Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by HENRY LOWMAN on April 22, 2010 at 4:45pm

Be true to the box, and the box will be true to you! GOOD LUCK!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Gajeski on April 22, 2010 at 5:42pm

i bought some thin luan plywood 2 weeks ago with this same plan in mind. Its hard to find decent boxes sometimes, and so easy to make your own.

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on April 23, 2010 at 12:07am

Stop looking for the perfect tone. Guitarists and bassists .. well heck, any musician .... have been doing it for years. Whats perfect to you may sound like poo to others, and what others like may sound like poo to you.
You could just do like the "the Edge", you know the pompous string banger from U2 and play 3 chords thru 45 pedals.

Matt

Oh , and on the building the box thing IMHO , it's fine,it's your guitar, build it how you want.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 23, 2010 at 1:33am

I think the original intention of a cigar box guitar was to build a guitar out of what you had because you could not a afford a real one. Cigar box's got used because they were handy and worked, if all you had was some luan plywood and made your own box I'm sure nobody would complain, so build it and play it. As for the tone thing who knows what you will get out of luan, let us know. Just do it.

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Permalink Reply by Salty Sea Empire on April 23, 2010 at 6:10am

i suppose using the term perfect tone is an exageration of what i'm looking for...i just want better tone and larger volume and a box that matches what i'm trying to build

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Permalink Reply by Ben on April 23, 2010 at 6:42am

Go for it! Build a gigantic box and then roll a gigantic cigar to go with it. Voila...cigar box...

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on April 23, 2010 at 7:01am

knock yourself out..... but, if you want perfection, then save up about $ 40,000 and buy the best ultra high end custom guitar you can buy... you won't have perfection, but you can pretend ....

BTW, the "purists" won't hate you, first they don't care... second, you seem to be "purist".... most CBGers are quite the opposite

I have built boxes for two projects.... a coffin shaped git for halloween (the skull head eyes lit up) and for a license plate git because could find a CB the right size.....

I know guys in some countries have to build boxes because of a shortage, but most would be thrilled to have their hands of a real CB to build a real CBG.....

the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Cigar Box Nation on April 23, 2010 at 7:06am

You're doing what? You're getting your hands dirty and building your own music machine? HOW DARE YOU???

Hell, you're gonna love that guitar 100x more than the schmucks shopping for a store-bought axe. You'll probably get 10x more songs out of it.

It's not about the box...it's about the music.

shane

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Permalink Reply by Jamie on April 23, 2010 at 7:52am

Amen Shane. I finished my first about a month and a half ago. Between my son, daughter, thier friends and myself we haven't been able to put it down long enough to get pictures so I can post them.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Young on April 23, 2010 at 8:09am

I built my own box, too. I remodeled my old house (1931) which was built with virgin pine. The wood is more dense than modern oak and if you held a board loosely between your fingers and struck it with a hammer it would ring like a bell.
I took the measurements from a cigar box I had and ripped a few planks 1/8" thick and glue them together. I was able to make the sides thicker 3/8" to make it all more sturdy. I will get pictures up soon, I am a proud papa! If I must say so myself it sounds awesome!

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 23, 2010 at 11:40am

That sounds cool, old wood is good wood! My old wood cigar box has a nice sound to it even if its on the small side.


Bob Young said:

I built my own box, too. I remodeled my old house (1931) which was built with virgin pine. The wood is more dense than modern oak and if you held a board loosely between your fingers and struck it with a hammer it would ring like a bell.
I took the measurements from a cigar box I had and ripped a few planks 1/8" thick and glue them together. I was able to make the sides thicker 3/8" to make it all more sturdy. I will get pictures up soon, I am a proud papa! If I must say so myself it sounds awesome!

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Permalink Reply by Jim Mitchell on April 23, 2010 at 4:06pm

"It's not about the box...it's about the music. shane" AMEN now build on....

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