#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Some things I learned from my latest build

Just finished what I hope to be the mother of all travel CBGs. Pictures are elsewhere - I haven't worked out yet how to combine pictures and test together ;-).

I wanted to build a light, compact CBG for travelling, so using a Jaime Garcia box that I picked up on a business trip to Kuala Lumpur together with a 24" scale neck/fretboard (thanks here to Joel from Blues Guitars France) and a homemade LM386 based amp, have been putting everything together over the last weeks.

Now to some of the things I learned (in no particular order):

1. Steel rules actually have rather sharp edges.

2. Blood soaks incredibly quickly into untreated wood.

3. Blood stains take a long time to sand out.

4. No matter how carefully you measure things, when you fit them together, something won't fit quite right.

5. Soldering irons take a long time to cool down.

6. No matter how much you protect the box whilst working on it, it will get scratched anyway.

7. The smallest possible items (think string height adjustment screws on a hardtail bridge) will fall out and end up in the most unlikely place.

8. Don't try searching for tiny screws outside at night. It's unlikely that the local wildlife will find them interesting and make off with them - wait until it's daylight.

9. And finally .... Before pulling all wiring out and resoldering because there's no output to the jack, check that the volume pot is not wound down to zero.

6 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doug Krantz on August 20, 2019 at 12:45pm

#2 is correct, especially if you dont realize right away, that you are leaking red oozie stuff......

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 20, 2019 at 1:42pm

I hope you did not bleed on that just for the photo.

That's happened to me after a heavy gig or a long practice session. Ha ha.

Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on August 20, 2019 at 2:55pm

Taff accept my friend request! I need your professional opinion on something.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 20, 2019 at 8:22pm

Hi Will, no disrespect but I figure we are all friends on here so I don't understand this " friend" stuff. I don't buy into it on Facebook either. People have friends living around the corner asking to be "friends, dah?

If I see a persons name I recognise as a friend, we know we are friends. I've heard of people getting offended by not being on someone's friendship list or being removed from it.

I see on my home page it says "you have no friends" damn. But thanks Will and all the other for asking, I know who my friends are, haha. I may be too old for this internet stuff.

Taff

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on August 20, 2019 at 11:02pm

Not a big deal! Just wanted to get your expert advice on an idea I have to cure a problem with a box. The "freinds" thing on cbn is just a way to communicate in private, not a status quo thing like FB. For example when I sold my pre-amps, no phone numbers or addresses were posted to the public.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on August 20, 2019 at 2:51pm

You do know bleeding all over your work isn't what they meant by" putting your 'blood', sweat and tears into your work"!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doug Krantz on August 21, 2019 at 9:20am

K Dog, a lot of times ya just look past the pain,least till ya see, the red

▶ Reply

‹ Previous
1
2
Next ›

RSS

Welcome to
Cigar Box Nation

Sign Up
or Sign In

Or sign in with:

The Essential Pages

Site Sponsor

Forum

Free PDF Download: Vintage Guitar Effects Plans - 1967 Fuzzbox and 1969 Treble Boost

Started by Cigar Box Nation in Feature Articles. Last reply by BrianQ. Mar 9. 4 Replies 3 Likes

Tune up songs

Started by Ghostbuttons in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Timothy Hunter Mar 9. 5 Replies 1 Like

Duel output jacks

Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 8. 6 Replies 0 Likes

No Harmonics

Started by Ken I in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Brian partington Mar 8. 8 Replies 0 Likes

Camera suggestions?

Started by Southern Ray in Cool gear discussion - that's not cigar box related. Last reply by Southern Ray Mar 6. 5 Replies 0 Likes

CBG site issues, continued.

Started by Taffy Evans in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever. Last reply by Taffy Evans Mar 5. 4 Replies 2 Likes

Anyone used a violin-style tailpiece on a CBG?

Started by Justin Stanchfield in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Carl Floyd Mar 1. 15 Replies 0 Likes

Guitar for the grandson

Started by Joe in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts. Last reply by Carl Floyd Feb 29. 13 Replies 0 Likes

Building with vintage paper/pressed board cigar boxes.

Started by Chance in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion. Last reply by Southern Ray Feb 22. 12 Replies 1 Like

Blog Posts

I'll be fashionable this summer =)

Posted by Vlad on March 31, 2024 at 11:48pm 0 Comments 1 Like

Everyone can make CBG. And I did it =)

Posted by Vlad on March 6, 2024 at 2:32am 5 Comments 2 Likes

.✨. Cover Me ..♪♫•¨•. ~ the Delta Blues Outlaws

Posted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 2:09pm 0 Comments 0 Likes

Q&A with Arkansas-based talented blues musician Billy Jones, one of the very best authentic modern artists

Posted by billy jones bluez on February 17, 2024 at 11:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes

Big Power Bank for Small CBG =)

Posted by Vlad on February 11, 2024 at 1:06am 1 Comment 1 Like

Latest Activity

Poorness Studios liked Dogleg Steve's video

Fiddly Rag from the book Cigar Box Picking by Dogleg Steve

34 minutes ago

Poorness Studios liked Dogleg Steve's video

Dead Mans Rag from the book Cigar Box Picking Rags for 3&4 string Cigar Box Guitar by Dogleg Steve

34 minutes ago

Gary O'slide posted videos

1 hour ago

A.D.EKER commented on Poorness Studios's video

David Bowie's Space Oddity (covered on guitar & Stylophone)

"Nice ly done Kale olthow whit verry minimal typecal Space odity effects, i know it was your Bowie…"

1 hour ago

Dogleg Steve posted a status

"Hey - I came runner up top 10 of the 2023 4th annual international CBG video playoffs!"

2 hours ago

0 Comments 0 Likes

Dogleg Steve posted videos

2 hours ago

Doug Thorsvik commented on Poorness Studios's video

David Bowie's Space Oddity (covered on guitar & Stylophone)

"Wow! Well done Kale. Nailed it!!! You really captured the essence of the song and it’s…"

2 hours ago

Dogleg Steve posted a status

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZKu7T1wAI"

2 hours ago

0 Comments 0 Likes

Poorness Studios posted a video

David Bowie's Space Oddity (covered on guitar & Stylophone)

I've been meaning to do a cover of this since I got my David Bowie Stylophone last Christmas. This song is outside my vocal range and difficult to sing, but ...

3 hours ago

3 Comments 1 Like

A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video