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

Neck through body - unsure about it...

Hi all:

I'm new here and just got bit by the bug to want to build a CBG recently. I picked up a little old Rock Amp Petros 1 amp last weekend via ebay, and have a beat up strat clone for parts. I'm planning to reuse the neck w/tuners, bridge with 3 or 4 strings, and will go with a pieco pickup using the old jack.

A couple of questions if I might ...

1. With the piezo for a pickup, can I put a volume control on it, or no? Can I reuse the one from my donor strat even if I don't use the rest of the electronics?

2. I'm planning on having the strat neck recess partially into the body, then use other wood to join it securely with the box/body. My question is, should I make that structural supporting piece all across the top of the box, the bottom only, or mix it up? Does the top need to vibrate like an acoustic, or is a solid mass like a Les Paul what I'm looking to recreate?

3. And lastly (for now) should the piezo be mounted directly under the strings on the underside of the top?

Thanks for looking', the site looks great!

Dan

----------------------------------------------------------------

My little amp find:

http://kruitzkraft.com/amp/

Progress photo #1....

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dan Kruitz on December 28, 2010 at 4:50pm

Hi Don and Carver man:
I can certainly appreciate concern if someone new heads in the wrong direction. I can't tell you for certain if it's right or not, but I have the neck mounted and it plays. My brother-in-law who does play was trying it out earlier this evening and he said it sounded OK. I'll try to add a (link?) to a video of it - I don't play, but can certainly show it making some twang at least!

Fullsize pics here:

http://www.kruitzkraft.com/cbg/cbg2.jpg

http://www.kruitzkraft.com/cbg/cbg3.jpg

I can get more detailed areas if folks want to see what I ended up doing.

Dan

Don Thompson said:

Dan, As you may be aware I have been uneasy about this project since the beginning having to do with the neck set back. And frankly I can't get my head into turning a six string neck into a three or four. Why not use all the parts you can? Maybe that's just me but sometimes it's just not worth the brain damage to reinvent the wheel. There are times a fresh start is the best answer. At this junction I suggest setting this project aside for the time being and proceed with #2, a homemade neck thru design with your piezo. Get a three or four string build under your belt, go down the beginners slope first then tackle the expert slope where one small mistake can slam you into a tree if you don't have the experience. I don't mean to sound discourging but I'm not sure you will be very satisified with the final product at this time.Just my take on it. Others may disagree and I'm just fine with that.

Don

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Kruitz on December 28, 2010 at 5:35pm

Here's the video link on youtube - sorry about the low light the camera doesn't do video well in regular room lighting.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by carverman on December 29, 2010 at 7:28am

Excellent. That might have been a challenge to some, but you made it work. Congrats on a job well done

on the "Strato-Boxer".

Dan Kruitz said:

Hi Don and Carver man:
I can certainly appreciate concern if someone new heads in the wrong direction. I can't tell you for certain if it's right or not, but I have the neck mounted and it plays. My brother-in-law who does play was trying it out earlier this evening and he said it sounded OK. I'll try to add a (link?) to a video of it - I don't play, but can certainly show it making some twang at least!

Fullsize pics here:

http://www.kruitzkraft.com/cbg/cbg2.jpg

http://www.kruitzkraft.com/cbg/cbg3.jpg

I can get more detailed areas if folks want to see what I ended up doing.

Dan

Don Thompson said:

Dan, As you may be aware I have been uneasy about this project since the beginning having to do with the neck set back. And frankly I can't get my head into turning a six string neck into a three or four. Why not use all the parts you can? Maybe that's just me but sometimes it's just not worth the brain damage to reinvent the wheel. There are times a fresh start is the best answer. At this junction I suggest setting this project aside for the time being and proceed with #2, a homemade neck thru design with your piezo. Get a three or four string build under your belt, go down the beginners slope first then tackle the expert slope where one small mistake can slam you into a tree if you don't have the experience. I don't mean to sound discourging but I'm not sure you will be very satisified with the final product at this time.Just my take on it. Others may disagree and I'm just fine with that.

Don