Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by StarrCBGs(Donovan) on December 5, 2013 at 6:15am

For a beginner the through the box technique is a good start but there are several fall backs to the design. The neck should never touch the top of the box. I can help you more here. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Starrcigarboxguitars/190300011053701 There are several ways that have been invented to mount a neck to a cigar box some are better than others and more complicated and take tools to do.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 5, 2013 at 6:34am

Well, as regards the neck never touching the top of the box, that's what I used to think..but after seeing the way a couple of other top-notch builders did it, with the neckstick in direct contact with the underside of the box, I've completely changed my mind on this. I've had some fantastic results with this technique..and counter-intuitively, some boxes built this way produce fantastic results acoustically.

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Permalink Reply by StarrCBGs(Donovan) on December 5, 2013 at 7:12am

Basically what I have done it developed a mount that leaves room for any pickups and leaves the top free to resonate. Any acoustic guitar or instrument is made to where  the top will resonate is my thinking. Sure you can get results but are they the best results.

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on December 8, 2013 at 2:44pm

Supporting ChickenboneJohn's observations, on mountain dulcimers, the neck/fingerboard is often glued directly to the topside of the soundboard and they usually sound good too. Agreed, the sound box on a mountain dulcimer is much larger (longer) than what comes on a CBG, but I still believe it doesn't make much difference. 

On my paddlebox stick dulcimers, the fingerboard is glued to the neck, and on some models the one end of the fretboard is either glued to the sound board, or floats above it. I haven't noticed any sound difference between those two methods.

With CBGs, out of tradition (perhaps superstition) I build the "neck-thrus" (or "neck-almost-thrus") in such a way that there is minimal contact with the sound board. If you want a better sounding box, my contention is that you should build you own sound box, you should build your own from scratch and that will have more positive impact on your building a better sounding instrument. Here's a link to building your own boxes: Home Made Resonator Boxes 101, v.2.0

-Rand

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Permalink Reply by Damon on December 11, 2013 at 10:52pm

What are the rules again?

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Permalink Reply by StarrCBGs(Donovan) on December 5, 2013 at 7:25am

Anything you add to the top such a magnetic pickups, pick guards, grommets, etc. will affect how it resonates. The type of wood the box is made of is also a big factor. I use solid wood boxes and plywood boxes, paper covered cardboard or fiber core I completely avoid.

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Permalink Reply by StarrCBGs(Donovan) on December 5, 2013 at 7:26am

Im not saying I dont use all of this I am saying it affects it.

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Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on December 8, 2013 at 4:26pm

CBJohn is right...it isn't necessarily a bad thing to allow the neck to tough the box top. But let's be totally honest about cigar boxes...they can be acoustically responsive, but they will never be as resonant as an acoustic guitar, period.

While I don't do it any more, I have tried with success, a cigar box guitar with the neck mounted directly on top of the box, and added a pair of "f" holes to the top to project the sound. A good result, too.

Ultimately, some builders will continue with tradition and their comfort zone. Others will research, learn, evolve, and most important...never say never.

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Permalink Reply by Reeds Taylor on December 9, 2013 at 3:25am

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Permalink Reply by Jim Woods on December 11, 2013 at 1:37pm

I give 1/8" or more relief under the box top except for a half inch or so under the edges of the lid.  The other option as I see it would be to glue the neck to the top.  Otherwise you will get an annoying buzz/rattle - not that they aren't there anyway :-)

At the end f the day there are no rules - so give each a try.

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Permalink Reply by martin baker on December 11, 2013 at 8:55pm

Thanks for the info ,all is welcome . I'm now thinking I will try & glue the under part of the box to the under part of the neck, that would give max space for the top, which in my tests seem to sound better, But I love the" no rules".

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 11, 2013 at 11:31pm

Martin, I'd advise you NOT to use glue, simple screw the box to the neck thru' some packing blocks. That way you'll be able to take it apart and tinker with it and correct any problems with the action. In my book it is essential when making an instrument to make it all reversible so that it can be repaired and adjusted during it's lifetime. I've made  550+ guitars & ukes this way, plus about another 1000 in my "make and play" workshops, every one of them with a screwed neck-to-box connection.

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