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Top Bracing Experiment

Hey Everyone! First post.

I started building a little over 6 months ago and have learned so much since - a lot by just "doing" but also from all the builders here. Thanks!

My first cbg was literally made from scraps in my garage. And since I didn't have a cigar box lying around, just built my box from 1/2" ply. After scavenging several cigar boxes, I noticed that the nicer ones used box joints, so now, mine do too.

I've settled on a basic design (8x11x3 box - 1/4" ply for the bottom - 1/8" ply for the top) and built 5 for my kids this past Christmas. Also added a 2-degree back angle on the neck to get some bridge height. However, I've noticed that there's quite a bit of pressure on that poor 1/8" top so I decided to try bracing.

Read posts, forums and threads on bracing. Looked at lots of pix and it seems there isn't a real consensus on the issue. Figured I couldn't really do any harm, so I ripped some pine screen molding down the middle, tapered the ends and notched for a very simple x-brace.

Strung the first one up and... wow! This is a totally different animal! It's louder, brighter, fuller and a touch easier to get setup and intonated. I'm sold, but I can also see how this might not benefit a "real" cigar box - at least not consistently.

Just thought I'd share. Thanks to everyone here!

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Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 24, 2016 at 4:33pm: Hal,

Just watched / listened to the vid. The unbraced version has a great tone by itself, perhaps a little warmer. The braced version definitely is brighter, louder, and with better note articulation. I notice you also use a relatively small sound hole in the upper bout for better bass response.

Very nicely done, and I love the logo.

Comment by Hal Robertson on March 23, 2016 at 9:06am: https://youtu.be/yelhO2QbmlM

Comment by Hal Robertson on March 23, 2016 at 3:22am: Thanks for the compliment and suggestion. Will try to shoot something today.

I really like the box joints for several reasons. They're really strong, no reinforcement needed, they virtually square themselves, much easier than dovetails and I think they help my guitars pay tribute to their cigar box ancestors. Plus, they just look cool - especially in plywood (at least to my eyes).

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 22, 2016 at 3:45pm: BTW, I make my own boxes, too. Butt joints instead of fingered, but braced internally along the joints with 1/2" square pine glued and screwed. My boxes are 13 X 10-1/2 X 3-1/2, made out of 3/8" Lauan plywood. Similar tonal characteristics to mahogany.

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 22, 2016 at 3:42pm: Hal,

Nicely done. A before and after video with sound would be a nice addition. Have you got one with and one without that you could demo, even using cellphone video?

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