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Uncle Crow style and best design for ACOUSTIC cbg

Well, this is my first post, thank you for the welcome and for reading this. I'm new in CBG bulding, and I've decided go for the acoustic type.

First of all, because I don´t have now an amp, a piezo or a pickup, jack...

Second, because I want to try the primitive style of cigar box guitars. I want to try getting the best possible sound for a home building accoustic instrument.

And here is the thing. I've searched youtube and I've found the best sound in acoustic cbg often correspond not to fancy designs, but, very often, to primitive uncle crow's ones. You know, the ones with neck ON the top. Does it make any sense?

What do you believe is the secret for a good accoustic sound in a CBG? Do you believe Uncle Crow design is a good way to get nice acoustic sound?

Thank you and sorry for my english (I'm not a native speaker).

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on August 22, 2021 at 7:05am

It’s definitely the easiest, but not as loud as a traditional setup? Research acoustic bracing, this combined with proper bridge setup & placement will give you the best acoustic sound? The uncle crow neck on top style is really a dulcimer in disguise? Welcome :)

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 23, 2021 at 12:24pm

Hi Alvaro, welcome to the fold. If you look at how the sound we hear from a stringed instrument is generated you will be able to design and build better acoustic instruments. It's a big subject but I'll try to keep it simple.

This is the chain of events:
The string is plucked - this inturn excites the bridge

The bridges - motion, in turn, moves the top into action [vibration]

The tops - movement [Imagin it moving like the bellows in a pump] in turn, moves the air inside the box creating soundwaves. {different string pitches on different strings equal different soundwaves]

Soundholes - are important as they allow the sound in the box to escape for us to hear.us to hear.

In the main, it is the top that produces the bulk of the sound, and the quality of it. I can't remember the correct number, but a guitar only uses about 10% of the energy created by the strings when plucked.

That is why I talk about the responsiveness of a guitar, I try to ensure that the different components mentioned above work to their full potental. Or a close as I can get it.

Bridge _ good fit to the top, the correct height, and position, and suitable materials.

Top - I judge by flexibility, not thickness, so it is responsive but strong enough to support the strings. That's where suitable bracing comes in.

Soundholes - Smaller sound holes = more bass response larger = more treble.

So, anything that impedes the vibration of the top, like neck, pickups, pots, etc, will be detrimental to acoustic quality. That's what I keep in mind anyway, But wait there's more...........

Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by Álvaro CGB on August 25, 2021 at 12:57am

Thank you Taffy for your wide answer!

I've knows some uncle crow's designs that use a hollow neck on the top to allow more free vibration. For the top, I will use a 3mm polywood,.

I wasn´t aware the treble/bass diferences related to the soundoles size. Good to know!

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Permalink Reply by Álvaro CGB on August 25, 2021 at 12:50am

Yes, the uncle crow resembles the traditional mountain dulcimer... I'll definitely check bracing designs, although I thinks is used in a few cbgs more to prevent collapse than enhance sound. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Martin Fisher on August 31, 2021 at 2:27am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-r6rc_Bd8U

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Jordan on August 31, 2021 at 7:28am

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Jordan on August 31, 2021 at 7:29am

I checked out the video Martin suggested, and I have tried the same idea, where you put spacers (washers) between the neck and body to increase volume. It works. In my iteration I used an old cake pan instead of a cigar box, and it had a pleasing Dobro like sound. Good luck with your build!

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Permalink Reply by Álvaro CGB on August 31, 2021 at 8:42am

Yes! I have that video in mind. Very good sound for a pure acostic cbg, don´t you think? (I don't know if the techyaspect of the recording is important here). Some builders suggest to hollow the neck on the top, instead of using the washers. The true is, in that video, even the classic "uncle crow" sounds surprisingly pretty good.