The Perfect size Box?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on May 8, 2012 at 1:03am

Yep. Depth is harder to find than surface area

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Permalink Reply by Don Barnhill on May 8, 2012 at 6:31am

Thank you Michael. I have a couple of deeper ones so I will keep my eye out for the 2 1/2 - 3" in the future. 

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 8, 2012 at 12:49am

Actualy, there could be some testing later this year that may kinda sorta answer this type of question for all time. Can't say more than that.

 

But I build my own boxes at 12" L X 10 1/2" W X 3 1/2"- 3 3/4" D, with a 3/16" soundboard, all made from lauan plywood and pine bracing. They sound good and deep, especially with heavier strings.

 

And Badfinger is right: there's a guitar (or amp) lurking in nearly every box.

 

The reason you see mostly 9" long CBGs is that 9" X 7" X 1 1/2" - 2 1/2" is roughly the standard box size to contain 25 or 50 cigars of roughly 6 - 6 1/2" length, which is what most people who smoke cigars buy. Tony Hyman's website, www.cigarhistory.com, has an extensive overview of cigar box types.

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Permalink Reply by Don Barnhill on May 8, 2012 at 6:39am

Thanks for the sizing info Oily and the link! It's very helpful. I thought it was more of a pickup type thing that was producing the sound since the boxes were so small. So, acoustics of the box does come into the equation.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 8, 2012 at 6:48am

Don,

You're not wrong about the pickups, though. Lotta times, an acoustically skinny box will bloom with the right pickups. And there are plenty of 9" x 7" x 1-1/2" boxes that sound great acoustically. In my opinion, it's actually an interplay between box dimensions, thickness and type of wood or other material the box is made from, scale length, string gauge, nut and bridge material, and tuning. I and many others have found that different boxes will bloom acoustically depending on string gauge and tuning. One of my 4-stringers likes Open G, and even down to Open E, but the other doesn't. They are the same scale length, and have similarly sized strings. The neck woods, nut, bridges, saddles, etc., are different, made by two different builders. And my plywood boxes sound differenter still. That's what makes these beasties so fascinating: there's no rules, just some general, breakable guidelines. Good luck with your builds; post audio or vids if you get a chance.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on May 8, 2012 at 10:26am

I am kind of partial to the thin Padron box's (now that I said to get a deep box) Some are less than the 1-1/2" and I love the way they sound acoustically. 

Can't wait for your top secret test Oily. 

One thing I found is that the box's with the lid that is attached to a bit of the side, then hinged, as opposed to the flat lid just laying there seem to sound better. My guess is that the soundboard is more ridged with the small side frames, anyone else find this? Are your tops fixed to your box Oily?

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 8, 2012 at 1:59pm

Michael,

The two I have built ended up with the soundboard being attached to a frame of 1" x 1" pine stretchers, which I indeed hinged. They are definitely rigid along the edges, but vibrate wonderfully because of that. They have great resonance. They don't have any bracing, but do seem to have a dead spot near the center. Since my bridges float, that doesn't matter, but I'm thinking of building one with a central soundhole, just to see what that does,. That's about 4 or 5 builds down the road, as I've got an amp and a couple of license plate resos to finish this summer.

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Permalink Reply by Don Barnhill on May 8, 2012 at 12:45pm

Thank you Oily and Michael! This is just the kind of information I need before I build. I'm going from building acoustic guitars and ukuleles to CBG's. I've evolved! I will try and use some of the things I have learned with acoustics on the CBG's. But, I remember our Motto "There Are No Rules!"

I find the humbuckers deep and throaty and the single coils Fenderish which I love the sound of both. Any pickup type you guys prefer? 

You mention scale length. I was going to use a 25" Dobro scale. Are there other scale recommendations you like in particular?

Michael, do you mean the lid has a raised rim around it like a Cohiba box?

Thanks guys! I'm just so lit up about building CBG's. I think I'll make a run to the cigar store!

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Permalink Reply by Don Barnhill on May 8, 2012 at 5:21pm

Oh, I see, a raised rim Like on a Padrone!

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on May 8, 2012 at 11:29pm

Not raised but attached to a full frame which is hinged to a bottom, like a box on a box. The other would be the typical paper covered where the lid is hinged with paper and is just the sheet of plywood or paper board with no 'frame' under it. The framed lid I think is the better acoustic box. The Padron is half way in between.

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Permalink Reply by SlowHound on May 8, 2012 at 2:36pm

I always thought the bigger the better but I've been getting some great sounds from a small thin box recently 7x5x11/4.  It's been an eye opener for sure.   

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Permalink Reply by Don Barnhill on May 8, 2012 at 5:23pm

SlowHound,

What kind of pick ups do you have in it?

Thanks

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