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I need ideas and pro tips

I have a box that I’d like to turn into a guitar, but there is significant sentimental value and I don’t want to start work until I have a plan. For my wife and I’s first anniversary, she bought me a bottle of Jameson’s Middleton, very rare Irish whiskey. The bottle was about $200 when is was purchased in 2009. Fast forward 10 years and my youngest son’s name is Jameson and it would be something I can hand down. I started research to see if I messed the box up, could I get another? To my surprise, I found that in 2009, the volume sold was only 1/3 of their typical release and the bottle is now selling for nearly $2,000!

I want to do justice for whiskey and design a guitar with enough class to be worthy of that $2,000 and something I’m proud to hand down. I’m open to any and all ideas.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff 'Bones' Reilly on June 1, 2018 at 12:48pm

A pic of the box may help .

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on June 1, 2018 at 12:48pm

Hi, can you show a photo of the box to start the ideas flowing, I'm sure there's plenty of ideas out there.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by Korrigan on June 1, 2018 at 1:12pm

If you're interested in a 2007 box to practice on...

Ebay

If not, I may have to buy it. : )

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on June 3, 2018 at 12:25pm

Hi Hubert, I did not know what a wine box looked like, so I googled it. Now I know.

I would suggest what I do, it's about planning.

My list would include or I would consider: being different, being interesting, being playable (fretting or slide), what parts do I have available or wish to buy, will the box provide a good acoustic sound, where to place the soundhole and what shape, will I use a pickup (what type?) . And then consider how will I secure the neck, scale length and bridge position (so that I don't mess with labels and stickers, how many strings and what embellishments would suit the build.

I lay out the parts on the top, or timber the size of the top, to play with positioning. A few card cutouts of soundholes help with this. Lots of other things happen along the way, but this will hopefully get you started.

I don't look at other guitars for ideas, but if you are new to the game, Google "wine box guitars" I see a heap there.

hope this helps

Taff

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Permalink Reply by JL on June 4, 2018 at 3:56am

just from the photos of the ebay 2007 box posted by Korrigan it looks like the lid's skirt is thick enough for the through-neck to cut into the lid and not the bottom....

but also 2nd that same post, practice on something else to work out the bugs....

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Permalink Reply by Wade on June 5, 2018 at 2:36pm

You might consider building a guitar out of a less desirable box if you are trying something you have not done before. That’s what I did when I bought a $60 Marvel Mystery oil can. I used a free turpentine can to work out the bugs before going on to work on something important to me.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on June 5, 2018 at 5:20pm

Do a dry run on it with a less important box . or .. send the box to one of us to make a guitar out of it for you . research the builders here well . their style ,matching level of quality you are looking for , .# of builds under their belt , etc etc.. altho . building yourself makes it more personal , and eliminates shipping cost and risk. so a dry run may be your better option . another consideration is a cbg "kit" comes with all you would need , and instructions , just replace the box with yours . maybe upgrade some hardware . or use the kit as the guinea pig , and you will still have a cool guitar when you hand the nice one down ;-)