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Brick House 6 String CBG Sound Check

This build was commissioned for a young man learning to play guitar. He wanted a CBG, but he needed a 6 string. I re-purposed an Ibanez neck that someone else removed from their guitar. The box is completely filled with oak - this thing is solid. I spent a lot of time getting the action low with no fret buzz to make it as easy to play as possible for the kid. I made this sound check demo to get approval before shipping it from Atlanta to Chicago. My playing is less than perfect. I was pleased with how it turned out, but the ultimate reward was that the young man doubled his guitar lessons and started playing daily because this guitar is much easier to play than the commercial acoustic he was learning on. When I heard that, it made my week! Oh - another cool thing is that I got the box from the cigar store in the Florida town where the kid's Grampa lives (my mother lives there as well).

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Comment by Jim Morris on June 12, 2017 at 4:10am: Yes, you can use regular wood glue for the veneer. It helps to have a good flat caul to clamp down on it with some wax paper between it and the veneer in case of glue bleed through. I, for one, rarely use a glossy finish unless requested by the client. I much prefer tung oil or shellac which both come from natural sources. I think there are iron on veneer sheets wide enough for a head but they cost a lot more and it's pretty easy to simply glue the veneer on. Plus I like to cut my own thin piece from whatever wood I want to use. Good luck!

Comment by Janis Wilson Hughes on June 12, 2017 at 3:27am: Jim I like the veneer idea. We've used veneer on the edges of some shelving racks for electronics that my husband built for our living room years ago. I think that was iron on. Can I use wood glue to attach veneer sheeting? I don't see why not. I'm good with wood glue. It's very benign.

The first bolt on sixer I made, I used a new neck from Guitar Fetish that had no markings. The frets were so wonky on that thing, I spent forever learning how to level frets! But hey, I learned how to level and crown frets on a commercial neck. This is kind of a crummy picture, but here's that one.

On the chemical sensitivity, in my 'former life' as I call it I was a chemical engineer for 11 years. I developed some serious immune system problems and years of illness due in a nutshell to mold issues. While my immune system was compromised I worked in polymeric material development. All the fumes from experimenting with manufacturing plastic and elastic materials led to my multiple chemical sensitivity. Now all kinds of things can cause trouble for me like synthetic carpet, dyed mulch or bark chips, and air fresheners. I'm generally in good health after a long journey. But there are things that don't bother most people that make me sick. So generally I just stay away from them and can have a normal life. Probably more than y'all wanted to know, but that's what I have going on. ;) I admit sometimes I look at the work you guys do around here with thick, glossy finishes on your necks, and I have serious envy on top of admiration.

Comment by Jim Morris on June 12, 2017 at 1:30am: Any issues you have with chemical sensitivity certainly is more important than spraying over a headstock! To make things even more punk a piece of black duct tape over the name would work, lol. In the past I've sanded down the face and glued on a piece of nicely grained veneer which removes some of the "factory look" and makes it a little more your own. But, the bottom line is if you're ok with the name on it then please ignore what a couple of old farts like me and Unc have to say about it. It's your build and a very cool one at that! An instrument that looks and plays great is always a plus for someone just getting started.

Comment by Uncle John on June 11, 2017 at 11:44pm: I get what you mean about the punk aspect of leaving the name brand on. And it is a nice finish. A matter of preference. Great job on a pretty player.

Comment by Janis Wilson Hughes on June 11, 2017 at 2:49pm: Hey y'all, thanks for the kind words!

John & Jim, how would you tackle refinishing the headstock? I agree removing the logo makes them nice & refined, though I'm personally not bothered by it as I think it makes things a little more punk. I like the gloss black like this one, but I have no idea how to duplicate that kind of paint job. I have multiple chemical sensitivity from my old job, so I have to stay away from paints & finishes with lots of fumes (including polyurethane). I have serious respirators, but some finishes can off gas for over a month. I get migraines or flu like symptoms depending on the exposure. I basically avoid exposure as much as possible because it's not worth being sick for me. On the necks I build, I use butcherblock wax to keep my chemical issues at bay. Anyway, not meaning to unload a sob story here... I am truly interested in good refinishing options for commercial headstocks.

Richard, I was worried when I hadn't heard anything from the family other than that the guitar arrived. When I check in after 2 weeks to make sure it was holding up, I was so surprised to hear the news of him asking to increase his lessons which he had wanted to totally quit earlier in the year. I was frankly surprised he specifically wanted an electric CBG instead of a slick Strat from 'guitar barn' to begin with. He's a cool kid! I feel touched to be able to help kindle his musical development.

Comment by Richard Sundberg on June 11, 2017 at 11:32am: Cool story! The young man should be well on is way with this fine looking and sounding guitar.

Comment by Jim Morris on June 11, 2017 at 9:33am: Looks and sounds great Janis. Yup, I'm with Unc, about covering up the brand name. I've even re-shaped heads sometimes when I use repurposed necks just to make them unrecognizable. I like that substantial heel we got a glimpse of! Great job!

Comment by Uncle John on June 11, 2017 at 6:27am: GOOD story about your cbg build being easier to play than the kid's factory six. Great job. Sounding good. The one thing I would do is to paint over the Ibanez on the head stock.