i have a couple boxes with thin tops, how do i attach the neck to these kind of boxes?
do i just cut the notch into the body so the neck fits in and the lid will close on top?
if this is correct then when the strings are added on then you can't open the box , is this right?
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As has been said, great pictures and I very much like the approach to firm box/neck. But it does not solve the original problem that once you have put the strings on you cant get into the box.
It seems the only way to solve this seems to be a removable bolt that attaches the neck to the box below the lid, and if required similarly to the tail stock. Has anyone done this?
By the way . . .Thin is good.
All the better to resonate ya know.
Hackin' apart a busted up store-bought guitar, and I'm always surprised at how thin the tops are.
I've just picked up a nice little all-cedar (no plywood) box about the right size for a uke or mandolin. I'll likely try to use a bolt-on neck, but I think some top bracing will be in order.
Wow, those are great pics. I'm always looking for ideas to steal--you've given me a lot to think about.
tinyguitars said:
Here's some of my pics for the "bolt in" neck, which glues a piece to the bottom of the box and then bolts the neck to this. It is every bit as strong as the traditional glued on CBG neck and leaves the top completely free to do what it wants. You may have to brace the top a bit if it is very thin, but a simple brace to support the bridge is generally enough. God bless. :)
I've cut notches into the tops so the neck is flush with the top and bolted to a block that runs across the bottom. that leaves the top free to vibrate. Then I attach a fingerboard that stands proud above the top and give me picking room. And that will mean you can't open the box again - a downside if you are building electric and want to get at the guts again later in life.
If you are building acoustic, you often want to use the thinner surface, top or bottom, for more sound. The tap test gives you an idea of which one is likely to sound better - the one that "rings" when you hit it firmly with a fingertip. Then you build upside down or right side up, whichever is better for that box.
Well, yes and no. If you are going to amplify your cbg then stick the neck to the lid, then the "Bottom" will open! :)
If you are going to fix the neck to the sides (below the sides of the lid: i.e. the bottom of the box) then the lid will be restricted by the strings.
If you want to get into the box then consider making the CBG "upside down" Probably quite sacrilegious, but then then you could make a sturdy neck fitting and the lid (at the bottom) would open.
I am always being told that there are not rules.. so use you ingenuity. Also the configuration of the lid/bottom proportions on some boxes lend themselves to variations.
Replies
It seems the only way to solve this seems to be a removable bolt that attaches the neck to the box below the lid, and if required similarly to the tail stock. Has anyone done this?
All the better to resonate ya know.
Hackin' apart a busted up store-bought guitar, and I'm always surprised at how thin the tops are.
tinyguitars said:
If you are building acoustic, you often want to use the thinner surface, top or bottom, for more sound. The tap test gives you an idea of which one is likely to sound better - the one that "rings" when you hit it firmly with a fingertip. Then you build upside down or right side up, whichever is better for that box.
If you are going to fix the neck to the sides (below the sides of the lid: i.e. the bottom of the box) then the lid will be restricted by the strings.
If you want to get into the box then consider making the CBG "upside down" Probably quite sacrilegious, but then then you could make a sturdy neck fitting and the lid (at the bottom) would open.
I am always being told that there are not rules.. so use you ingenuity. Also the configuration of the lid/bottom proportions on some boxes lend themselves to variations.