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Large boxes/Ideal Sizes

If you were looking at building a box, how large would you go?

I've got some scrap from a set of cupboards and could go up to about 17 inches long by 7 or 8 high. asthetically about 12 inches like a license plate guitar seems about the sweet spot, acoustically bigger is probably better. not looking to add a pickup for the moment.

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Permalink Reply by JP Lace Master on December 15, 2019 at 12:03am

I've used a few big boxes. not sure which was the biggest used a couple which were 13.5 x 10.5 x 3.5 inches and one was 14 x 7 x 4.5 inches which was used for a bass. Sound wise, you'll get a better sound from deeper bodies, more resonance, but it really depends on the kind of sound you're looing for.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on December 19, 2019 at 5:15pm

Hi Southpaw, this can be a big subject as there are so many variables that need to be considered when searching for what is "better" or "best" in any instrument. Maybe you will get some input from the guys that build hundreds of CBG's.

Your question is "...how large would you go"? Well it depends on why you want to go large, JP's comment in the last line on his post, should give you a clue. You can have an instrument/box of a certain size that sounds "great" to you, If you change that size you will possibly get a different sound that may not be as pleasing. You will lose some sound qualities and gain others.

I could give you the sizes of the boxes I use, but would you get the same quality of sound? well only if you used the same materials, same soundholes and same scale length, just to mention a few features that contribute to sound and volume characteristics.

I based my size box's, loosely, on the Golden Ratio" rule. I leave you to look that one up.If you are interested in getting the best you can from a CBG, I would suggest reading a bit about guitar acoustics, and adapt what you think will work for use in your builds. that's what I did.

Here is a list I drew up, from many sources, of points to consider when designing a build.

The last paragraph is mine. Taff

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Permalink Reply by Southpaw on December 20, 2019 at 3:26am

thanks, that's pretty useful, haven't looked too much into that side of it. i'd really only thought of sound holes and lining the inside with oak if i didn't like the 10mm pine i'm thinking of using.