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Maduro all wood box, top(thick), or bottom (thin) for sound board? Effect of short vs long scale length on tone

next Project is a 4 string cbg with short,(23 inch,) scale. Coudn't find a dove-tail sides box, so using a maduro. I play and like small,3/4 guitars so I thought a 23 inch scale made sense. I read somewhere that shorter scale can have a bad effect on tone. I thought someone might know what I can expect. The Maduro box top is pretty thick, while the bottom is thin. I thought it might due to try inverting the box to use the thinner bottom for the sound board, maybr adding a little inner bracing under the bridge. mY THINKING IS TO TRY AND GET AS MUCH VIBRATION GOING AS i CAN WITH SUCH A SMALL BOX. i THOUGHT MAYBE SOUND HOLES AT THE SIDES INSTEAD OF THE TOP, LIKE SOME EXOTIC GUITARS I;VE SEEN, MIGHT SERVE TO CREATE A BETTER MEDIUM FOR VIBRATIONS. aNY THOUGHTS ANYBODY. IF THIS IS THE WRONG WAY OR PLACE TO POSE SUCH QUESTIONS, SORRY. JUST JOINED AND DON'T UNDERSTAND CORRECT PROCEDURE

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Permalink Reply by Martin Simpson on December 28, 2018 at 3:03pm

I think that you have exactly the right idea. You want a nice thin sound board as the top.
If the sides of your box are thick then I would put the sound holes there. That will help the thin top act as a diaphragm for moving air/sound.

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Permalink Reply by gordon barnes on December 29, 2018 at 11:39am

Thinking goes on. Since I'll no doubt play my cbg acoustic more than amped, tone is inportant. Question is, should the neck be anchored at just the ends of the box so sound, vibrations, can circulate throughout the box, or would shimming and anchoring it to the bottom of the box cost any of the tone-sound? Since the top, (what will wind up being the bottom) ob the box is 5/16 thick, it sure looks like a good base but wii it cost me to use it as such. Afloat or anchored, that is the question?

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Permalink Reply by gordon barnes on December 28, 2018 at 3:52pm

Thanks, a little posative reinforcement of ideas thrown out is sure good for the confidence. I was a moodel ship builder for some years and I always had better results when I first thought about difficult building situations ad nausiam before actually diving in, so to speak. I've read acoustic guitar mag, and a Britt. one for years and have gleaned some guitar building theory. On-line cbg building videos are goldmines of info too, Stuff like the ratio of scale length to fret measurement, sources of material, boxes, ready made necks, hardware. I'm old and facing losing my vision so I'm inclined to buy ready made necks and electronics, also I don't have the great power tools I see in some videos. I'n looking to make a 4 string for finger picking in the different tunnings. I've got, for me, 2 nice 6 strings, a gs mimi and a little martin 3/4, but playing was getting stail and I ran into a video of a guy playing La Grange on a 3 string cbg and I was hooked. I'm sure you know what I mean. Really great talking to you brother, when I get going, Ill get some pics on the site. I just ordered another box from someone In N.J., Its a little bigger than my Maduro and is dove tailed. Talk to you later

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on December 29, 2018 at 6:32am

I used a Montesino Humidor Box on my first build. It has a 1/4" thick top and it works well acoustically and with the piezo I put in it. I chose the thick top because it was solid wood and I prefer that over plywood that was used on the bottom even though it was 3/32" thick like the usual thickness for acoustic tops.

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Permalink Reply by gordon barnes on December 29, 2018 at 7:24am

chose your poison, I guess. I found a place on web selling everykind of cb there is,it seemed. I ordered a avo dove tail joint box. little bigger and better made. who knows what choises that will bring. The humidor box sounds interesting. what dimensions? thanks for the chat. Funny, I'm stripping wallpaper with an album, playing ,.Aqaba June Tabor, ( with a great UK guitarist , Martin Simpson) I go out to check the web stuff, and I find a reply by someone mamed Martin Simpson. I can't believe it was the great M.S., but it was cosmic none the less. Maybe I should use a name for the group. Andres Sagovia?