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Kids CBG

Posted by Tracy Tomlinson on April 28, 2010 at 10:14am in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

   I've got a project started with the local Kids Summer Events co-ordinators to do a 1 or 2 day workshop with some kids this summer to build CBG's with strong cardboard boxes and 2ft lengths of 1X2 for the necks. Coloured Weedeater line for strings, eye screws for tuners, bolt and nut bridges. Older kids may want to try toothpick frets. I'm going to make up a 1/4" cable with a piezo in a plastic clamp on the end. I should be able to clamp it to the tailpiece of the kids guitars and amp them up. The micro cube will make any of them sound good....LOL  This is going to be fun!!!!

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Replies

  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars April 29, 2010 at 10:51am
    The post office will give you box's for free, you can order them online. You are supposed to use them for official USPS business but who's looking. The priority mail and express mail box's are free, I use them (for shipping) all the time and I think there are a few that would be a good size. This may be an option if you don't mind the post office printing on them. Hmm I may have to go try one myself...: )

    Tracy Tomlinson said:
    Thanks for the box idea Dave, I'll check them out.
  • Tracy Tomlinson April 29, 2010 at 9:29am
    Thanks for the box idea Dave, I'll check them out.
  • Dave Breault April 29, 2010 at 9:12am
    His name is crow and he has a few really good videos here.

    Dave Breault said:
    I read on this site about some one using the boxes that key boards come in and they sound great. Check out your local school district office, talk to the I.S. manager, they probably have scores of them.

    Tracy Tomlinson said:
    I'm going to get the wood for the necks donated by the local builder supply and roughed out by a local carpenter who is donating his time on the router table. The boxes are still under research, I've found a few that would work good. Blank ones would be nice so the kids could colour them up and add sparkles and other decorations. I'll have a couple of adult's helping the kids cut out the boxes and making sure the box top and neck top are level before securing them into place. That will be about the most complicated part, the rest is just stringing and setting the bridge hieght. Good luck with your project too, anything to turn the kids minds on to something other than the tube and drugs is a great idea!
  • Dave Breault April 29, 2010 at 8:58am
    I read on this site about some one using the boxes that key boards come in and they sound great. Check out your local school district office, talk to the I.S. manager, they probably have scores of them.

    Tracy Tomlinson said:
    I'm going to get the wood for the necks donated by the local builder supply and roughed out by a local carpenter who is donating his time on the router table. The boxes are still under research, I've found a few that would work good. Blank ones would be nice so the kids could colour them up and add sparkles and other decorations. I'll have a couple of adult's helping the kids cut out the boxes and making sure the box top and neck top are level before securing them into place. That will be about the most complicated part, the rest is just stringing and setting the bridge hieght. Good luck with your project too, anything to turn the kids minds on to something other than the tube and drugs is a great idea!
  • Tracy Tomlinson April 29, 2010 at 12:11am
    I'm going to get the wood for the necks donated by the local builder supply and roughed out by a local carpenter who is donating his time on the router table. The boxes are still under research, I've found a few that would work good. Blank ones would be nice so the kids could colour them up and add sparkles and other decorations. I'll have a couple of adult's helping the kids cut out the boxes and making sure the box top and neck top are level before securing them into place. That will be about the most complicated part, the rest is just stringing and setting the bridge hieght. Good luck with your project too, anything to turn the kids minds on to something other than the tube and drugs is a great idea!
  • ken farmer April 28, 2010 at 6:09pm
    Tracy, I'm working with an artist group in my home town to build these for local kids. Ideally we'll end up with a couple dozen less kids playing videos all summer and maybe doing something more exciting.

    Anyhow, I'm putting together a document that walks them through the construction in two three-hour sessions. But my costs are higher - about $20 in materials for each build. Most construction will be hand-tools, but we'll probably have a few kids use a few power tools just to speed things up.

    I'll look forward to hearing about how your project goes!
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars April 28, 2010 at 5:07pm
    I have straped a piezo to the top behind the bridge(so its not in the way) It works just as good there as if I had mounted it inside for good. I'm sure you will make it work. Bye the way i was playing with my Roland cube, what a blast, you'll have fun with it when you get it.

    Tracy Tomlinson said:
    I've tried a couple of designs just real rough and they sounded great. I will post the final design here when it's done. If the piezo doesn't work great on the tailpiece I'll stick it to the body with some masking tape or something. It doesn't have to be really loud, just enough to please the kids and show them it works.
  • Tracy Tomlinson April 28, 2010 at 2:36pm
    I've tried a couple of designs just real rough and they sounded great. I will post the final design here when it's done. If the piezo doesn't work great on the tailpiece I'll stick it to the body with some masking tape or something. It doesn't have to be really loud, just enough to please the kids and show them it works.
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars April 28, 2010 at 10:33am
    Sounds like fun, are you going to build a test model first, we would like to see it here! You may want to test the piezo clamped to the tail to see how well it picks up. I tried one stuck to my neck were it meets the box, the heel area and it did not pick up very well. Good luck and have fun with it.
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