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VIDEO: D.I.Y. Three String Guitar - an interesting way to build....

This just popped up on my youtube watch suggestions.

A different way to make a CBG

Note from Shane: I've edited Timothy's original post to include the photo above and embedded video. (Great find, Timothy!.) There is also an entire tutorial on how to build this guitar at https://www.3x3custom.com/tutorials/making-a-three-string-guitar

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on November 14, 2018 at 4:33am

Painfully labor intensive...............

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Jordan on November 14, 2018 at 7:06am

Wow.,you could build a Strat, Les Paul, or Martin with the same amount of effort.,.,when the video popped up I thought she was holding a Loog guitar for kids.,,.her collection off tools and shop put my X-acto knife and dryer top to shame,.,,.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff 'Bones' Reilly on November 14, 2018 at 8:12am

Wow ......

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on November 14, 2018 at 1:34pm

Hi, I have built a number of guitars [solidbody]using this method over the years, very messy but the best way to get a light or chambered body. I don't go so thin around the rims/sides though.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by frank learman on November 14, 2018 at 1:59pm

A shop to be proud of and very knowledgeable but why. Of course there are many ways to skin a cat and I guess this is one of them but holy cow that is a lot of work.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on November 14, 2018 at 11:39pm

thats what i thought. a waste of a lot of wood... but it certainly worked... sounded good

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Permalink Reply by Christopher G Daniels on November 17, 2018 at 9:10pm

Right?!?! At first I was happy to see she actually hollowed out the wood to make an acoustic "box", acceptably close enough to a cigar box, but, then she attached the piezo to a solid structure inside, what is essentially the continuation of the neck. My experience so far is that the piezo should be either attached to the soundboard, or anywhere except for solid wood interior support structure, so it will vibrate enough. Call me a snob, but I think this CBG was for looking at, rather than really playing.

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Jordan on November 19, 2018 at 8:33am

Her style of piezo placement works well.,,.I have tried it, and as long as the disk is right under the saddle it picks up vibration great without the unwanted micro-phonics of some builds.,.,

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Permalink Reply by john calkin on November 17, 2018 at 7:30am

After the Kramer Ferrington model came out I wanted to make a nicer version. I called them stage guitars. A lot of the steps were similar to 3x3custom's. I made a l-o-n-g router sled to clean out the inside after drilling the 100 holes with a Forstner bit. My blanks were only as deep as typical electrics. The end blocks were formed from the blank itself, and the sides were left 1/4" deep to simulate lining. A normal X-braced top was used. A neck pocket was routed for a standard Fender-style bolt-on neck. They were plenty loud enough to practice with, and plugged in they were as loud as desired.

In the cigar box tradition, several sets of rims can be cut from the big blank without the end blocks. They would get progressively smaller, perhaps for different types of instruments. A thin filler piece then would be made to fill the entry cut of the bandsaw blade. Tops, backs, and end blocks would have to be added. Necks would not have to extend through the bodies (unless it was easier that way).

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