Hi all I'm just about to start building a prototype for my cigar box mandolin, and I'm wondering if I need to make a specific sound hole size, or doesn't it matter too much, I am wondering this as I've seen lots of cbm's with loads of different size holes
Thanks
Elliot

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Depends on which frequencies you want to emphasize. All else being equal, smaller hole = bass frequency emphasis, larger hole = treble emphasis. Due to the relatively small size of most cigar boxes, one hole is typically sufficient, about the size of a US quarter, to maybe half dollar.

I have to agree with Oily on this. One or two holes the size of a quarter are more than enough to get good sound.

Hey mate love the guitar, what's the neck made from

White pine neck with an oak fingerboard. Used some cheap stain I got at Lowe's to get the pretty color. The pine had been used as a support for some tomato plants in our garden and had "aged" in the back yard junk for several years.

Pine?, I was told only hard woods would be strong enough

Maybe it's the added 1/4" oak fingerboard, but it has held up well for almost two years now, hasn't warped and holds tune well. I normally use oak for my necks, this was an experimental junk build and I figured if the neck didn't work out I would just build a new neck. Its tuned GDg with the medium "blues blaster" strings from Gitty, .044, .034 & .026. Still on the original set and sounds great.

Ok, does the fretboard go thru the box too, p.s got any more pics

The fingerboard, (no frets) stops at the edge of the box. The neck is doubled through the box and other than the 1/4" oak fingerboard the rest of the neck is soft white pine.

Ok cool, thanks

I double the neck going thru the box. I have found, depending on the box, the neck almost cuts the sound chamber in half. If I only use one sound hole, I'm only getting sound from the chamber that has the hole. I now have a hole is both chambers.

First try it without any holes. I'm not sure the holes do much on these guitars.

Agreed. Sometimes they look nice, but I've covered up a few while playing and didn't notice any difference. There is probably a really complicated science to it, but on a box with a stick, I'm not so sure it matters all that much.

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