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String Tension!double neck cbg

hello cigarboxnation!
i have just built my first cbg and i had a pretty decent problem. i planned on making a 6 string cbg, i reused a guitar neck and a guitar bridge for the build, but the box simply couldn't handle the string tension. i took off two of the strings to make it a 4 string cbg and it was a bit better but still not that good. im hoping to make a second cbg this week, a double neck cbg, one neck being six string the other being four, and i was hoping someone could help me with this problem so it won't happen to me on my second cbg. also what box would be the strongest and if i should combine two boxes for my double neck or use one big one. thanks!

p.s. i used a cuesta rey box

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on January 4, 2010 at 11:56am

How was the neck attached? If you can post pictures of where the failure on the box happened, maybe someone can steer you in the right direction for your second build.

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Permalink Reply by Erik Chavez on January 4, 2010 at 12:05pm

sorry no camera at the moment... i got a small piece of wood and made a neck pocket and attached the neck to that, but the neck pocket would pull the bottom of the box down and the neck up. i think most of the tension was at the bridge tho. do you think if i were to get a longer piece of wood and extend it all the way through the body and attach the bridge to it, it would help take pressure off the box?

Diane in Chicago said:

How was the neck attached? If you can post pictures of where the failure on the box happened, maybe someone can steer you in the right direction for your second build.

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on January 4, 2010 at 1:22pm

A basic thru-neck design is always the strongest and easiest. But be sure you've got air between the neck going thru the box and the lid, so it is free to resonate.

Erik Chavez said:

sorry no camera at the moment... i got a small piece of wood and made a neck pocket and attached the neck to that, but the neck pocket would pull the bottom of the box down and the neck up. i think most of the tension was at the bridge tho. do you think if i were to get a longer piece of wood and extend it all the way through the body and attach the bridge to it, it would help take pressure off the box?

Diane in Chicago said:
How was the neck attached? If you can post pictures of where the failure on the box happened, maybe someone can steer you in the right direction for your second build.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on January 5, 2010 at 2:45am

If you're building electric, you could use a large slab of wood cut to just fit inside the box (or two boxes). That way it's essentially a solid body electric with a Cigar Box skin on it.

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Permalink Reply by David L. on January 5, 2010 at 3:26am

There is a good discussion on the group "Smokehouse guitars" with diagrams on how to improve box strength for 6 string guitars by bracing it. Also what string gauge do you use - for full size 6 string CBGs I always use electric 8s.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/smokehouseguitars/forum/topics/...
Regards,
David

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Permalink Reply by Erik Chavez on January 5, 2010 at 7:44am

ive tried 8's on my strats before, but i thought they were way too thin. 9's are the thinnest i'll go. oh and thanks for the link!

David Lloyd said:

There is a good discussion on the group "Smokehouse guitars" with diagrams on how to improve box strength for 6 string guitars by bracing it. Also what string gauge do you use - for full size 6 string CBGs I always use electric 8s.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/smokehouseguitars/forum/topics/...
Regards,
David