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Pickup mounting hole and sound holes?

Posted by Tom Gould on April 6, 2014 at 2:19pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I am looking to build my first cigar box guitar over the summer however I have very little in the way of power tools etc.

I would like to build an electric version with  a single coil pickup and two sound holes. Is there a short cut method for creating the holes (both the sound holes and for the placement of the pickup), without using a routing tool. I would like it to be reasonably neat but I appreciate a short cut method would not produce the same results as a dedicated tool. If this is too difficult without dedicated tools then would someone be able to recommend a cheap tool for the job that is suitable for beginners.

Sorry about my ignorance but this is going to be my first build!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

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Replies

  • Thomas "Duck" Petry April 13, 2014 at 5:05pm

    Doesn't really seem like a proper build if you haven't drawn blood at least once during the process.

    • jawbone > Thomas "Duck" Petry April 13, 2014 at 5:38pm

      I know whenever I slip with a power tool or sharp object - lots of things become an "F hole"!!!

  • Wade April 12, 2014 at 8:07pm

    A little patience and a sharp pocket knife go a long way in the world of CBGs. Enjoy your first build- it probably won't be your last!

    Wade

    • Wichita Sam > Wade April 13, 2014 at 12:11pm

      I used to feel the same way about cutting tools until a slip on a "F-hole" with a knife and a trip to the ER with a cut artery in my thumb, convinced me that drilling, sawing and sanding are more better options.... ;-)...heheheheheehehe.

      • Wade > Wichita Sam April 13, 2014 at 2:29pm
        Ouch!!!! Some of my best builds have a bloody fingerprint on the inside of the box somewhere
      • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Wichita Sam April 13, 2014 at 1:59pm
        I bet there was an "F" word said when that happened...
        • Wichita Sam > Ron "Oily" Sprague April 13, 2014 at 2:16pm
          Yes, but I learn that quick servic in the ER happens when you walk in with a blood soaked towel and say "arterial bleed"!
          • David McQueen > Wichita Sam April 13, 2014 at 2:43pm
            I have a table saw "nibble" on my thumb that caused a similar trip. I have skin graft there now. Funny thing. The palms of your hands don't tan. The skin graft on my thumb does. Looks pretty disgusting all summer. And every once and a while, just to add insult to injury, it will grow one hair. So yah, I am all for drilling and sanding too.
  • Tom Gould April 10, 2014 at 1:43pm

    I have found these for sale on ebay after following up on advice from Richey.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-X-WOOD-GIFT-BOXES-LARGE-PLAIN-MULTI-USE...

    What do people think? The dimensions are 27.5 x 17.7 x 7.5. Ive been trying to decide what size I would like best and this seems to be a good start as its a little deeper than some of the cigar boxes that crop up constantly on ebay.

    • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Tom Gould April 11, 2014 at 5:21am
      Assuming these are inches and not cm, I'd cut em in half, cover each half with spruce or birch veneer. Two gits in one!
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