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1 Gallon Gas Can Build

Found a gas can on the curb side last month(silly people throw away such nice stuff). So I'm going to make it into a 4 string. Would it be a CanJo, CBG Resonator or a GCG(Gas Can Guitar)?

I have a Ceramic Mag Double Coil neck pickup to use for it. Figured the filler/pour opening would be my soundhole. Cut the handle off because it was in the way of the neck, will probably use it as a bridge. The can is rusted and a little scared so I'll just clear coat it for that relicked look.

The only part that I'm not decided on is how to install the neck. Usually I run a piece all the way through and bolt a neck on one end and terminate the strings on the other, but it's kind of hard to brace the through piece inside a can. If any of you guys have done a gas can build, I could use your input and suggestions please. Thanks.

I'll add a pic of the can later.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 7, 2015 at 12:37pm

Got the fretboard radius sanded and ready for frets. Ruined the through piece trying to make a degree cut for mounting the neck. Had to make another one 2 steps forward 1 step back with this thing. It was fun cutting the stiffener out of the old one and installing it in the new one, NOT.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 8, 2015 at 11:54am

Got the side markers installed(black colored pencil lead) and stained the fretboard a light Walnut. Stained the neck and through piece dark Red.

Cut and drilled holes in the can for the electronics, wired and installed. Made a wooden spacer for the Pickup mount. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 9, 2015 at 10:28am

Made a bridge spacer and stained it along with the pickup spacer the same color as the fretboard. Mounted the end piece braket to terminate the strings.

Getting concerned that the top will appear too crowded/busy.

Pics of pickup spacer, neck and electronics in the can.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 11, 2015 at 9:29am

Got the can all together now, changed the volume knob cause the other was just too big. Putting Truoil on the neck and through piece. nothing else I can do til the frets get here.

Does anyone think I need to trim the pickup spacer down to match the size of the ring?

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 13, 2015 at 9:47am

The more I looked at the pickup spacer, the more I didn't like it. So I trimmed it down.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 16, 2015 at 9:39pm

Installed tuners yesterday.

This is the second set of 3x3 Economy Tuners that I have bought from C.B.Gitty. The first set was fine, this second set gave me some trouble. I don't expect much for the price I'm paying for these, but this set was very loose and needed tightening. Two of the tuners were real bad(one was bent and could've been shipping damage) and were on the same side, so I had to get one working. Got it working after a lot of wrangling.

I will probably get the better tuners next time. I may have just got the rare bad set, but who knows. You get what you pay for is true on most purchases and this isn't a bad reflection on C.B.Gitty. They're just the supplier and not the manufacturer. If these had been the sealed units, I wouldn't have been able to fix them. So there's that.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 16, 2015 at 9:50pm

A friend gave me 12 Corian nut blanks that are 1/2" tall x 3/16" wide x 2&7/8" long. Just the right size for guitar or two CBG/Uke nuts for each blank. Would also make a nice CBG/Uke bridge saddle.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 20, 2015 at 8:14pm

Got the frets in and then life got in the way for a couple days. Got half the frets filed yesterday. I'll probably finish today unless something comes up.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 22, 2015 at 10:13am

My Father In Law had a heart attack last night and had a stint put in today, but did get a little time to do something. Frets are in, leveled and filed. Neck is attached. Just need to make the nut, bridge, string it up and tune. This pickup is a ceramic mag neck position HB that I turned around Peter Green style(screw poles are towards the bridge instead of the neck) wired to a 500k Volume pot and a coil tap.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 23, 2015 at 7:34pm

Father In Law is back home and I'm back at it. The bridge is a steel bolt on top of a Red Oak spacer. Working on the Corian nut now.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 24, 2015 at 9:08pm

This was the first time for me to work with Corian. Started the 1st nut with my Dremel, bad mistake because it took way too much off too fast. Started the 2nd nut by hand with files, sandpaper and my fret saw. Was almost done with it when it broke into 2 pieces. GRRRRRR. Nut #3 worked out. Got the string height in the right place all the way up the fretboard.

The intonation is spot on. The electronics are working. The pickup(neck position HB) is darker sounding than I expected after placing it in the middle position and wiring it to just a volume pot. The pot is a 500k and I may switch it out for a 250k to add some more highs to the tone.

Final pics coming later.

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on October 26, 2015 at 11:08am

This is done now. Sounds good on single or HB mode. Can't take final pics til it stops raining.