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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on September 26, 2011 at 3:45pm

2. What gauge strings is the best to use for a electric cbg ?The gauge is the wire diameter usually written on the string package like a .008 or .024. Interested in what most use here.

 

  I likes me some Ernie Ball Slinkys but YMMV. .008s are REALLY thin. I would hit .010s if I were you. Can bend notes and still have great tone.

 

3. How short does a cbg have to be to be considered a ukelele? 

 

   17" - 20" +/-. I think it mainly concerns the number of frets, but don't hold me to that.

 

4. How many frets do most use in their builds? I have the gauge or measurement from bridge to nut but not sure how many frets to use and this fits into my calculations.I am fretting my first instrument and I have a 24inch gauge.

 

   I do a lot of 24" +/- and depending on where I put the bridge, 22 to 26 frets is normal for a full scale CBG.

 

5. Is this gauge to big /small? Keep in mind I am a fat guy with sausage fingers, wedding ring size 12.

 

   Check out BB Kings big pigs. I think [read: i think] he uses 10s. Again don't hold me to that.

 

Right, there ain't no rules. Build it and see if it works. Then build another to fix what ya messed up last time. Just me opinions.

 

-WY

 

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on September 26, 2011 at 3:58pm

Baritone ukuleles have a similiar scale length to quite a few cbgs you'll see on this site. Really, it's the use of those ukulele strings, the tuning, and style of playing, that make it a uk...

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on September 26, 2011 at 4:24pm

Strings - I use 10's on all my "real" guitars, so that's what I put on my CBG. When I was tuning to open G that was fine. When I dropped it to open E, then I went a little heavier to, I think, 11's. Scale length is guitar length, 25-1/2". The CBG is a three stringer, using the ADG strings from a pack of regular electric guitar strings. Mine is fretless so I'm not bending notes like on my "real" guitars, just trying to get a good balance between fretting and slide.

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on September 27, 2011 at 1:27am

How many frets?  As many as fit.  The only thing that matters is that they are spaced properly depending on your scale length.  If you are using a longer box, you'll have room for less on the fingerboard, a shorter box gives you room for more.

 

 

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