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What is inside the box?

I have never ever seen a "real life" CBG. Just pictures. For the most part they are of the CBG over all and very fine creations at that.
I have had tantalizing glimpses of the "inside" of the boxes and they appear to have a variety of configurations, for amplifiers; transducers; resonators;for strength;for acoustic reproduction etc etc.

I understand the fluidity of design available in a CBG, but coming from an "acoustic reproduction aim" of Early music instruments (Lutes, Psaltries, Portative organs .....) These CBGs should never work! :) I think of all the time, effort and science of vibrations that I used to put into a soundboard, and you guys stick a thick lump of wood right underneath it! You cant have a central sound hole so you stick them anywhere.

Don't get me wrong, I love what you are doing, but educate me please!

I would love to see inside a lot more boxes, especially those with "different" configurations and what you aimed to achieve by what you have done. Your pictures would be most welcome.

I am clearly a person who learns by "seeing"... Can you help by posting what is inside your box please?

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on May 29, 2009 at 2:52am

I too am a person that, If I see it, I can usually build a good copy. I have cursed the day I ever saw a CBG, and praised the day I found this site. Take a few days and go through the "photos" section, 300+ pages of everyone's creations, some people are even kind (smart ) enough to take pics DURING the build and let you see inside the magic box...

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on May 29, 2009 at 3:02am

Here is what the inside of one of mine looks like. I am far and away, NOT an expert at this. I have made all mine with the neck extending all the way through the box, but you can make them so the neck attaches like a normal guitar if you like. I use piezo transducers for pickups, and I stick them to the low string side of the box lid, using double sided sticky tape. I think it helps insulate the piezo a bit and makes it a little less twangy.

I only cut one sound hole because I want the bass response to be a little higher. My understanding is that the more holes you cut, the more the bass is reduced.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Lemin on May 29, 2009 at 3:08am

What a good start. Thankyou.

Yes I will browse the photos

Keep them coming......
Its after midnight here (Australia) I am off to bed, I suspect i will have a great collection in the morning. Dont let me down.

:)

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on May 29, 2009 at 8:23am

Here's the innards of the resonator guitar I just built; the next photo in the set shows the resonator itself in place:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/continued-progress?context=user

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on May 30, 2009 at 9:26am

Here's one I'm currently building:

This will have a home-wound EM pickup when it's done, so there will be a length of shielded cable running through the box to a jack. But haven't gotten to that part yet. The screw inside the box is just a gluing clamp and will be removed once the glue is dry. This has a bolt-on neck (because I only had a 1 foot and a 2 foot 1x2 on hand, so I needed to put them together to make the neck... the other two screws are part of the bolt-on system.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Lemin on May 30, 2009 at 5:46pm

Thanks Guys. Yes more please!

I have been going through the photos and have got to 190! (out of almost 350)

I have downloaded all the great ideas and filed them under.
Nice Looking Unique
Interior
Electronics
Heads
Tails
Soundboards
Fret boards
Building tips

Its a long job as i do it in the TV adverts! :)

Ted Crocker said:

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Permalink Reply by Brian Lemin on May 30, 2009 at 5:50pm

I am interested in the resonator CBG guitars and am collecting stuff to make one. I had a great dubro type in the 1960s and wish I had never got rid of it, but kids cost money to bring up!
Any information you can let me have will be most welcome.

Mark Werner said:

Here's the innards of the resonator guitar I just built; the next photo in the set shows the resonator itself in place:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/continued-progress?context=user

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on May 31, 2009 at 4:06am

Here's the same CBG build with the electronics installed.

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Permalink Reply by bairfoot cajun on May 31, 2009 at 1:20pm

this is a view inside the indian tabac box its real simple

the neck attaches to the top with two screws and the ted crocker tesla piezo fits into a slot cut into the neck right under the bridge. the strings go through the tail end of the neck.

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Permalink Reply by Old Lowe on May 31, 2009 at 2:41pm

Find more videos like this on Cigar Box Nation

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Permalink Reply by Brian Lemin on May 31, 2009 at 2:51pm

Thanks for the detail in the text, as well as the pictures
bairfoot cajun said:

this is a view inside the indian tabac box its real simple

the neck attaches to the top with two screws and the ted crocker tesla piezo fits into a slot cut into the neck right under the bridge. the strings go through the tail end of the neck.

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Permalink Reply by joe cerroni on June 1, 2009 at 1:34am

Mine are pretty basic neck throughs mostly. I like to sandwich the peizo between two thin peices of wood and glue it rightto the inside of the box cover. Seems to eliminate feedback and picks up vibrations directly through the "soundboard".

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