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Permalink Reply by Ryan Rose on January 29, 2012 at 5:13am

I usually buy them 1-1/4" long. I think you could probably get away with 1" too.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Dave on March 10, 2012 at 10:10am

I just completed my first two Crow-style builds.  I will refer to the first one as a learning experience;  I made a lot fewer mistakes with the second one.  The first sounds OK, the second sounds great.

 

Some of the things I learned:

 

The tuners are not as complicated as I expected,  and they work pretty well.  Home Depot did not have 3/16 eye bolts, so I used 1/4 with no problem.  These were not threaded all the way, however, so I could not run a nut up toward the eye.  I just have a washer on one side, and a washer and wing nut on the other side.

 

Setting the neck and interior block was more complicated than I expected.  I didn't have enough hands to keep everything in place.  In the future, I might put one or two spots of glue under the neck to keep it in place while I am drilling and attaching.

 

I decided to put the neck on the top of the box because I liked the look.  I spent more time sanding than Crow, and I stained one neck.  Thumb tacks from the dollar store work pretty well as side dots.  Each has a piezo.

 

I am going to build more in this style, even if it did take me more than an hour.

 

I've attached pics.   The Arturo was first, the Padron second.

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Permalink Reply by Crow on March 15, 2012 at 2:07pm

seeing this fills me with pride!!! i love seeing the guitars you guys build from my design, it makes me so happy to see that my work is helping others get started!

WELL DONE! I really like the one with the black neck, i still build all mine completely unfinished, but having seen that, i think i need to start thinking about laquer or paint!

awesome stuff! be sure to get a youtube video uploaded and posted here as well!!!

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Dave on March 20, 2012 at 12:36pm

Wow!  Thanks for the kind words.

Regarding the finish, I must say it was done in true CBG style.  I found 2 rusted pint cans of espresso stain in my garage, so I put it to use,  I then hit the neck with a couple coats of rattle-can lacquer.

I'm still working on a better method for the fret markers.

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Permalink Reply by Crow on June 13, 2012 at 4:39pm

hey as a side note, the 3/16 3" eye bolts may be found at lowes in stead. you really must get your hands on some. the smaller diameter really makes it easier to tune!

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Permalink Reply by David "Gitz" O'Corley on March 13, 2012 at 7:17pm

Awesome job uncle

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Permalink Reply by TwoShoes on June 4, 2012 at 4:05am

My third and fourth CBGs I owe to the Crow.  Thank, you Crow.  I love you, man!!!

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-front?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-angle-view?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg3-neck?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg4-front?context=user

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg4-end?context=user

I am now inspired to start messing with combo-Crow's.  I'm thinking smaller machine screws for nut and bridge PLUS frets.

Uh-oh... my new favorite uncle might disinherit me for that one!

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on June 13, 2012 at 3:44pm

I dunno two-shoes... I replaced the bolt-tuners with Mandolin tuners (eight tuners per set is a heck a a deal, just dremel one off each tree for a few Canjos and mount the remaining three from the side and carve a mid-channel from the front), replaced pencil marks with a Woodburning pen and finally real frets, added some grommets to my sound holes and a piezo compressed between the lower neck and the box. Also, I recently skipped the mitering of the back and attached a simple steel angle piece to the unmitered neck as a tailpiece. If Uncle Crow hasn't thrown me out yet I think you're pretty safe!

One more thing I noticed BTW-Uncle Crow's stick-over method works great for composite boxes. You can rip the lids off several smaller boxes of similar height, saw the sides down to one inch and glue into a ribbed chamber...find a nice piece of 1/4" cedar or basswood, run the bottom bar all the way down your new lid and attach the neck as usual about three-quarters down. Then simply pop the new lid on and screw the bottom stick into the top and bottom of the box from the outside, gluing a little scrap 'kerfing' to the interior beforehand for a really solid fit. I have saved so many tiny boxes this way..

I've probably mentioned this before, but Uncle Crow-I owe you....thanks!

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Permalink Reply by TwoShoes on June 14, 2012 at 12:43am

Please post pics!  I can almost get the idea, but, you know... worth a thousand words, right?  Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Swamp Dawg Primal Music on June 14, 2012 at 1:36am

OK, it's not mounted over the face (the can's too pretty), but it's easy to cut the can with scissors, so it's a bit of a crow hybrid: pine thru-neck with glued on pine fretboard, crow tuners, eye screw string guides, bolt nut, hardwood bridge, hinge trapeze tailpiece, burned fret markers and brass tacks at 3,5,7,9 and 12, strung G-D-G, and a hemp string shoulder strap. Yup, I sell these for €45+shipping, though here in italy it's easier to sell fretted. www.swampdawgmusic.blogspot.it

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on June 14, 2012 at 5:24pm

TwoShoes, the day I can get my 2009 Cellphone camera to talk to my 2001 Mac on OS10.3-or upgrade either or both-this site will be FLOODED with pictures of my precious ones. Until then though... :(

And Swamp Dog Primal Music-awesome Canjo!

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Dave on July 30, 2012 at 9:40am

My latest

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