So as I'm sure most all of you know, George McLeod won the "Kick The Can" contest with his beautiful double necked git made from a couple of Jack Daniels cans. This has highly inspired me. I'm thinking about making a one or maybe a two stringer using a glass bottle. My question is, has anyone actually done this before with a glass bottle? Did it work? If so, how did it actually play? As I'm not of legal drinking (or buying) age, I have to wait for my dad to finish off one of his bottles, so I have time before I fully commit to this idea.
George Mcleod's "Kick The Can" entry and winner.
(Also, I'm putting this in "Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion" because I'm not really sure where else this would go)
Replies
You could make it without cutting the bottle, set it on the neck and clamp it. A hose clamp could even be the bridge.
That's what I was getting at earlier, just didn't think of using it also for the bridge. You could clamp the strings with the clamp, wrap the strings around the screw part of the clamp as a wrap around bridge.
I guess I misunderstood, when I read your post I thought you were suggesting a dowel inside the neck where I was thinking the neck stayed outside. The idea to use the clamp and wrap around idea for string retention and bridge is cool!
Yeah I was suggesting the dowel in the bottle spout/neck, but either way will probably work for awhile anyway. Haha
With the dowel in the bottle spout, you'll need a fretboard that's angled to follow the angle of the string. I cut a fretboard out of Pine and glued it to the dowel.It's about 3/16ths" thick at one end and 7/8ths" at the other end.
When I read glass guitar here I knew a bottle would not produce an acoustic tone,[ oops! I just thought of a way, watch this space] and had in mind leadlight guitar,r box and all. This is what I had discussed with my mate.
Taff
Apparently ,this one was doing great till Peter shattered it .
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/imag1173?context=user
YES! That is very close to what I have been seeing in my head for the past few day, except I want a picker not a fiddler.
If you kept along the same design , you could use the spout as the soundhole . i fear cutting the back out would weaken it drastically.
I did make a 1 string Diddly Bo out of a aluminum bottle shaped can awhile back. Used the broken end of a pool cue for a neck. I was able to make a sound hole in the aluminum.
It didn't offer much acoustically and I'm sure the glass bottle would be the same. So if you can figure out a way to anchor the strings at the end of the bottle, don't notch the neck at the bottle's mouth and add a piezo for sound.
Maybe you could use a large screw band clamp(radiator clamp) around the bottle at the end to anchor the strings. Look on the plumbing asile at your local hardware store.
If you can't find a wine bottle, you might could use a non-alcoholic champagne/grape juice bottle.
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