Ok, I fell in love with a CBG at a Maker's Faire at UC Irvine a few months ago... Since then I built mine, my daughter's, a 2 string bass, and a 4th for a friend who's just home from brain surgery...
On the 4th build, the tuning pegs are a little longer than the first 2, so the Nut had to be a little taller than I liked. (Ok, live and learn, but it's pretty!)
I used a piece of hardwood I had to build the nut and bridge, but the CBG is really twangy. Seems to resonate on the high-G string quite a bit. In my others I've used 1/4" or 5/16" all thread. I switched the bridge, and it didn't make much difference. I'm thinking it's just the character of the box, but wanted to see what other opinions there are out in the land of CBG Gods..
John in San Diego
Replies
Ok, All y'all were right... String buzz on the high G.
I took a 1/4-20 bolt, added a nut and used that for both the nut and bridge. The annoying twang is gone! I'm probably going to add a string tree so I can lower the action.
Thanks for all the sage advice!
John
Ha! You're assuming I have a modicum of talent!! :-)
If the box opens and the clasp is not tightening it down enough you can get some strange noises. I have tightened the clasps on loose fitting boxes by just moving one screw on the catch down a bit.
If you hold the box shut with one hand and the twang goes away, that is probably the problem.
When I was using a bolt for nut and bridge, I was getting some significant buzzing, which is why I am trying the wood thing. I see about the notches being too deep/wide, thanks for the tips!
RK: Offset neck: my next builds will definitely use that design, 1/4" thick lamination on the back will make a huge difference, for this build, I'll just have to live with a higher action. Since I'm using basic hand tools to shape the head/neckneck, flipping that piece down on the bottom isn't an option. I've been shaping the head and box notch by cutting a depth with a saw/miter box and then using a chisel to create the basic shape. It's not as nice as a band saw, but works for me. - I am not making high-end CBG's, just a few for me and friends... Heck, I might start making fretboards some day, but for now, it's a fun cheap hobby...
I was using a 5/16" all thread bridge, I'll add a nut to either side and see if that works better.
The Twangyness doesn't sound like string buzz to me, but more like a ringing . . . like the box is resonating at a frequency above the high-G string. . . Though it could be figh-frequency string buzz, I guess.. Just for giggles, I stuffed a rag into the box, but I still hear it. I wonder if I should move this one to lighter strings. I'm running mediums now...
Oily: Sounds Banjoey to me...
I'll play with it tonight, Thanks all!
I'll give that a shot! Thanks!
Could your soundboard be pressing down and vibrating on the neck? That would give a banjo like sound. You either have to clear out a good pocket for the lid to resonate, or have the neck fixed to the lid. Builders will debate the merit of either configuration, but I think everyone would agree that partial contact between the neck and soundboard is not ideal.
The lid is glued to the neck, 1" on either end, then the neck is notched out in the middle. I used Polyurothane glue to ensure a good connection...
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next