Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 8, 2013 at 4:23pm

Not very loud could be a good thing :-) Are the strings tuned up to pitch? Or are they a bit floppy, and tuned an octave too low?

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on July 8, 2013 at 4:31pm

I hear ya about the volume!!! He's only 7 so this will be a real "work in progress"!!!
It is tuned the same as my 25.5 scale and with the same strings. That is the part I'm not schooled in - can I use the shorter scale and use the same strings or should I use a higher or lower pitch string and then adjust?? It's a cute little guitar but...... sounds wonky!!

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on July 9, 2013 at 7:17am

Think of your shorter scale neck simply as a capo on your longer scale length guitar.  Capo about 5.5" up the neck of your 25.5" scale guitar and see what frets/notes you hit. Then tune the tension of the short scale up to those same notes.  You can be a half step high or low from the target without much effect.

If you don't believe that, just measure your fret interval on the 25" guitar and then measure to the length of the 4th fret.  Subtract larger from the smaller and create a new scale length guitar in the calculator.  Notice how the distance from fret to nut on the short scale is the same as 4 to 5 on the long scale?

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Permalink Reply by Sharecropper on July 8, 2013 at 9:23pm

 Hi, jawbone .    I have found 20" scale CBG's tuned up to AEA have a better string tension , using the same gauges as you would for a 24"-25" scale tuned to GDG .      Nice looking CBG !    But,now I've got to not sound like a butt .  ha!   I see a couple things that are killing the sound .     The bridge is stopping a lot of string vibrations from reaching the soundboard .   The mass of the bridge is just too much .  If its removable try a bridge that is minimal in mass , with a small footprint . Closer to what is on a arch top guitar or violin .    It's all about getting that soundboard to work for you .   Oh.....speaking of soundboards .........that brings me to point #2 ,where I try not to sound like a #2 .   The area of sound holes has taken away to much soundboard and  the box(as a sound chamber) .    Nothing to be done about that ,..on this build .     I'm sure there's more to come !!   I've built two for grandsons and will be building two for granddaughters !  ha!ha!      Happy ,building !!

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on July 9, 2013 at 12:37am

Thanx Sharecropper - any and all info is very welcome - the bridge is just floating so I can change that but it is sitting over the solid part of the neck so it may not change much.
I may see what ukuleles use for strings and try that approach as well.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on July 9, 2013 at 2:54am

Aha! Going off what Joel said, and then what you said..."the bridge is sitting over the solid part of the neck" suggests to me that the bridge is not causing the soundboard to vibrate very much, because the soundboard is bound to the neck at that point. Did you leave any space between the neck and the soundboard where your bridge is located? If not, I suspect that's your problem, not bridge mass (although that can have an effect). Darryl's right, I think; relieve the neck by cutting some of it away, leaving room for the top to vibrate where your bridge is located (and even some behind it towards the tail of the box). You don't need much attachment of the neck to the soundboard. 1 - 1-1/2" either end is enough. The rest of the boxtop should be able to vibrate freely. Do that first before changing the bridge. You can rebuild this and make it playable.

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on July 9, 2013 at 3:05am

Thanx Oily - I should have left more of the neck recessed - I floated that particular bridge so I can use a disc piezo under it at a later date (no need for volume yet!!!!)
I changed the strings to 46, 36 and 26 tuned GDG and that seems to have taken some of the "wonkiness" out of it. I'll fiddle around with it some more I'm sure.
I've started another for my Grandaughter so I'm hoping to get the kinks worked out.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on July 9, 2013 at 12:45am

hi jawbone i,m no font of knowledge,but as you say the bridge is sitting over a solid part of the neck,was wondering if the s/board is free to vibrate?,if not maybe an 1/8th off the top face of the neck indide the box might help,good luck

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on July 9, 2013 at 12:49am

Hey Darryl - about 6" of sound board is free, the part around the 2" hole and the rest is glued.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on July 9, 2013 at 12:47am

nice looking build btw

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on July 9, 2013 at 12:53am

others who know more will pick up on this,but it would really help if the s/board could move around the bridge i,m sure

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Permalink Reply by Sharecropper on July 9, 2013 at 5:35am

 Hi , jawbone .    Good move going to larger string gauges !   I did that on grandson number two build and liked it , but found the tension a bit hard to fret (it is fretted ) , tuned GDG . I don't remember the exact gauges ,though !?  Ugh ! Good for slide though and a "bigger " sound .      Oily and darryl are "dead on" on their soundboard advice .   As you work the "effect" of the plucked string on down you get to times that "effect" by the effect of the soundboard and box.  So yes , the soundboard is the biggest issue .      On this current build you could try a bridge that is arched ,in the middle, on the bottom , so you have two "feet" setting on the soundboard to each side of where the neck is glued . That should help a bit .   I have taken to screwing on the necks ,it reduces my glue up stress, and allows changes if needed .  A screw on neck also makes it easier to mount mag pups in the guitar ,for me .    I like to have a fingerboard , even on a fret less build .  It helps strengthen the neck , creates a better "break" angle on the strings from tuners to nut and allows the strings to be further away from the top of the CBG .  I take a 1 /16 to an 1/8 of a inch more off where the back of the neck meets the lid of the box to get some neck angle .       Such a joy to make CBG's for kids !       Happy building !   

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