Just trying to get some thoughts and opinions from my fellow builders. When you make 4/5 stringers, do you taper your necks? It doesn't really pay to taper a 3 stringer, and it seems most 6 stringers are tapered, but in between it varies. How do you
Read more…What say you, fellow builders, about pre-made necks? A pre-made neck saved my latest build, but I ordinarily wouldn't rely on them because it feels less creative to not carve my own necks. Anyone else got an opinion?
Read more…I just bought my first real practice amp -- a 25 watt Washburn. I plugged in my latest build (which has 2 humbuckers and a Tele control plate) and it sounds great, but when I flick the amp's overdrive switch, it gets noisy (ha ha) with the usual grou
Read more…My next piece is going to feature a tune-o-matic bridge and a short, Kay-style trapeze tailpiece. Since both are metal, doesn't only one of them have to be grounded? Or would i need two separate ground wires to each piece?
Read more…Is there any practical advantages from putting a clear coat of lacquer over layers of tung oil? Of course, I mean a tung oil finish, like Hornby's.
Read more…I joined up with the city park district because they offer a program called "Open Woodshop: 18 and Over." I signed up for it, thinking I could really enhance some of my builds by getting access to professional equipment, especially on learning to use
Read more…I want to wire a circuit for a guitar that uses a switch to toggle between a rod piezo (under the saddle) and a disk piezo (inside the box under the bridge). Since the two will be so close, and I have had feedback issues with disk piezos previously,
Read more…Does anyone have any advice for mounting the multi-band EQ units at CB Gitty and eBay? They all appear to be curved to fit the contours of a dreadnought acoustic guitar -- which most of our CBGs obviously don't have. Any tricks or tips?
Read more…I know in Josh Gayou's advanced instruction booklet, he says a good set of slotting files will serve purposes well, and i don't doubt that; but I have priced the set on a number of different sites, and it has become something of a luxury item in thes
Read more…Now that I know more about how acoustic instruments work, I'm re-evaluating some of my earlier builds. When I started, I really liked the look of resonator soundhole covers, and ]delighted in re-purposing hardware store items into low-rent versions.
Read more…I've done a number of rudimentary electronic work on my previous builds. I now want to take an upcoming build to the next level, and I need some advice, as I may be flying a bit too close to the sun.
Basically, I've found a number of resources onli
Read more…Or, in other words, how long did it take you before you considered yourself accomplished at cigar box luthiery?
Read more…My latest build has a Tele pickup, around which I added a gold metal ring. Everything's wired up, but when the 3-way knob is switched to the Tele pup, I'm getting a very slight static-y noise, and if I tap the ring with my pick, i can hear it through
Read more…From BoingBoing: "Harm Goslink Kuiper's homemade guitars, banjos, diddley bows, and other stringed instruments are delightful and inspiring. He plays them on his new album, Stil Leven."
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/17/harm-goslink-kuipers.html
Read more…Quick question for you experts: can I ground a pickup on the metal covering of the 3-way switch? Or does it have to be to the back of the volume pot?
Read more…Is anyone here at The Nation fond of waxing/polishing their builds after completion? I'm planning a build that will be painted and then clear-coated, but I haven't much solid information online about what to do afterward. Some places have said automo
Read more…About 5 guitars in and some higher-than-usual action on my builds, I'm trying to wrap my head completely around the idea of angled necks/heels. As near as I can tell, the idea of angling a neck pocket, or using a shim, seems to really come into play
Read more…Hey all,
I'll be vacationing in London in mid-February. I was wondering if there are any CBG-related events/concerts/meet-ups scheduled? I'd love to participate, seeing as not even a Christmas trip stopped me from planning out future builds and scour
Read more…Not a discussion topic, really, but I do love this pic! I found it while i was going through some recent vinyl purchases, on the back cover of a Bo Diddley reissue...
I miss Bo.
Read more…I have a salad bowl that I want to use for a build. I was trying to think of something to use for the top, and while i was considering modifying circular cutting board, one of our compadres reminded me that a thick cutting board would be an awful lot
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