Welcome, Carverman

Hi Carverman, like your work, much higher class than mine. In answer to your question about my lapsteel, the fretboard is made of perspex & that shell is made of metal it was a napkin holder. Thanks for your interest, regards Barry Faulkner

So, you'll have 2 Spanish Cedar sound boards. Too. bad that you could have them cut in into quarters and then try to plane that down to 1/8" thickness. Then, you'd have 4 soundboards, and the 1/8" thickness will likely be a more resonant than a 1/4" thick one. If you are using a neck-through design, where none of the string tension is place on the sound board other than at the bridge (and that can be reinforced with a thin "under-the-soundboard" board), then you won't have to do much to reinforce the soundboard. Sounds like a good start, though. Let me know how the project turns out.

-Rand.

Thanks for your comment. The Fender amp you can see in my pics is a Super 60, bought back in '89. My CBG's sound great through it - but it is incredibly loud, and heavy. I've not made any vids using it but I may do if you'd be interested to hear what it sounds like.

Love the look of those through-body neck guitars you've been building. 

Building your first CBG using a real cigar box and using the original box top or bottom as the sound board is a good idea in that there are a lot of different building processes and skills that you need to develop that come together to make you guitar a reality. So, getting those basic process down well is essential before building your own boxes. However, if you are remotely located where boxes are hard to get, building boxes may be an important skill to master early on. I am no master box builder, or even an apprentice. I've built one box. But I see I'd like to learn more about it and so have started by box building group.  I've also built 5 or 6 cigar box guitars and I see I still have many more to make till I can build a consistently good guitar. So you should be prepared to have to build at least several before you try your own box design, especially a 6-stringer. I'd start on something more humble like a 3-stringer. Actually, I started on canjo 1-stringers and I don't count them amoung the CBGs I've built.

 

As far as materials go, the Spanish Ceder should make a pretty good sound board. Do you have a larger single piece? Or, will you be gluing several boards together side by side to form your soundboard? I'd start with a big square piece 1/8'' thick as it is simpler to do. With my box, I got a piece of cherry laminate, and turned it over, glued it in as my soundboard (because the underside matches the wood of the sides a lot better).

 

As you probably have gathered by now, I'm the cautious type and I make improvement to my CBGs in rather small increments. But there is no rule that says you have to. If you have previous wood working experience and are very confident in your building skills, you can go ahead and jump into your 6-string project straight away.

 

Good luck in your project.

 

-Rand.

Hi Carverman.

 

The general rule for a good acoustic box is big and deep with a thin soundboard. The one box I made is still awaiting the completion of its head & neck. So, I can't say for sure how well the 9'' x 7.5'' x 4'' box performs because I have yet to test it. I am a novice box builder, so most of what I "know" regarding box building is hearsay. I suspect the shape of the box has a fair amount to do with volume and richness of sound, so I want to experiment with different box shapes. The McNally Strumstick is quite loud for its size and I think it may be due to its triangular shaped box with a round "tail end". So, that's one of the box shapes I'm thinking of doing. I am a slow builder, so it will be a while before I have more real feedback to give / document. If you are going electric and plan to play electric, then the box size and shape is not so important.  If you have build a few CBGs, I'd begin by copying your favorite cigar box and then try to enhance that in subsequent builds. The type of wood will also affect sound quality, and picking wood that is commonly used may yield better results. I am using Chinese woods whose English names are unknown to me. So, my choice of wwods is a gamble.

 

Well, good luck on your box build. Why not document your process and add it to CGN. I started the Basic Resonator Boxes 101 group to provide a point for discussing these topics. It would be a good place to post your build process. Photos would be great.

 

-Rand.

 

 

hey man thanks for the pics you sent me of your les pauls there fantastic cant wait to have a crack at one myself - i'm gonna have to wait until the weather warms up some though as all my big tools Bandsaw , Jointer & thicknesser are all in the shed snowed in so no building for me for quite some time :( - but it will give me time to get the materials together so i'm ready to make a start when its possible

thanks for the comments on my videos in responce to the reso it's one i bought but have since sold it i was not that impressed with it to be honest i think i could make better myself , well time will tell because thats another build i want to try my hand at

also heres another video showing another set Neck and Bridge pickups i made for Bluesbeaten redshaws dad he was so pleased with the sound of the bridge pickup i made for his son he had me make him a matching set

hope you like it
cheers mate

juju :)

Thanks for your wonderful comments, Dan! I've given the questions regarding women in the blues a lot of thought and I am still not sure what the answers are. I was at a clinic with Guitar guru Greg Koch 2 weeks ago and asked him if he could name any women that had inspired him as a guitarist. He couldn't answer.... He named Bonnie Raitt as a fabulous guitarist and one other woman, whose name I can't recall just now, but that was it. I think that rock and blues guitar has been viewed as a guy thing for a long time and it will just take along time for more women to become more skilled players and get the opportunities and recognition that they deserve. Other genre seem to be a little easier to break into, such as classical and Jazz guitar.... Paul Schaefer and the CBS orchestra has a great woman player who is front and center each night that David Letterman is on TV, and that's a good image to have out there.... Great chatting with you, Dan!

Hey man thanks for all the building info you sent me thats pretty cool of you - also you three LP's look fantastic i'm sure your well pleased with them - i like the sound of making the neck through - i had a Epiphone Sheraton which i fitted a genuine Bigsby to it but sold it a while back as i needed some cash quick - i miss it i must say it used to sound sweet the only down side to it was it was massive compared to the les paul i like the size of the les paul it suits me to a T and i would also consider adding a Bigsby aswell as the neck through - i have some real nice English walnut for the project when i do get around to it not sure what i'd cap it with as yet but i'm always on the lookout - i'll know when i see it lol!

thanks again mate

juju :)

Thanks mate but i still dont consider myself a pro still lot's to learn - but i do love making guitars and working with wood , it helps because i'm a joiner / cabinate maker by trade so as i tell everyone if i dont make a good job at work i dont get paid so you soon learn to do the best you can lol
so i guess you like to Carve ? with the name Carverman - do you wood turn on the lathe also ? - i have carved in the past but i find i just dont have the time for it , same with the woodturning but i aim to get back into it

so you made some Les Paul guitars thats cool i have always wanted to try my hand at a real six stringer and i also love the les Paul i have a Epiphone Les Paul myself and love it - don't know when i'll get around to making one but it's on my to do list along with some humbuckers to fit in it - so much to do in so little time lol! - i like the sound of your semi acoustic les paul maybe thats the style i'll try myself - so i take it you made the main body from a slab and rebated the cavities for the sound chambers then added a 1/2" cappings to the top ? - do you have any pix of it ? would love to see it

thanks for the reply

juju :)