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average build time for a typical fretted 3 string CBG?

ive noticed a few folks mention that they spend 40+ hours per CBG. I am a new builder and my first one took about 15 hours and the second about 8 hours. the most time on both was spent on the neck and frets. i feel both of my guitars are on a pretty even level with the guitars ive seen from the folks claiming 40 hours build time so i was just wondering what you guys usually spend on a guitar time wise?

i have a pretty solid woodworking background and have pretty much all the tools one could need to build these (minus some specialized luthier tools) so i have to wonder if that makes a big difference but 40 hours for a typical CBG sounds like a lot of time. am i wrong here?

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on March 6, 2015 at 10:22am

my first build took several weeks, after 3 or so years of building i can do three in a weekend - many do more, but what it comes down to really is how simple or complicated you want to make it :-)

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Permalink Reply by Keith on March 6, 2015 at 10:25am

never dreamed of trying to charge for my time. My rule of thumb if it won't be a special build is charge enough to build two of the same git. That is taken from other hobbies/crafts as I haven't sold a gitty yet. the price includes sandpaper, finish products you name it. whatever it costs to built it x2 that is my guideline. I hope it works for me with CBG's as well.

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on March 7, 2015 at 2:31am

2 times cost of materials ain't a bad formula. I've got several that are more complicated--and they are more theoretical than practical--but that's what they boil down to as an absolute, rock bottom price when not sold through a dealer or at a pay-for-booth show.

If you can't get twice the cost of materials, either keep it to show or give it away for the karma.

HOWEVER, set your MSRP at 5 times cost of materials so you can buy a booth or give dealers a commission and still have room to back down to a "one-time special" sale price.

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Permalink Reply by john mackay on March 6, 2015 at 10:30am

it takes me as long as it take.no particular rush.

done when it is done.

to me its just for fun and relaxing,if I make a cock up so what! I'll start again.lol

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 6, 2015 at 10:54am

It's funny how long a build can take. I knocked out a three-string slider for my grand daughter in about four hours and it was nice (Hello Kitty lunch pale with matching neck). My violin to CBG conversion only took about six hours. It just seemed to put itself together.

Then there are the long builds. I enjoy the building process and the mental process of coming up with a unique spin on a design. That can add a lot of hours in thinking, trying, tossing and trying again. Those become the forty hour builds. But, I don't really care how long it takes. I like building and have plenty of guitars to play while my latest is gestating.

If I was building to sell, I guess I would come up with a very narrowly defined build and stick to it. In reality, I do everything but that. Different scales, fretted and un-fretted, Piezo and mag pickups, neck back angle and no angle, etc, etc....It's just a fun way to spend the evening. I figure that I should just enjoy the ride and not worry about time.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 6, 2015 at 12:20pm

I'll shoot a few photos tonight and post them. You're right, the violin body is great acoustically. It sounds good amplified (piezo) or not. I recently (last week) pulled the fret board (fretless and screwed on) and replaced it with a fully fretted board. As a fretted guitar it is very, very good. Quickly becoming one of my favorites. Still doing the string thing and trying different weights to see how she reacts.

Photos soon.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 7, 2015 at 1:29am

Here are some photos of the violin guitar with the recently added fretted board.

A few points to notice are:

1. I carefully sawed the point where the neck enters the box so that I could save a portion of the heel to use as a support and attach point for the new neck.

2. The fret board is thicker than usual (about 3/8") to provide string clearance on the arched topped box.

3. I was able to use the original violin bridge once shortened and flattened on the top.

4, Acoustically, this puppy is loud. Sounds very good even without the Piezo being plugged in.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 7, 2015 at 9:23am

Sounds like a very good plan. Please post photos when you get-er-done. Keeping the complete violin neck is an interesting idea. Look forward to seeing it.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on March 6, 2015 at 12:20pm

Amen to that.....................

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on March 6, 2015 at 1:26pm

Relic fretless 3 strings- six to seven hours labor time. On some I sold on ebay, I think I made at least $1.50 per hour.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on March 6, 2015 at 1:36pm

On some builds if i was getting prices like Matty Borrato,i still couldn't afford to eat

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on March 6, 2015 at 3:00pm

Well, so far, it's taken me a few years, and still not done.... or started. : ) I do have two guitars I made. Plus the one I bought and one I won. Got plenty of stuff stored up to make quite few more. And plans to make them. Guess I'm a player at heart. Rather bang out on one that build one any day. But I do plan on building. If I can put these down long enough to do it.

As it's been said quite a few times. It depends on the person and what's actually being created. I tend to go a bit off the deep end so it takes me a bit more time than most.