Did my first official cbg wood box standard 1 piece of wood for the neck and fretted. I cut the grooves in the box so that the neck would be slightly higher than the box. I grooved out the area of the neck that so the box lid could close. It worked out ok but the neck is somewhat thin overall.

For future cbgs I'll glue an additional fretboard piece of wood so the neck will be thicker. I'm not sure how deep to cut the box grooves in general...Also some boxes have thinner lids as opposed to thicker lids (which some of the groove can be cut out from the lid). I'm a bit unclear on how deep to cut the grooves on a box....I don't want the inside the box piece of wood to be too thin....and if using bracing is suffice then yes I've done that.

With only a hacksaw cutting out grooves for the headstock and space for the lid is an intense effort. Chiseling etc...

I'm also not sure how much higher a neck should be than the body. I've just been guessing for that...and so far it's working out ok.

Also what is the main difference between making a 3 string as opposed to a 4 string guitar. I've never made a 4 string and curious what to be aware of as opposed to a 3 string. Seems like finding tail pieces for 3 stringers is easier.

I see many varied approaches to notching the box. In this post I am speaking of a fretted cbg. A raised neck from the box/either all the way through or almost all the way. I see different boxes with thin lids and boxes with thicker lids. I am curious also where the piezo gets placed when various notching techniques are used with different box sized lids. Here's some scenarios I've scene in respect to box groove cuts...
1. A thicker lid with both the box and lid having a cut groove (leaves a space between neck and lid?)
2. A thinner lid with no cut on the lid (where's the piezo go underneath the neck?)
3. Notched on the bottom , upper middle, etc. (how deep is the notch)

I know this thread is all over the place and apologize but I'm trying to make some sense before I go buying and cutting some nice boxes. I did experiment on a box that I had messed up and that went ok but it's really quite confusing because a given style of box can determine the manner in which it's cut /neck height etc

If you could share your notching techniques for a given box type/neck (fretted cbg) I'd appreciate it...(do you could include a second piece of wood for the neck?

On another topic is there a huge difference in making a 4 string as opposed to a 3 string cbg?
Thanks for reading and hope this makes sense.

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Wayfinder,
Yes this really helps. I realize there's so many ways to go that's part of the allure.
I think cutting the notch is a bit nerve racking. Once that part is over it's usually less worrisome as I can always re-do a neck....a nice box can be harder to come by so I do appreciate your reply.
Wayfinder ,
What type of wood do you use for your necks and where do get yours? It's difficult to find 1/4 x2 in anything but RedOak or poplar.
Cool.
I do find the RedOak very beautiful but difficult to cut/chisel/shape. Worthwhile in the end. Poplar is great. Maple is really nice also tough to cut etc....and can't find any 1/4 pieces for fret board. Would be cool to find some rosewood and some other types..
I hear that loud and clear!!! Lol

poplar seems a little soft for fretboard.  I haven't used it, staying with oak, maple, cherry and "speciality woods" if the build calls for it.  When I was first building, I used some mahogany and had some "fails".  don't know if it was the wood or the builder.. ;-)  That you are hand cutting means any "wobble" when you're sawing could result in a wide fret groove.

Well it's just about all that's avail unless special ordering. Prob worth it if I get better

I haven't had any problems with poplar as a fretboard or neck and it works well when using hand tools.

Last 4 string build photo I posted has a natural finish poplar fretboard that came out looking like walnut.

Jon, have a look at this. This is the neck design I use for all my builds now, using a single 1x2" for the neck and 1/4" piece for the fretboard:

So you start off with something like this:

And it ends up like this:

The top 2 are for 4 strings and the bottom is a 3 string. Only difference is the width - you need a slightly wider neck for a 4 string. With this design the majority of the neck running through the box is well below the box lid, so you don't need to sacrifice neck strength by making a recess. You do need to chisel a little material away from the end of the upper part of the neck to allow for the lid to close.

With regards to cutting the box - I measure the neck at the point it's going to enter the box (the heel) and allow for 1/4" to sit above the box lid. Use tape to cover the area you're going to cut, and measure carefully using a carpenter's square. I use a Ryoba (Japanese backsaw) to cut down, then a coping saw for the horizontal cut. Don't go all the way to the line - keep it there for reference and use a chisel for fine adjustments. Check the neck sits squarely in the hole before doing anything else. Use the same principle if you want the fretboard to overlap the box slightly.

Make sense?

Another thing you might want to consider is back angle, especially if you're making a fretted instrument. You can achieve this by making the block for the neck to rest on at the back of the guitar a little taller than the one at the front. This allows for a higher bridge, so more clearance for the strings over the lid, and it keeps the action nice and low, like this:

Let me know if you want me to explain anything further.

You covered alot here. I'm gonna follow your drawing and advice the best I can and I will get back here if I'm able to make anything as beautiful as these. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions in such detail...

Not a problem. I just realised I said to you a chisel for fine adjustment to the cut on the box. I meant a file!

The bolts are one of my favorite aspects to the guitars :D

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