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Advice and tips? First-timer...

So, getting close to starting on making my first CBG. I'm pretty solidly a novice in the area, so I'm really taking my time on decisions, having spent probably eight hours going through ideas on the web, about half of them on this site. So, I'd like some comments and suggestions on what I'm looking to do, see what you fine people here have to say.

What I aim to make is a 4-stringer with an average or perhaps somewhat below average scale--say 23-25.5 or so. If possible, I want to have some sort of makeshift resonator built in. I want this thing to sounds at least pretty good acoustically, and work amplified with a cheapo piezo pickup. I'm looking for a raw, edgy, and full sound out of this thing, although I'll take what I can get.

I want to make this a pretty cheap thing, so I've decided to limit myself to $50, with some flexibility if I find something really nice or I really need. $10 went to the box and shipping (here's a link to the box), about $9 to an 8ft. piece of 1x2 poplar, about $6 for a set of acoustic strings, and a couple bucks or so for some nuts and bolts so far. I still need to get some glue--Tightbond if I can find it at Home Depot, Elmers wood glue if not. I also need some sort of coating, which will probably be Tung oil, as the consensus seems to hold as the best.

Now to the parts I really need help with. As far as the neck goes, I'll probably be laminating them together, as like I saw suggested. If I can find some thin hardwood somehow, I'll sandwich it between, but unless y'all have a better suggestion, it'll just be the two poplar boards. I expect some amount of bowing, but I'll mostly be playing slide on this with a lower sort of tuning. Any idea what kind of bowing I can expect? Oh, and chances are I'll be going fretless with a relatively an average-to-low action if I can manage. Also, I'll probably be doing a scarf joint for the headstock.

As far as tuners are concerned, I want to try doing this (bottom of page) so as to keep it pretty cheap. If y'all think it's inadvisable, I may just go ahead and buy some tuners, but I think this could work well. I'm on the rocks as to whether the tuners should go on the body or the headstock though...

I really want this to have some sort of resonator. Seriously, I've wanted a resonator guitar for years, and to add even a tin can would make me happy. I'm totally inspired by what Bairfoot Cajun has done. The only problem is, I want to make the neck go through to the back of the box, and I'm worried that cutting it down too much would make it tend to bow more. I'm definitely going to at least thin it down to where it doesn't touch the lid but on the edges, but I'm not sure about how to go about getting any sort of resonating bits in there and how to work them. I kind of like the ones that are just flat pieces of scrap, but I'd like some input on how they work and how to get them to sound. Also, I've looked at possibly having tin cans on either side of the neck, connected above (or on?) the neck in the middle, on which the bridge would sit. I will say this though--at the very least I'm going to put a bathroom drain soundhole on top, so it'll have at least a little bit.

Last thing is the nut and the bridge. What should I make them of? I've seen bolts and am kind drawn by them, but how good are they? Pieces of pipe also appeal to me. Or, would it be best for the bridge to make it of wood or bone? I do have access to some really dry bone, if that's a good sound.

Well, that should be it. Sorry for the length, I want to get it all out. Any advice in any area is appreciated. If anything is unclear just ask. Thanks, all.

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on August 3, 2011 at 7:13pm

25.5 inches is a good average scale length, same as a Strat, finding a fret pattern or precut fingerboard shouldn't be too difficult if you want a fretted neck, though 8 hours research isn't much at all, i spent many weeks researching my first build which didn't turn out too bad but got it pretty well right second time, still using the guitar! i'm currently re-building my first CBG.

So many things can affect the sound, thinning the neck under the box lid will improve it acoustically, though a 1-1/2" x 3/4" hardwood neck like Oak will take a lot of tension before it will bend, don't make a laminate neck unless you have to, except when adding a fretboard. Having the strings anchored from the neck outside the box will make it sound less "boxy twangy", as will using humbucker or single coil pickups, plenty builders here make their own, i don't like the sound of disc piezos myself. Titebond 3 is one of the best glues and waterproof/sweatproof !

4 string guitars can be interesting for string choice and unusual tunings and can sound great, but would go with 3 string for starters, plenty of scope there to be going on with, for me they seem to work better with slightly thicker strings and can produce some great low tunings and tones on the longer 25.5" scale, electric guitar strings work fine, some use acoustic strings though they are rather heavy for a CBG, Ukes have a short string scale if you like that sound, everything affects the sound.

As for resonators they are a whole science i haven't really explored yet, but many builders have had great results with all sorts of ideas, depends what sound you want - i used a metal sign on one build with a rod piezo and sounded great, got the sound i wanted, it's all down to researching other builds - if you do this you will get this, if you do that you will get that, etc.

Electric guitar tuners are designed to work the best on a flat headstock, acoustic or open gear/long post tuners are designed to use in a slotted headstock, scarf joints are difficult to do, get a little more experience before you tackle one, it all depends on your design and....the sound you're after!

Bridges can be made from bone or hardwood, though i had sturdy results from a hardwood strip topped with a piece of fret wire, and many builders use a rusty old bolt or, everything works, make it simple, many builders here have made hundreds of guitars and are still learning! (-;

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on August 3, 2011 at 8:31pm

One of the best cbg resonators I've got is a small steel water bowl for a cat, dog, skunk, etc... Inverted and set into the box with a bolt/screw bridge on top. And yes, it is a neck-through design. If you want to see what it looks and sounds like, it was built by Nation member Legnahkra. I'm not even going to go into what Smokestack Guitars has been doing with "reso-tech."

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Permalink Reply by Buck on August 4, 2011 at 6:08am

What's the bridge sitting on? Oh, and thanks, btw. I may set up my neck that way

CLOCKWORK said:

One of the best cbg resonators I've got is a small steel water bowl for a cat, dog, skunk, etc... Inverted and set into the box with a bolt/screw bridge on top. And yes, it is a neck-through design. If you want to see what it looks and sounds like, it was built by Nation member Legnahkra. I'm not even going to go into what Smokestack Guitars has been doing with "reso-tech."

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on August 4, 2011 at 7:14am

Please check out this video, Enjoy your build, Keni Lee

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/a-cigar-box-guitar-builders

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on August 4, 2011 at 7:36am

The bolt/screw bridge is right on top---nothing separating it from the bowls surface. Acoustically, it's very loud.

Buck said:

What's the bridge sitting on? Oh, and thanks, btw. I may set up my neck that way

CLOCKWORK said:
One of the best cbg resonators I've got is a small steel water bowl for a cat, dog, skunk, etc... Inverted and set into the box with a bolt/screw bridge on top. And yes, it is a neck-through design. If you want to see what it looks and sounds like, it was built by Nation member Legnahkra. I'm not even going to go into what Smokestack Guitars has been doing with "reso-tech."