Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Slow Blues Dani & Ol' Grey Bear on October 20, 2016 at 11:22am

Never let anyone tell you that CBGs are a way for the poor to own a guitar. I'm that addicted to building and playing these things that lunch today was licking stamps to go on begging letters! Sunday dinner is a lollipop/sucker I nailed to the wall three months ago for emergency nutrition. Making one of each wouldn't be so bad but one of each with different pickup options, in each tuning, in different scale lengths, fretless and fretted...etc etc. Phew. Not sure I'm going to live long enough to get them all built with my forced dietary habits haha.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on October 16, 2016 at 5:18am

I arrive here late, but here is my 2 cents worth.  

Don't build a six unless you play well on one already.   For most of us, fewer strings are easier to play. 

It's very difficult to make a nice playing fretted 6 string neck and fretboad.   Do as  Cause did.   Find a used neck or buy one pre-made. 

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on October 16, 2016 at 5:29am

Yup, I've made a few 6 strings and on all but one used necks off of busted guitars. I don't really consider them as'homemade" as my other stuff since I didn't make the box, didn't make the neck, didn't make the electronics. I just figured out how to hook it all together. That being said they're still a lot more homey looking than a cheap factory git. Bottom line is my only reason for making them was because some friends are 6 string players and I wanted them to join in with the all homemade instrument band that I've put together.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on October 16, 2016 at 5:50am

I think the gits with factory necks are a somewhat different category than 'home made'.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on October 16, 2016 at 7:01am

Agreed. But we would have to extend that to all pre made necks. Including the ones I've bought at CBG fests from Delta Blues Guitars. And the pre made necks you can buy from GB Gitty.  I have a few fret boards from them. They are nice. There are more of us who would love to make our own. But don't have the skills it takes to fret a board. That's why pre made necks are so popular. They give people like me the chance to make something I'd want to play. 

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on October 16, 2016 at 8:58am

True, true.  I've bought some fretboards myself. 

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on October 16, 2016 at 10:26am

Yup, and I've used pre made fret boards, necks and other parts too. I personally enjoy making as much of it as I can but sometimes take time saving steps when I need to finish several in a hurry. I have absolute respect for anyone willing to make their own instrument no matter how much or how little of it has been shaped by hand. Even a pre cut, pre shaped kit is a fantastic learning tool for someone who doesn't have a bunch of tools or experience. So I agree totally with you Wayfinder but I feel obliged to do a disclaimer at craft shows when I have an instrument bearing a factory neck. Keep on building! And to qoute Ben Baker from one of his broadcasts -"never let not knowing how to do something stop you from doing it!"

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on October 16, 2016 at 11:11am

Yup, and I'm currently working on a flux capacitor so Michael J Fox can go back and teach Johnny B Goode to Chuck Berry!

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Permalink Reply by JP Lace Master on October 16, 2016 at 9:44am

6 String CBG, depending on how you make them, they can be just like any guitar except the body is a Cigar Box, or anything else you can think to use. If I may suggest, use an old bolt on neck, a top loading bridge, a Piezo or two or a Mini Humbucker (Or a combo of the 2 if you like), some hardware and maybe something to strength the body, a length of hardwood or something and build something these bad boys.

Attachments:

• PA102158.JPG, 3.1 MB
• P9042721.JPG, 3.6 MB

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Permalink Reply by Justin Hilts on October 25, 2016 at 5:14am

ya you are if you build CBG's

A luthier (/ˈluːtiər/ LOO-ti-ər) is someone who builds or repairs string instruments generally consisting of a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" comes from the French word luth, which means lute

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Permalink Reply by JL on October 21, 2016 at 1:50am

I'm going to encourage you to build a 6 stringer with the following suggestions:

Make it based on a "Classic" guitar, flat fret board, slightly wider string spacing, low tension nylon strings.  It will be less of a departure from what you already have built, and the low tension nylon strings put less than half the strain on the neck so you can skip the truss rod.

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