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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 30, 2020 at 6:51am

I made a acoustic CBG style box out of Cedar awhile back. I did a thread on the build, but can't seem to find it now. I think it was in the Building A Cigar Box Guitar 101 group.

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Permalink Reply by MadGomer on July 30, 2020 at 9:39am

Paul, based on the experience, would you make more out of cedar in the future?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 31, 2020 at 7:06am

Cedar is soft, but it dries out and gets hard like Pine does with time. After I cut the pieces to length, I actually dried mine out in the oven at home in the kitchen with the vent going for an hour and a half before building.

I don't recommend doing that without knowing if the wood will put of toxic fumes or not. Still the best form of drying out wood is just like the oldtimers did it, outside and over time.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 31, 2020 at 7:17am

Yes I wood ;)

Cedar, Spruce, Fir and Pine are all in the same family, but many Southern species are to soft for my tastes.

Western varieties will be better suited. IMO I used cedar fence planks for my build. predrill any screw holes and if any of those woods are considered for making a neck, I would put in a trussrod just to be on the safe side.

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on July 30, 2020 at 9:58am

I’ve seen softwoods like red & yellow cedar used for tops on dulcimers, but not without bracing? Yellow cedar is almost as hard as spanish cedar, and you know we love those Spanish cedar cigar boxes :D

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on July 31, 2020 at 7:38am

What’s your wife say about drying wood in the oven, Paul? Back in the 80’s, I helped a friend of mine build the lumber kiln from Firefox vol. 3, worked great!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 31, 2020 at 7:57am

She didn't like it a single bit. Get a old electric or gas oven covereted to propane or a old large propane grill in your workshop and dry out wood as much as you want. Supervised that is, don't want anyone burning or blowing up the workshop on my ideas. ;)

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on July 31, 2020 at 1:56pm

I think I could get away with using the oven.  A couple years back I made a bunch of centerpieces for her, the base was a thin cross cuts from a log.  To be sure there were no bugs on them we sterilized them in the oven at the lowest setting for a couple hours.  I figure that sets a precedent, at least that will be my excuse.

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on August 1, 2020 at 7:11am

Ray, stringed instruments like violins, cellos, violas & upright basses employ a spruce dowel between the front & back? Where it’s placed can change tone & resonance. The most favorable position is near the bass side of the bridge, which is also the best place to mount a piezo?

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 1, 2020 at 11:59am

Hi Ray, the soundpost as Brian Q has explained is usually fitted in instruments of the viol family. The reason is that they sure played with a bow, so the mechanical action of the bridge is more side to side, than back and forth as a guitar or plucked instrument.
The quick explanation is not easy, but, I give it a go.

Under the bass leg of a viol bridge is a bass bar, a brace, running from tail to neck direction. Under the treble leg goes the soundpost, just behind that leg, and as BrianQ says its placement is critical.

To aid and control the "rocking", the side to side action of the bridge, the post is used as a firm point where the bridge can transfer energy. Not big on fancy words this is layman speak, ha ha. I hope you get the idea.

Bottom line is the top of bowed instruments have aconstant mode of vibration whereas plucked instruments have short sharp duration of vibration. Both methods cause sound waves in the air of the box, that exits the soundholes. It's the air motion that works the back. Sorry for poor explanation.
Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 2, 2020 at 11:55am

Hi again Ray,

to answer your actual question. There have been guitars built with sound posts, for whatever reason, but it is not a feature jumped on by builders in general. My thought is that unless the top and back were perfectly tuned to work together, as they are when soundwaves bring the back into play, the post could have a dampening effect on the top due to the back resisting top movement.

With stiff sides the vibrating energy from the strings is more directed tot he top and back. Even a soft timber neck can, I think, rob the box of vibrating energy.


Well you did ask......Taff

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Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on August 2, 2020 at 5:56pm

 Yes, I asked, and as usual, you gave very good, clear, valuable info and I am glad I asked. I kinda figured that with the post, the front and back might work against each other if not somehow tuned together. I wouldn't have the foggiest on how to do that, nor do I want to get that technical in building, yet.

 Thank you Taffy,

Ray

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