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First guitar help ?

I live in Estonia. It's hard to find used cigarbox or humidor in Estonia. New humidors are 51 euro.For me buying form ebay is to expensive. I have never build a guitar only didley bow.

I'am not soft guitar player. I don't like nylon strings.

I never learned to play my calssic guitar. It wa to hard for me

because strings was to high and to away from each other.

I only know how to play my electric guitar and diddley bow.

I was thinking do build 5 or 4 string cookie tin banjo.

4 string guitar made from cookie tin or alternative for cigar box.

I don't wanna use plywood. Plywood sounds awfully.

I was thinking to use nails for frets and bolt or something like this for nut.

When I put trussrod I need to make fingerboard.

For pickups I have two piezo elements. Cork under piezo mutes screaming highs.

Do I need to make trussrod or no't ? For neck maple oak or poplar ?

Can I make neck rounded with sandpaper ? I have no idea how to attach piezo with cork in box.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Parr on April 25, 2018 at 4:34am

Don, I think you will find that Birch, either white or yellow birch are hardwoods.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on April 17, 2011 at 8:51am

Spruce is often a good tone wood and could make a good box for the guitar.

Birch is also a tone wood and is harder than pine since it is related to the beech and the oak. It is often used for speaker cabinets and drums. It also makes a great plywood. It might make a good neck for the guitar if it was availible in the right dimensions.

just thinking out loud.

Brian Hunt.

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Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on April 17, 2011 at 10:11am

Quite so Brian, if I was the OP I would seek out birch as I think it's bending resistence strength is high.

Don

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Permalink Reply by Jantan ux on April 17, 2011 at 8:34pm

I found that in hardware store etc. stores selling common hardwood that is used for sauna bench.

I can't remember what was that wood name.

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Permalink Reply by Glaze on April 19, 2011 at 9:48am

Birch is used quite a bit for wood utensils and it would be great for a neck if you can get a nice seasoned piece of wood that is hopefully quarter sawn. Solid pine or spruce would make a great sounding box and actually be better than most cigar boxes when built right.

If people in the 20's & 30's could do it with no money, surely you can.

Freight pallets are shipped world wide. Most of them I see in the U.S. are made out of pine or oak. I have seen pallets made with nice flamed maple and mahogany, but those are rare here. Look for wood pallets if you have no other way of getting decent wood... I have seen pallets made with wood that would make great solid wood CBG's.

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Permalink Reply by Edgel R Gillespie II on April 20, 2011 at 1:20pm

Being as close to Finland as you are, have you tried to get some supplies from there?

They have Birch and Spruce which both can be used in building nice boxes.

Do you have access to a router and dovetail jig? These two items are perfect to build strong boxes.

A carpenter friend would be helpfull in getting started. So many questions, yes, I am only looking in alternitive ways to help. If you can find old furniture, box frames from beds are made with a good deal of wood supports, I have been looking for discarded bedding to collect neck wood myself. Ship yards will have very strong freight boxes/ sea vans, and if they are too damaged to use any more, good chances of you being able to snag the left overs and claim as a prize. Happy hunting and get back with me soon.

8-) Maximo

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Permalink Reply by Jantan ux on April 24, 2011 at 7:52am

I'm looking for cheaper alternative for tuning pegs and machine heads.

I wanna something that keeps in tune for long time.

I have seen eyebolts in use.

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Permalink Reply by Jantan ux on April 24, 2011 at 8:27pm

Machine heads which is specifically for the guitar is 15-26 euro cheaper.

I don't wanna buy harley benton. Going easily out of tune.

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on April 24, 2011 at 8:29pm

Hi again, DJ.

I prefer open geared tuners, but if they are not cheaply available in your area, then you will likely have to devise your own. Other people have made them with eyebolts, with varying success. They don't offer the fine tuning capability of geared tuners, but they should hold a tune if made right. Here's a thread on Cigar Box Nation that talks about them. There probably are other threads, photos and videos as well. Should try the search facility in Cigar Box Nation (see top right corner of this page). I'd check out as many eye-bolt designs as I could find and read as much as I could before doing it. Let us know how it turns out...

-Rand.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on April 24, 2011 at 9:04pm

go to the rubbish dump and pull some hardwood from inside a sofa, underside of a dining table or something like that..

look into whatever is used locally for flooring or decking..

pallets is also a great suggestion, ive reused a few, theyre usually mountain ash here, pulling all the nails can be a bit of work..

while i love to scavenge cheap solutions as much as anybody, Id really recommend getting real tuners and fretwire.. go to CB Gitty, he ships international at very fair prices..