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Does anyone use these pieces of wood for bridges or other uses on CBG's?

Sometimes I find these wood pieces in some of the cigar boxes and I hate to toss anything that may actually have a repurposing use on these guitars. I was wondering a bit, so I turned the wood piece over and began to look at it as a possible bridge piece when trimmed down and turned over like that. When stained or painted, I could see a trimmed piece that was turned over so the flat part was on top may well hold a nut for a bridge on it. I was just wondering if anyone else used these pieces (not sure of their terminology, as I am not a cigar smoker) in some manner on their CBG builds?

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Permalink Reply by James Huey on October 7, 2014 at 8:48pm

I don't believe that I have seen them in use by the photos I have viewed on this siite, but I may be wrong. Just wondering what repurposing uses they may have on a CBG?

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Permalink Reply by Diglydog on October 7, 2014 at 10:47pm

They're neat. I only ever get square-section cedar blocks, which I give to the local orchestral strings type shop. The bow makers use cedar to jam the hair into the frog on the bow.

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Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on October 11, 2014 at 2:47pm

The bow makers use cedar to jam the hair into the frog on the bow.

When I read that, this was all I could think of......

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Permalink Reply by Bob Marioni on June 2, 2015 at 4:20am

I laughed! Same sense of humor!

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Hoenisch on October 8, 2014 at 2:50am

Cedar might be a bit soft to use as a bridge, so you wouldn't get as much sound transfer, but why the heck not try it? The rough shape is already there. Looks like, if it works, you have 18 almost pre-cut bridges there in your hand.

Dan

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Permalink Reply by Will King on October 8, 2014 at 3:02am

I have used them as bridges on my wall hangers. They sound OK, but vibrate a little, so I don't use them on CBGs that are for playing. I have one I found recently that is made from very hard wood, so I will give it a try. I have also used them as a sanding form to sand curves on head stocks.

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Permalink Reply by James Huey on October 8, 2014 at 4:34am

I guess I am not explaining it just right, but here are some photos with a piece I cut for such. The wood piece was not cut correctly, as it was not equal on both sides that touch the box, itself. The bridge nut is angled and not a straight one that I'd try to use on this type of bridge, but the photos should describe what I am suggesting more than what I described previously.

I wish I had taken more time to make all sides on the wood equal, but I was in a hurry and in a not well lit area when the cut was made.

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Permalink Reply by Jim_N on October 8, 2014 at 3:49am

Slide holders inside a cigar box.

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Permalink Reply by Groucho on October 8, 2014 at 4:35am

I've used the flat cedar pieces from boxes as saddles for my bridge. If you groove out the top of the ridge and run the strings over something hard like a piece of threaded rod, etc., you could probably make a nice looking bridge with it.