Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on July 30, 2010 at 3:36am

here's the pic

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• DSCF0073.JPG, 329 KB

Permalink Reply by Eric Townsend on July 30, 2010 at 6:23am

Hey! Nice box!

just don't rush anything and you'll likely be fine...just over-measure and triple check as you go before cutting or etc.

you'll likely be buying a 36" strip of Poplar (get a nice 'heavy' feeling strip straight as can be -- sight like a rifle it at the store) and I say heavy and hardest strip you can find (I found softness and weight varies from piece to piece).

my first box: I cut the strip a little longer than necessary -- to 34 3/8" -- so the length of the headstock seemed a little long, but i went with it and it came out killer and actually visually balances nicely so the headstock doesn't feel like a stump -- but I don't have much space behind the bridge on mine -- which worked out fine for me (kept a nice break angle and gave a very Asian Lute flavor to the look) but you may want to keep your strip at 36" until you're positive of the layout and where you want the bridge located on your box, and then once that's marked you can hold the neck strip up to a real guitar and line that bridge mark up with the guitar's bridge saddles and mark off the fret locations and nut from there.

Remember that from Bridge to Nut should be just about dead on 25.5' -- unless you're a Gibson man and would like a 24.75" scale -- so before any mounting or cutting, find a real guitar and use that the mark your poplar strip so you know where your fret markers (incised like mine, or drawn or burned on like some other people do)

If you want your bridge farther into the box than mine, consider a "string retainer" of some sort behind the bridge so you have a sharp break angle over the bridge

then hold the neck strip up to your Cohiba box and see where you think you want the bridge mark to fall on the box -- then make marks where the BOX ends (clumsy explanation, but maybe you know exactly what I mean)

take a look at my build and see the string retainer I made for the headstock (since i'd drilled my tuner holes too early and found the nut was gonna be far from the tuners and I needed a sharper break angle) -- but that retainer worked great -- you might consider doing one at the headstock AND behind the bridge (could be a chance for a cool custom hardware thing you make)

anyway... please take a look at my 1st build -- I totally winged it (carefully) as i went and it came out like a fully playable and recordable instrument with really powerful resonance.

Another thought -- is buy some crappy (but identically sized) strips of wood (Pine? or whatever is cheap) and hack away on those to make your first line ups, measures and markings -- a dummy neck as a prototype -- just so you can feel confident to jam on the planning without fear of wrecking your nice neck strip or cutting your box too early

Um, not sure what else for now...oh -- I have no wood shop and limited power tools so I did everything with a super fine toothed hand miter saw and rasps and files...NOTE THE HEADSTOCK face needs to be lower than the fretboard -- I did mine by using two short strips of 3/4" metal angle iron and I clamped them tightly on either side of the strip as guides at the level i wanted the headstock face to be -- and I used a heavy rasp to take it down until the rasp hit the metal angle iron -- then used a fine file and sandpaper block to finish it off -- almost came out like i knew what i was doing...

so take it slow -- don't hack into your Cohiba box until you have a good plan -- and have fun. Just over-build and tightly glue and clamp and make the thing as solid as you can ---- ET

Permalink Reply by Roy Alderman on July 30, 2010 at 8:42am

Hi Paul - all the advice Eric gives is excellent. My approach to starting was similar in some ways and different in others. I think 36" is perfect and gives room for error + you make one cut on a 6' board and you have a start to 2. I'm using poplar as well & a 25.5 scale.

A lot of my first two builds were "learning as you go" kind of affairs, but they both play well and look okay. Give yourself permission to F-up the first one and always remember to have fun. The builds should be enjoyable, just like playing - at least, thats my approach.

Good luck & welcome. Roy

Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on July 30, 2010 at 9:03am

thanks very much for the information and tip's, forgot i had this in the loft, must have bought it 20 year's ago, it's called a "SATELLITE" 24 1/2" from nut to bridge, thinking i could use the neck on a cigar box, but only use 3 or maybe 4 string's, plus the pickup, jack, etc, what do you think,,

[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUI...[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUI...[/IMG]

Permalink Reply by Roy Alderman on July 30, 2010 at 9:42am

Hmmm, I know you said you don't play guitar, but if that guitar is playable I would keep it intact. A CBG would be an excellent step towards playing a 6 string. Might wish ya' still had it later - just sayin'.

Permalink Reply by Eric Townsend on July 30, 2010 at 9:42am

I feel ya -- I'm looking for an existing fretted neck for a funky CBG 6-string...but oh man, I like your guitar as is ! that looks like a playing guitar --- and pretty neat and relic'd and all the parts fit...My gut would be refurb that guitar as is to make it as playable as possible and let it be a fun thrasher -- maybe goof around with a homemade pickup replacement or addition or something if you want to experiment, but if the neck and body fit tight and the thing strings up, well, then it's a viable 'cheese' guitar already --

OR to make it a specialty slide guitar for your arsenal: get a new nut installed and set the thing with high action only for slide work! then it can just be your cool beater slide guitar you can set up DADGAD or whatever-- ---

if you want a funky fretted neck for your CBG build, maybe do a dumpster dive or yard sale find of a REALLy crappy student guitar or etc -- and if you want maybe recut the headstock profile and/or plug the tuner holes and re-drill how you want (you can always do a thin laminate or paint-job on it to hide the old holes or contour...just a thought -- personally I'm loath to break up a guitar and neck that strings up decently... If I found an old Supro piece of trash i'd refurb it for funk factor rather than chop it up for other projects

but if you're determined to get funky with it... maybe just chop the horns and contours off the existing body into a CBG-style rectangle or weird shape then strip it or stain/paint it up weird/add doodads or funky homemade hardware to it to make a quick funky guit-box that you know has a working neck pocket that fits, a working adjustable bridge and electronics already wired and routed... I'm just babbling, but maybe gets you thinking ....

I say just turn it into a killer slide guitar. Best, ET


PAUL HAMMERSLEY said:

thanks very much for the information and tip's, forgot i had this in the loft, must have bought it 20 year's ago, it's called a "SATELLITE" 24 1/2" from nut to bridge, thinking i could use the neck on a cigar box, but only use 3 or maybe 4 string's, plus the pickup, jack, etc, what do you think,,

[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUI...[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUI...[/IMG]

Permalink Reply by Eric Townsend on July 30, 2010 at 9:46am

Yea! Roy agrees with me -- a working guitar is a working guitar --- set it up for slide work and learn on it! no hassles and it seems like a cool beater you might not want to destroy.

Roy Alderman said:

Hmmm, I know you said you don't play guitar, but if that guitar is playable I would keep it intact. A CBG would be an excellent step towards playing a 6 string. Might wish ya' still had it later - just sayin'.

Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on July 30, 2010 at 11:32am

yes, you're both probably right, i was only going to use it because i had it, i'll leave it alone and try and find something a bit more beat up to work with, this sunday i'm going to a car boot sale (i'm in england) which is where people take all their junk to sell, hoping i find something to work with,

Permalink Reply by petey twofinger on August 12, 2010 at 9:11am

i was intimidated about the cbg project .

i actually had it done in 4 days , and 2 days i only spent 2 hrs on it !

get the WFRET program free , make your own neck / frets .

i used nails , cut em with snips , ground the edges smooth and a lil jb weld to hold em the slots i cut with a hacksaw blade / file . nothin to it . i wish i hadnt put it off for a year . i had a hacksaw blad that broke , so i cut 2 wood pieces for a handle , used jb weld / tape , and made what we call "the prison saw" . it came in handy quite a bit .

i used a skill saw , and a jig saw , also made guides out of scraps , hit some dumpsters for wood !

Permalink Reply by Uncle John on August 19, 2010 at 3:36pm

Eric Townsend gave excellent advice, especially copying the scale from a store bought guitar. I like a shorter neck and have an old Silvertone with a 24 inch scale that I use as a template. Go without frets on your first guitars.

Check out the playing lessons under Community at the top of the Nation page. Go slow. Count your fingers before you start and try to end with the same number.