Hi,

I'm new to the community - a bass player actually - but recently bought a 3 string CBG and am loving it. Already got an amp and am using it in a few songs with a blues band.

My question is this: does anyone build a 4 string CBG with the neck angle set for low action so that it can be easily fretted (not played with a slide)? What I'm seeing so far is lots of CBGs with high action for slide. Not so many designed for low action. When I get around to making my second purchase I'll be looking for a 4 string that has this feature in particular. Would love to know who those builders are.

Thanks,

Robert

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Welcome to the addiction.  I've been in this mess of fine people for well over a year now.. it's a great place...  

As far as your question, this has come up a lot and there is some debate.  here's a recent rabbit hole that will keep you busy for a while.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/neck-angle-mk-ii

The consensus is you don't need neck angle to get low action, but it is an option to get there.  There are lots of good builders here.  I am sure you'll find what you are looking for.

John

Yes you're exactly right, a bunch of us do this, but a square fretless thing is very easy to make and its where most start, and many are very content to just keep making those.  each to their own, there are $85 CBGs and there are (a handful of guys who make) $900 CBGs and this is as it should be :)

i don't usually build with a high action for slide, only on fretless which appears higher -  i get the action as low as i can sounding sweet on fretted necks  (3mm at 12th), but there is no reason to raise the action fir slide, i can play slide on the lowest action guitars without any problems, it's not necessary :-)

you don't need to angle the neck, action is determined by nut height and bridge height...but the whole guitar should be straight.

Thanks for all the responses and ideas!

I can see how an angled neck would not be necessary if the neck was higher than the top of the box. I guess it doesn't matter how you get there as long as the action is low.

John, I'll crawl down that rabbit hole this evening. Sounds like fun!

Here's another question. When I go to someone's page here on CBN, I see their activity but not their work. Am I missing something? Is there a page with pictures, videos, or the like?

Thanks again!

Yep, each members page has a section on the left column, with choices for photos, videos, albums, etc. that he or she has posted.

Slowpaw Steve: Just curious, would the 3mm be measured from the fretboard or the top of the frets? To the bottom of the strings?

from the top of the frets to the strings...

I always pitch my necks, I find it makes it much easier to dial in a very nice action and I also believe that it alters the string trigonometry in a way which in beneficial in terms of tone and volume.

The Kid is absolutely bang on right here... he kept telling me to try it, and when I finally did, I saw a massive improvement in volume, tone and playability. Nota bene.

Not too much science to it really, I use a 6.5mm fret board which sits proud of the box lid, and the through neck rests on blocks at either end of the box. The block at the back is slightly taller than the one at the front. I cut them at an angle so the neck rests flat on them and screw in from underneath.

I'll post some pics later

With the tail end support block taller than the other block at the neck end of the box, the neck is given a back angle. Thus, the strings, as they run from nut to bridge, will follow the same line. Resulting in the strings increasing in height from where they begin at the neck end of the box, to the bridge. If both support blocks were identical in height, the strings would be the same height, with a flat orientation and not sloped upward, as in Richey's example.

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