Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BenBob on April 26, 2012 at 7:09pm

1. Pick a scale length (total length of vibrating string) and decide where you want the bridge to be on the box. Calculate your frets (http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html) and put them in until you run out of neck or fretwire.

2. For a wee one, I'd do about 18" scale, diatonically fretted, with classical guitar ADG strings tuned up to CGC or DAD. I think that would be a very cool guitar for a little one. "Diatonic" means that it is fretted like the white keys of a piano, leaving out the black keys, so it's easier to pick out tunes on it. It would play like a mountain dulcimer.

3. After fretting, the bridge will be twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, plus 1-2 mm for "compensation." Steel strings need more compensation. Basically, the strings go slightly sharp when you push them down against the fret so  you need to move the bridge a little away from the nut to make all the frets play a tiny bit flat, which compensates for the sharpening effect. To test, the 12th fret harmonic should match the fretted note.

Another idea would be to make her a ukulele. I made one of these kits and let the girl paint it with flowers and stuff:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Ukulele-Kit/H3125

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on April 27, 2012 at 12:53am

You could consider basing your build on this approach...3 string CBG for adults to teach their children how to play.

http://youtu.be/4vE690qMYbU

Please see my Free Lessons playlist at www.youtube.com/kenileeburgess

for more http://www.loogguitars.com/ lessons.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 27, 2012 at 1:24am

Everyones advise so far is good. I would just add why not make a first test guitar, then build 2 good ones, one for you and one for your daughter, then the two of you can learn together, or she can teach you whichever works better. By the way, the Ukes are very popular today with teenage kids, I know your girl is not quite there yet but they are fun.  Either way build 2, and have fun.

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Permalink Reply by David L. on April 27, 2012 at 1:28am

For a young girl one of the prettiest designs I have seen anywhere is posted in the uke forum here http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/cigarboxukulele/forum/topics/my...

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on April 27, 2012 at 1:46am

I'd go even shorter, 15".   Be extra, extra sure your fret measurements are as exact as you can get them.  It is easier to use a fret calculator that prints out a template, IMO, rather than marking with a ruler -- especially if you are dealing with a short instrument and a fussy audience.  http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/

I'd consider a diatonic fingerboard (only the "right" notes") because she is just a little thing and it will be more fun to pick out melodies.  There is a whole group about those types of instruments here:  http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/dulciworld.

Regardless of your tuning, select the strings you need with this:  http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.htm by entering the string length and the tuning note you want for each string.  Sometimes those numbers will match up with a Gitty set, or you can buy them one at a time at any guitar store for probably $1 a string  or so.

Generally folks put the bridge at about 1/3 up the box from the tail, moving towards 1/2.   You will want a floating bridge so you can skootch it around as you string it up and tune it.

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Permalink Reply by James Avery Cunliffe on April 27, 2012 at 3:32am

Wow... What a terrific response. The first one will be a test run, although its looking good for a first try, based on both the free plans and posts ive found here. I chose a CBG due to its associations with American history/music and my tight budget but I love the idea of a ukulele and that may be in the cards. It also helps that I work in a liquor store and have lots of cigar box access. Diatonic fretting looks like a great idea as well (I have no idea what Im saying here) and will search out how to do that for the tester. 

Im beginning to find this process a bit addictive - I even pulled out a nice cedar box last night and thought about building myself one. Thank you everyone.

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Permalink Reply by BenBob on April 27, 2012 at 6:53am

To be clear, diatonic fretting is pretty much just for 2 or 3-course instruments ("course" means groups of strings - a dulcimer often has 4 strings, but the two high ones are identical and play together as one).

 

Diatonic frets work when the strings are tuned to only the root and fifth. E.g. CGC, DAD, GDG because the major scale ("do re me") notes on the middle "5th" string almost* line up with the notes on the outer "root" strings. If you try to tune to other intervals, like a ukulele tuning, you'll get a lot of notes that sound bad and defeat the purpose.

 

* There is one descrepancy on the middle string. Dulcimers commonly have a "6 1/2 fret" where the guitar has a 10th fret to provide a full major scale on the middle string and a fortunately, a useful chordal tone on the outer strings. It has to be avoided for playing melody on the high string though.

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Permalink Reply by James Avery Cunliffe on May 12, 2012 at 5:30am

Thank you all very much. this is the first one my "test" CBG - its a bit beat up today as it was in the local brewery getting "tested" by a local musician. It sounds really quite good. Now for the real one.

Yes its electric, my father in law has a studio so for the price of a Radioshack buzzer... why not?

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on May 12, 2012 at 6:05am

Looks good!!

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on May 12, 2012 at 12:52pm

That is really sweet - especially the heart.  My only suggestion is put a marker at the octave.  Helps to know where home is up the neck there.

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Permalink Reply by BenBob on May 12, 2012 at 9:19am

Cute little thing!

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Permalink Reply by James Avery Cunliffe on May 12, 2012 at 2:19pm

Ive been bit by the bug. Just got back home with 4ft of maple and a box, Im going to learn to play so that one day maybe we can play a tune together. 

Thanks everyone for your support.

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