Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dave Breault on August 10, 2010 at 11:05pm

There are no rules when it comes to building a CBG. Average cigar boxes are 8"X 10" X 1 3/4". You can make your box any dimension you are comfortable with, however for your best acoustic sound you want to lean towards the larger size. If you want to use a pre made neck just be sure to have a solid connection to the box, you can also add interior suports. as far as tone woods go, spruce and cedar are excelent choices for sound boards. Try and find quarter sawn for this part.
when it comes to strings, lighter strings need less tension to get to tune but don't necessairly give ther best volume. It 's really a personal choice.

Have fun

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Permalink Reply by LittleBigOne on August 10, 2010 at 11:59pm

Hi Daniel, you didn't tell if this build is your first build, but if it is you will encounter many little issues that will
learn you a lot of things, so better start with something simplest as possible, then build another one a little bit
enhanced. For your first build I would not encourage you to use a six strings guitar neck, try one or two strings and
see how the wood will work, does it bend, how to build the fretboard, tuners and strings spacing, etc.

Building accoustic only guitar is the most difficult because you need to get a clear and loud sound.
You will need a box as large as possible, something like 30cm x 20cm x 5cm is great and quite close to the largest
cigar boxes I have seen. If you want to make some tests you can also do a simple build by sticking a neck
above a round metal cookie tin with 3 screws, they usually are 20cm x20cm x 6cm or so and it will give you a good idea
of how works the accoustic. Now when you compare with a usual wooden cigar box, you will see that the metal cookie tin
though being smaller resonate much better, that's because most of the cigar boxes are made with trash wood that
resonates poorly. So, try to find a large wooden cigar box made of good wood is a true challenge :D

But nothing is lost. You will see plenty of cigar box guitars made with usual boxes and most of them resonates
great, that is if the luthier respected some basic luthery rules. Many savage luthiers compensate the poor
quality wooden boxes with little tricks, and in the end it sounds great :-) ... Some people like this game so
much they may even use biggest "tricks" like building their own resonators ! :-)

Welcome onboard :D

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on August 11, 2010 at 12:41am

Asfar as size anything does go, but you asked so my best sounding acoustic Cbg is my deepest at 3" deep. Its about 7"x9" on the face and made of thin plywood, about 3/16" - 1/4" . Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on August 11, 2010 at 12:51am

don't discount using thin plywood for your box. Put some lining of thin wood ,kerfing. to have a larger gluing area where one piece meets another inside.
http://home.comcast.net/~kathymatsushita/otherinstruments/htmlpages...
Kathy used slit kerfing because that is what she had on hand.

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Permalink Reply by YeahDoIt on August 11, 2010 at 12:59am

You might make a test build using a cardboard cracker or breakfast cereal box. I made a CBG and it does not have a pickup. I play it acoustic and it sounds OK, even out on the street.

I remember asking at a local cigar store and the clerk had a stack of boxes, various prices. You might check resale stores (Goodwill and Salvation Army in the USA) sometimes they have small boxes that might work. I do not think size is critical; when I open my cigar box the guitar sound is about the same, I don't think I need a box just a flat surface. You might also consider metal cookie boxes, just cut a couple holes in the metal, insert neck, put the strings on, something for bridge and nut and tune it up.

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Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on August 11, 2010 at 1:04am

every question you've asked, the answer's are on here, i'm a first time builder, and after looking round the site every question i had, i found the answer, take a bit of time and have a look around,

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on August 11, 2010 at 3:19am

One resource for this is WoodCraft. $$$ but should have that thickness and grade. Maybe a craft/hobby Store.

ALSO check out the vendors here. They have them.

-WY

Don Thompson said:

don't discount using thin plywood for your box. Put some lining of thin wood ,kerfing. to have a larger gluing area where one piece meets another inside.
http://home.comcast.net/~kathymatsushita/otherinstruments/htmlpages...
Kathy used slit kerfing because that is what she had on hand.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on August 11, 2010 at 3:26am

One other thing to use is pressboard . ( think this is what I used ).

Not too expensive and can be cut with a jigsaw or table saw easily.

-WY

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Permalink Reply by Michael R Cossey on August 11, 2010 at 3:43am

As a CBG newbee myself I have found many if not most of my answers doing searches on this fine site....But..it would be useful to have a permanent section dedicated to some options available for neck, box, pickups, strings, tuners, nuts, bridge ,saddles etc etc. with a section on tool options..with the mention that there are "no rules"......thinking outside the "Cigar Box" is the funnest part!........and Have Fun with it.....Mike

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on August 11, 2010 at 4:56am

Secrets of the CBG Underground, Building a Cigar Box Guitar 101, and CBG wiring & electronics groups as well as the free plans section.

-WY

Michael R Cossey said:

As a CBG newbee myself I have found many if not most of my answers doing searches on this fine site....But..it would be useful to have a permanent section dedicated to some options available for neck, box, pickups, strings, tuners, nuts, bridge ,saddles etc etc. with a section on tool options..with the mention that there are "no rules"......thinking outside the "Cigar Box" is the funnest part!........and Have Fun with it.....Mike

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