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BO Diddly Tribute Guitar

I got a silverware box from Goodwill for 50 cents because the young people running the store didn't know what it was. LOL

I bought one awhile back and gave it to my wife to use as a jewelry box, but I decided to use this one to make a 6 string Bo Diddly style guitar.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 2, 2017 at 8:07am

Last month I won a gift certificate for 50 bucks of CBGitty goodies. So I got their Toaster Bucker pickups to get that Gretcsh-Filtertron tone and a set of Gold Tuners.

www.cbgitty.com/guitar-electronics/pickups/toaster-bucker-gold-humb...

www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitar-parts/tuners/gold-sealed-gear-guit...

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 2, 2017 at 8:13am

I started making a neck out of Red Oak and took a couple mock-up pics.

Can't do anymore on this til I get a bridge. I'm thinking about a Gold Rollor bridge to go along with a Gold Teisco style tremolo.

Permalink Reply by Tom T on September 7, 2017 at 1:04pm

Shaping up nicely. I like the Bo theme.

Keep the photos coming.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 7, 2017 at 8:05pm

Thanks Tom. I need to get back on this. I plan to get the Gold Tiesco style tremolo that Gitty sells for this build. That will require a gold rollor bridge. It'll take me a couple of months to buy these parts to finish this build.

I can hardly wait to hear these pickups.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 2, 2017 at 8:18am

I have a Can of Dupli-Color Perfect Match Cayman Green Metallic for this. Supposed to look like this:

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 2, 2017 at 8:20am

This color should look good with all the Gold hardware. May use a clear top coat with a little glitter in it to make it pop more. Depends on how it turns out.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 7, 2017 at 8:09pm

I've been trying to identify the wood used to make this box. It has a paper veneer over it. The wood is light in weight, light in color and tight grained.

I'm thinking Balsa or Aspen.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 14, 2017 at 9:02pm

I bought this bridge and some pots for the build. 12 bucks Guitarfetish.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 16, 2017 at 9:21am

Got the pots and bridge in the mail today. Large 500k Alpha's with split knurled shafts. My plan was for a rollor bridge, but my budget couldn't adapt. Got a intonated LP JR style Gold bridge instead. It can still be used with a tremolo like the one I was planning to get, don't know if that's going to work out budget-wise either. Still need a toggle switch, trussrod and strings.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 25, 2017 at 8:14am

Got the box sanded today. The top is Masonite like the Danelectro Guitars used, still think the sides are Balsa. Hopefully the neck trough and extra wing pieces in the box will stop any neck-dive.

Trying to decide whether or not to make the neck angled in the box or straight.

Permalink Reply by David L. on September 25, 2017 at 11:57am

The strings at the bridge end will be high (compared to a six individual saddles type hardtail) and you are not able to lower the height as much because the string height is fixed on top of the wrap around bridge which in turn fits to the two posts which have a lip to keep the bridge off the face of the guitar.
Unless you plan to play mainly slide, have a bolt on neck where you can add a shim later or plan on having a thick fretboard I suspect you will need the angled neck to lower the strings.

Great idea for a Bo Diddly tribute guitar - I came across the attached photo in a burger bar in Amsterdam a couple of years back.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 27, 2017 at 9:09am

Those were my thoughts as well for the neck angle and bridge height. At the lowest height, the bridge would have the strings 10mm to 12mm(3/8 to 7/16) from the top of the guitar. The fretboard (if neck isn't angled)will be 3/16ths" above the top leaving a 1/4" at the highest fret. Making higher frets pull sharp when fretted.

So putting a 1 to 3 degree angle of the neck would help even things out. Other option would be to route a shallow cavity for the bridge. Then I could use the adjustment wheels to raise the bridge if needed.

The neck is a neck through, so if I angle it I would need to cut a long angled spacer to attach the neck to the body. That would be hard to do because my tools are limited. So routing a cavity for the bridge and making the neck flat will be easier. I'll use a roundover bit on the cavity edge to make stringing the guitar easier.