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Permalink Reply by t-belly johnson on March 2, 2021 at 7:26am

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Permalink Reply by t-belly johnson on March 2, 2021 at 7:26am

I can`t help with plans but the biggest problem with a 6 string will be the neck. You`ll need to use a radius, possibly truss rod and a fret fitting tool.

You can, alternatively, buy a neck or use one from a donor guitar and attach to a box of your choice. You will be able to find a lot of electrics plans here so once you decide what pickups you want to use you will be able to easily (easier) make your own plans.

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Permalink Reply by Virgil Fiori on March 2, 2021 at 7:46am

I have the neck already from the first guitar I ever bought. Sentimental. And pickups from another electric I bought dirt cheap at a pawn shop.

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Permalink Reply by Virgil Fiori on March 2, 2021 at 7:46am

I would like to have a set of plans to put it all together correctly.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Rearick on March 2, 2021 at 8:24am

https://cigarboxnation.com/video/c-baron-6-string-padron-cigar-box-...

Check out this video by Casey Baron, who is a member here. Then he has a link to making it. He would be a good person to contact for info, either here, or on youtube.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on March 2, 2021 at 12:45pm

Hi, I have plans for my early builds as I wanted to make them repeatable. But repeating a CBG is awfully hard for me as I enjoy the freedom of random building. My plans would not be of much use to you as you possibly have a different neck, different box, and access to different tools a machines.
However, I will post a series of photos that should help you devise your own plans.

My box is custom built and is my standard for the CBG guitars I build. Materials may vary according to quality and sound requirements. This guitar is electric, so I did not go looking for acoustic sound. But I did put a soundhole in the side so that I could hear it better unplugged.


Ok…. You will see that I use a larger neck block for a six stringer, and that the pickup cut-out is reinforced. The back and top are braced [cos’ that is what I do].
The heal is fitted to the box and gives room for 4 screws fitting a la electric bold on the neck.
Working out the recess for the neck into the neck block……find the centre of the box place neck [or a pattern of the neck there.
Move neck into or out of the body so that the scale length puts the bridge approx. two-thirds distance away from the front of the box.
Now line up the neck so that it aligned with a centre mark at the tail end of the box.

Mark around the part of the neck sitting over the body, ready to be cut out.
A side drawing, I find best for this next part……. Draw a side plan of the box, at the bridge position on the Top. If your bridge is, say ½’ high you should be able to work out how high the neck is to stand above the box for you to get the string height you require.

Easier to do than put into a few words. But it’s the same as building a three-string only with a bigger neck and a build that will support six-string tension.
The Photos hopefully explain more fully…..

If like I do at times, you are using an acoustic guitar neck, with a heal, I cut the heal off to make it fit as explained above. Hope this helps
Taff

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Permalink Reply by smilingdog1 on August 13, 2023 at 2:53am

You have a good design there, like the blocking for the tail and neck support. Your sliding bridge is another great idea. My alternative design is to fill the box with solid wood, then route pockets for pickup & wiring. That way I can attach a solid bridge and whammy bar. I also enjoy the body weighted down for performnce comfort.    

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Permalink Reply by Southern Ray on March 19, 2021 at 3:27pm

 Nicely done, Taffy! Love the way you explain things with the photos to give a great amount of instruction in a short piece. Lots harder to do than it looks. Thank you!

 Ray

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Permalink Reply by Oscar Stern on August 6, 2023 at 10:11am

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 7, 2023 at 11:43am

Hi Oscar, try posting again in HTML.
Taff

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 13, 2023 at 11:24am

Hi Smiling dog1, thanks for your comments above. yes, I have also used the solid body idea you mentioned. I thought the box in question would not have lent itself to a decent acoustic sound, so I did the same.

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Chees Taff
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