built a CBG for my wife's nephew which he received on Christmas. I was actually surprised how well it was accepted by him and the rest of the family. It gave me inspiration to build more. I think that selling my CBG's would take away some of the
Read more…I think many eventually come to a point where they want to start fretting their guitars. That's where I have arrived. Not knowing much about the procedure, I pretty much jumped into it with both feet.
Finding fret wire was easy--it's actually ine
Read more…My first three builds were made using maple for the necks, which was fine except that the maple costs a small fortune. So my last build I decided to try poplar. Looking at the finished product, it seems very stable (no bowing or twisting). I do la
Read more…I was surfing YouTube this morning and ran across a couple videos that seemed to belong here. I haven't given much thought to the lumber I use in my projects, but after watching these videos, I think it's worth more careful consideration. If you ha
Read more…So I recently added a piezo pickup to one of my builds. The installation was relatively easy. The piezo had an adhesive backing, and I just stuck it under the the top of the instrument, as close to the bridge as possible. However, I notice that it
Read more…I just finished building my first CBG. I love it. I found that much of the cutting can be done on a bench saw. It worked out great for me. I went with a 23" scale. Now I have the knowledge to build my second, which will be even better than the f
Read more…