Hi guys and gals ................. im going to build my first CBG . I'm not sure weather i want to do
a 4 or 3 string. Now my question is finding hard wood is a bit of a mission here in New Zealand,
Cant just go down to the local big shed and get it . SO here are my questions
1. I have been able to find maple at a specialty shop thats finished but messures 40mm X20 mm will this be wide enough for a 4 string , if i plan right ill get 5 mm from the edge to the string and about 10 mm between other strings will this be ok or will it be to crowded or will the neck not be able to handle the string tension. ill be doing a 25" scale and will probly ad on a fret board.
2. if i were to use pine ( i know not the best) i can get 45 X19. will that work or will it flex to much.
the other option is to laminate 2 40X10 with a fret board or is that just a silly idea for
a 4 string.
Thanks for the help and advice for a new Builder
Oh one other thing dose anyone know how to get those ugly stickers of paper coverd wood boxes.
you know the ones that show rotting teeth and say smoking is bad . i tried and started tearing the
the nice cgb labeling off .
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
I'd check out what kinda decking / flooring timbers you can get cheaply, any wood used for those is strong enuff and holds frets really well in my experience
Hobo 63 > The Phrygian KidSeptember 15, 2013 at 8:01am
I use alder about 40-45 X 28.Works good and no bending problems.On fretted same alder and glued fret board of some hardwood.Oak or teak or...
Old broken furniture can be a good source of wood. The wood is often decent quality and, due to it's age, is very stable. It's amazing what quality of timber people throw out in the UK - don't know if it's the same in NZ.
They sell Goo Gone in NZ, according to over a dozen websites I just Googled. Goo Gone is an orange oil-based solvent, that will dissolve most glues used to affix labels and stickers. For the neck, 1.5" x 3/4" is just about perfect, for either a 3 or 4 stringer. Maple should do very well.
1.Rule of thumb for ideal neck dimensions is 1 1/2" X 3/4" with a 7mm fretboard, all hardwood esp. for a 4 string - many builders cut down from larger pieces,
2. pine wood is possible to use but will flex under high string tension.
3. A hair dryer will heat labels enough to gently peel them off. (-:
Cool thanks. 40x20 mm. Is about 1.5"x .75" So I'm not sure if it that would be thick enough or not . But then again
What I'm learning is there are no rules and give it a go.
John Sawyer > Kirk QuinnSeptember 12, 2013 at 7:24pm
All 2 of the CBG's I make are "1x2" poplar. "1x2" is really .75x1.5. for a 4-string, it all comes down to string separation. With 3-string guitars across 1.5" your string separation is 1/2" with 1/4" side to string width. . . (12.5mm string separation, 6.25mm edge to string.) Maple would look amazing, finished right... T
I have made a few CBG and I would say you dont really need to make the neck out of hard wood infact you may get a better balanced guitar if you do not in my opinion
Saying that I only make three string guitars and they are not fretted, so far I have no problems with bending using at least 1" by 2" soft wood timber (sorry dont know metric)
I am not sure if this would be the same if you had four strings or if you were going to frett the instrument
Replies
I use alder about 40-45 X 28.Works good and no bending problems.On fretted same alder and glued fret board of some hardwood.Oak or teak or...
Old broken furniture can be a good source of wood. The wood is often decent quality and, due to it's age, is very stable. It's amazing what quality of timber people throw out in the UK - don't know if it's the same in NZ.
cool thanks heaps Ron will go pick some up today
1.Rule of thumb for ideal neck dimensions is 1 1/2" X 3/4" with a 7mm fretboard, all hardwood esp. for a 4 string - many builders cut down from larger pieces,
2. pine wood is possible to use but will flex under high string tension.
3. A hair dryer will heat labels enough to gently peel them off. (-:
What I'm learning is there are no rules and give it a go.
All 2 of the CBG's I make are "1x2" poplar. "1x2" is really .75x1.5. for a 4-string, it all comes down to string separation. With 3-string guitars across 1.5" your string separation is 1/2" with 1/4" side to string width. . . (12.5mm string separation, 6.25mm edge to string.) Maple would look amazing, finished right... T
Hello
I have made a few CBG and I would say you dont really need to make the neck out of hard wood infact you may get a better balanced guitar if you do not in my opinion
Saying that I only make three string guitars and they are not fretted, so far I have no problems with bending using at least 1" by 2" soft wood timber (sorry dont know metric)
I am not sure if this would be the same if you had four strings or if you were going to frett the instrument
check my blog out
http://darrenscigarboxguitars.blogspot.co.uk/
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next