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Anyone Care to Help Out a Fellow Builder?

To all -

I've built several Cigar Box Instruments this past year. 3 & 4 string guitars, a couple of Ukes, and I also just finished a 4 string Bass. They all turned out pretty decent.

I'd like to build a really good sounding "reso" CBG. I like to play Country Blues and I think having a CBG like that would be a blast. I'll probably add a pickup also. I could use some help on the specifics involved - in particular what worked good for the cone, bridge, etc. and how you assembled those parts. If anyone would care to offer up some details or point me to a good web site I'd really appreciate it!

Peace,

Chaplain Will

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 26, 2013 at 8:24am

Will,

ED (Badfinger) just built me a 3-string, double course reso, with a Steampunk theme. I'm sure he'd be happy to offer build details. Check out pics on his Profile page, and on the 2013 Builder's Challenge discussion. Also barefoot Cajun makes some nice resos, as does Josh Gayou of Smokehouse Guitars, as do a number of other builders. Old Lowe makes fabulous reso cones. Use the Search to find pic examples.

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Permalink Reply by Will T on December 26, 2013 at 10:39am

Thanks very much! Good advice - Will do.

And here's where I own up to my ignorance here... How do I contact him / and or view his page? thanks again, CW

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on December 26, 2013 at 12:55pm

Old Lowe for the cones

Mojobone Works (Randy Bretz) for the biscuits . . .and slides!

Once the builder's challenge submission period is over, I'll post a video with Ron's Guitar construction details.

Here's a video of the first reso I built.

The thing I will tell you is to get everything set up for fretting, but don't cut slots until you know 100% for certain what the exact nut to bridge distance is going to be. Don't cut the slots based on what you want the scale length to be. It can be done, but you will sweat and worry the whole time during construction to ensure your engineering came out exact. I'd use the phrase "bug's nuts", but since we have a guy on here with the handle 407bug, I'll refrain. So forget I said your measurements have to come out bug's nuts.

So yeah, get the neck in the box with the fret board glued on and your cone in place and the biscuit resting in the right spot. Then measure the scale length to the nearest 1/2mm and record it. Then you can disassemble, cut fret slots and finish profiling the neck.

If you want any more details, PM me here or check out my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BadFingerCBG

Hint: You may find that video I haven't posted here if you look around on Facebook.

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Permalink Reply by Will T on December 26, 2013 at 4:16pm

Mr Bad Finger:

Thanks very much - great info / advice and I much appreciate it!

C.W.

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on December 26, 2013 at 1:24pm

Hi Will,

There are some groups on CBN that specialize in Reso-CBGs, and I have put together a kind of information page in my CBN group that gets a lot of Reso-CBG questions, so it might be a good location to go to if you want to read-up on the topic. Here's the link to my CBN group: Home Made Resonator Boxes 101, v.2.0 (scroll down to the section titled "4. Resonator Cigar Box Guitars".) There are links to several resonator cone makers, including Old Lowe.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on December 28, 2013 at 1:02am

Here is a drawing of one I recently finished.Plus a photo of the finished job.Also used dog /cat bowls for reso's see photo's on my page.

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Permalink Reply by Will T on December 28, 2013 at 5:38am

Thanks - really appreciate the info!

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Permalink Reply by Duke on December 29, 2013 at 4:53am

Michael, Wow, that is one beautiful guitar!

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Permalink Reply by Will T on December 28, 2013 at 8:07am

Once again - my thanks to all who have replied so far. I'd really appreciate hearing from others as well. I totally get the idea of "no right or wrong way" when it comes to CBG's - which is one reason why I think they're way cool! But, I'd also like to at least be "shopping in the right aisle" if you know what I mean! ;<) So - thanks again, Will