My first

Posted by Scott Messick on February 12, 2011 at 10:04pm

I've been gathering parts for weeks and finally had a chance to put some of them together today. I chose the LegenDario Bertha box, red oak neck, bone nut, and hickory bridge. It has a 22.5" diatonic scale - a standard strumthing. I'm still on the fence about a sound hole. It sounds good, just not loud.

I know a few things I will do different next time and would welcome any comments.

Thanks for being here for me!

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Wichita Sam February 27, 2011 at 10:19pm

    Steve,

     

    almost every string instrument has the top free to vibrate (if exceptionally thin, braced).  Of course there will be slight "bowing" under string tension, but that's OK.  on neck thru's I usuallly have 1/8 to 3/16 relief and have never had a CB top box enough to contact the neck thru, even after as much as 2 years...

     

    the obvious excepton to this rule is dulcimers with the neck in contact with the top....

     

    the best,

     

    WS

  • Slowpaw Steve T February 27, 2011 at 4:48am

    First of all Scott, thanks for your reply -  a very neat first build! (-8

     

     

    @Wichita Sam - you mention   "a neck thru you reliefed under the top  to allow it to vibrate freely"...i have seen this idea before but if the bridge is sat directly above would string tension not cause the bridge to press down on the soundboard causing it to bow?   Or if the bridge was supported by the glued neck and the "scoop" was set further forward would this act as a better resonator?

     

    ..sorry - questions, questions...  (-;

     



    Wichita Sam said:

    This looks like an excellent first build.  I'm not that sure that adding a soundhole with increase the volume significantly.  Assuming that you did a neck thru and that you reliefed under the top to allow it to vibrate freely, then the only other thing you can do to increase volume is to increase string tension.  It looks like you may be using nylon strings?... If so, a move to metal guitar strings would really wake up the tone/volume.... at that point you might need to do something to protect the top where the strings wrap over the top of the box after leaving the pegs on the way to the bridge.

     

    All in all, a great first build.   Play the heck out of it.  Enjoy it and be prepared to build again.

     

    Congrats,

    the best,

     

    Wichita Sam  

  • Scott Messick February 23, 2011 at 10:55pm
    It's a diatonic scale. Not every note just do-re-me-fa-so-la-te-do.
    Check out this video by Chickenbone John,

    http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/strummstik-style-3-string

    it explains it all and, in fact, inspired me to start this whole thing. A friend of mine coveted my strumstick and I didn't want to give it up. While looking for a strumstick for him I came across this video...so I decided to build him one (started on it tonight with an ACID box)
  • Slowpaw Steve T February 23, 2011 at 4:26pm
    Unusual fret spacing on your neck...what does it all mean?
  • Scott Messick February 16, 2011 at 11:04am
    Thank you. I was excited to try this - just posted detailed photos in "My Photos"

    I have a collection of "Brick House" boxes I want to experiment with now.
  • Wichita Sam February 15, 2011 at 10:06pm
    very nice build... really like the soundhole cut outs.....
  • Scott Messick February 15, 2011 at 8:41pm
    Just finished this one...a couple of mistakes (one obvious one I could kick myself for). But as per your post, Sam, it sounds great - much louder than the first. Lighting was terrible. The fretboard color matches the logo on the box.
    305705463?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

    IMG_0541.JPG

    IMG_0539.JPG

    IMG_0538.JPG

  • Wichita Sam February 15, 2011 at 8:40am

    Scott,

     

    The best teacher is experience, particularly "non-fatal failure."  Fixing a mistake can be very instructive and the learning is usually permemant,  who likes doing something over?  

     

    Someone on one of the forums once said "The best builders aren't the ones who don't make mistakes...they are the one's that learn how to make their mistakes into great playing CBGs."  anon.-Wichita Sam paraphrase....

     

    the best,

     

    WS

  • Scott Messick February 14, 2011 at 10:47pm
    Thanks for the kind words. As for the neck...I guess it's just a modified straight-thru scenario. Unfortunately I glued the top shut before I took pictures. I guess I was caught up in the excitement. The neck is glued to the top on both ends and hollowed out in the middle. I wasn't sure about the integrity of the neck so I took the piece I cut out and glued it back on the bottom of the neck right where I had cut it out. It was one of those moments where it seemed like I had cut too much out so I'd better put some back. I took that in to consideration earlier on my second build...about 12 hours after my first...I'll have photos of that one perhaps tomorrow, to show what I had in mind
  • KK Dirty Money February 14, 2011 at 2:02pm

    Very cool first build. Many great features. Would you mind showing/telling us how you did the neck heal?

    thanks!

    Keep up the good work.

This reply was deleted.