Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jess on July 8, 2011 at 10:05am

Nice job, James.

Permalink Reply by J.Ed on July 8, 2011 at 10:36am

Very Nice!

 

Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on December 7, 2011 at 9:07am

Wow, for a first build I have to say that looks pretty darn amazing!  (Actually it would look just as amazing if it was your 100th, 1,000th, whatever - it just flat out looks amazing.)

I really like the bridge and the hardware you put on the box.  I've used grommets in my soundholes, partly for decoration but also to cover up "ugly" uneven holes, but I haven't considered adding any other hardware anywhere.  Seeing your pictures makes me want to start adding more though.

Fantastic, sweet looking build!  Very one-of-a-kind.

Permalink Reply by James Haney on December 7, 2011 at 11:14am

Wow,

Thanks for the overflowing praise.

I do have a lot of experience building artwork projects which helped, but in a lot of ways I got lucky. Not so much in the looks, but in the sound.

The tone on this guitar is really nice. Everyone who plays it is amazed.

I did a bunch of research in retrospect to prepare for making my next build and here is what I have determined that make this guitar really sing.

1. The box is made of really nice cedar and closes very solidly, making for a nice sound chamber.

2. I used the bottom of the box (the thinnest part) for the top, which, according to a lot of sources, makes for a better sounding CBG. Originally, I did this to make it easier to get at the electronics.

3. The piece of wood I had for the neck was too short to do a traditional, thru-the-box neck. So, I added a "heel" or "neck brace" to support the neck. This also has an interesting side effect. The box is flexible enough that I can flex the guitar against my body to get pitch bends!

4. The box is 3 inches deep. I have listened to a lot of CBGs since making mine and I invariably prefer the sound of the larger, deeper boxes. From this, I have determined that I will only use boxes of at least 2 .5 inches deep for my next guitars.

So, what do I have planned next?

I attached a picture of a cigar box I just bought on eBay this week. (11 3/4" W X 8 1/4" L X 2 3/4" D). I'm going to make a 4 string CBG, using a bass string and a bass pickup for the top string so I can play really thundering bass.

The drawing is an idea for a solid-body 4 string. The unusual shape is designed for playing while sitting down. Thus the big re-curve on the bottom fits over my right thigh and allows the neck to be held higher than a normal electric would.

So many ideas, so little time...

James

Michael Glenn said:

Wow, for a first build I have to say that looks pretty darn amazing!  (Actually it would look just as amazing if it was your 100th, 1,000th, whatever - it just flat out looks amazing.)

I really like the bridge and the hardware you put on the box.  I've used grommets in my soundholes, partly for decoration but also to cover up "ugly" uneven holes, but I haven't considered adding any other hardware anywhere.  Seeing your pictures makes me want to start adding more though.

Fantastic, sweet looking build!  Very one-of-a-kind.

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• Screen Shot 2011-12-07 at 3.26.28 PM.png, 473 KB
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Permalink Reply by Michael Glenn on December 8, 2011 at 2:48pm

Sounds like you're hooked.  :)

I haven't tried a 4-string yet, but I've done about 6 or 7 3-string CBGs.  I still need to put pics up on my profile though; I keep forgetting about that.  I just finished one with a HUGE box and strung it GDG, and I'm really happy with the sound.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work down the road,

Michael