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So many questions...I'm thinking of building something that resembles a miniature lap steel guitar . Here's what I'm thinking -

* 6 string instrument tuned open D 

* very short scale length (roundabouts a concert/tenor ukulele size - around 23 - 26"

* no electrics, just a deep resonator box made from very thin plywood.

It's more of an experiment than anything else but I'm really stuck with what gauge strings to use. I've always used medium-light strings on my guitars but would these still be too heavy for such a small instrument? Would I have to use ukulele or classical guitar nylon strings to get the right tension without snapping the thing in half?

My thinking is that steel strings are better at sustaining the note played on them than nylon - especially important with a small acoustic instrument.

Am I mad or is this imaginary instrument do-able? :P

If anyone could share any insight on any of this I'd be very very grateful!!

I got myself a playable CBG as of the evening of the 23rd of June, 2013.  I've been so busy playing it and messing with it that I didn't get up to posting about it until now.

'T'ain't perfect, but I guess that's life.  It plays, and not too bad.  since these pics I drilled a couple 7/8 holes in the sound board and put psuedo-brass grommets in them.

I haven't put any electronics except the pickup in yet.  I didn't have the parts in a timely fashion, but I've got them now.  Might get to that today, and build a little Cigar Box Amp in one of my more nearly cubical boxes, too.

I'm not too thrilled with the "ring" of the strings.  I mean, I know its a Cigar Box Guitar, but I think my red oak nut tends to damp the strings, and I think my bridge could stand a little work too.

I built the bridge out of red oak, drilled a hole through it the long way and slipped a rod piezo pickup in there.  Then (not in this order, you understand) I ground a groove in the face of the bridge so I could lay a hunk of 1/8" bronze welding rod in there to carry the string vibrations down to the piezo pickup.  Trouble is, between the hole and the groove, there's too much red oak sticking up in the air so the strings ride partly on the bronze rod but partly on the red oak, another source of damping,  A little more sanding / filing ought to take care of that.

I'm not so sure about the nut.  It's glued in, and all the frets and the bridge are measured from its location at the exact end of the fret board.  Checking with a tuner, the 12th fret it a pretty accurate octave, so if I move my nut it will screw up my intonation.  And if I saw out the red oak nut and put in a hunk of thread rod, for instance, it will have the effect of "moving" the nut by half the diameter of the thread rod. I guess I can cut down the end of the fret board by half the diameter of  the new nut.  Or something.

I wish I could get brass or bronze thread rod around here.  It would go a lot better with the rest of the decor.  I guess I could cut in a hunk of my bronze welding rod, but that would be really tricky at this stage of the game.

My other problem is that, with the guitar tuned in open G (GDg) I can't sing with it.  It's too high or it's too low, but it's too something.  And singing is what I do.

It's all good.  I needed something else to do, and I figure I'll enjoy getting this guitar more to my liking before I build the next one.