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Box size for license plate guitar

New to the site, just got bit by the CBG bug and was checking out boxes at my friend's tobacconist's shop. Thought I might use an old license plate I found at my wife's parent's packhouse to build a CBG around. Since the normal plate is 6" x 12" I was wondering if there is an appropriate cigar box to accommodate the plate or will I need to build a custom box?

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on August 16, 2011 at 7:53pm

If you can find a cigar box big enough, you could certainly put the license plate on the front of it. I think I would opt for building a custom box, and leave enough room around the edges to fasten the license plate to.

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Permalink Reply by Vick Griffin on August 16, 2011 at 8:22pm

That's kinda what I was thinking Dan, but that's probably beyond my abilities. But I know plenty of guys at work who got do it once I find the materials.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on August 16, 2011 at 8:31pm

Actually, building a box is really easy. Just use some cheap lumber and make the outline of the box, with butt joints. Then screw the license plate down to the front of it to hold it together. Then screw a piece of 1/8 thin wood to the back. Voila, box.

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Permalink Reply by Vick Griffin on August 16, 2011 at 8:34pm

Duh. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on August 16, 2011 at 8:35pm

:-)

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on August 16, 2011 at 8:36pm

And if you build a box that way, you can easily cut the notch for the neck before you assemble the whole thing.

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on August 17, 2011 at 1:57am

Hi Vick.

For more info on box building, check out the CBN discussion group "Home Made Resonator Boxes 101, v.2.0". While we don't had a discussion on building a box for a license plate resonator guitar, the other box building information is relevant.

-Rand.

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Permalink Reply by Vick Griffin on August 18, 2011 at 11:49am

Ok, found my wood for the box yesterday - do I attach the plate to the outer edges of the box or does it actually go over a thin box top? I plan on putting a pickup in this, but wondering what if anything else I should do to the box - if there is a lid, I'm assuming I'd need to cut a couple of holes. I saw a license plate guitar on Youtube that housed a 6" spun aluminum cone resonator underneath the plate - I'm assuming mounted on a box-top?