Cigar Box Nation2024-03-28T11:32:31ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoorehttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/364442711?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/howgoodcanitsoundunplugged/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=3259gc42eop3e&feed=yes&xn_auth=noResonator Ukuleletag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2011-01-10:2592684:Topic:4161352011-01-10T02:44:49.330ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
Hello all. I would like to build a ukulele with a resonator. I have made 4 CB ukes, so I have the basics. So what's next? I could use some photos and other relevent process tips. On one of the discussions, some one mentioned bridge placement on the resonator. What does this mean? What types of materials are used for the resonator and wher can parts be obtained locally? Thanks everybody. j
Hello all. I would like to build a ukulele with a resonator. I have made 4 CB ukes, so I have the basics. So what's next? I could use some photos and other relevent process tips. On one of the discussions, some one mentioned bridge placement on the resonator. What does this mean? What types of materials are used for the resonator and wher can parts be obtained locally? Thanks everybody. j Box construction materialstag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2010-03-10:2592684:Topic:2016382010-03-10T22:00:38.316ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
I am in the process of building 2 box's. One is a Macanudo, the Cadillac of box's I've been told and the other is an Arturo Fuente. My first box is an old solid wood box, no plywood. I noticed the Mac is made of a 3 ply board with a thick middle and very thin veneer outsides, the A.F. is made of a 5 ply board. I would guess that the 3 ply would be better and more like solid wood because it has less different plys and less glue. This may some of the reason for the Macanudos good sound. My old…
I am in the process of building 2 box's. One is a Macanudo, the Cadillac of box's I've been told and the other is an Arturo Fuente. My first box is an old solid wood box, no plywood. I noticed the Mac is made of a 3 ply board with a thick middle and very thin veneer outsides, the A.F. is made of a 5 ply board. I would guess that the 3 ply would be better and more like solid wood because it has less different plys and less glue. This may some of the reason for the Macanudos good sound. My old solid wood box has a nicer sound than another A.F. that I made. I know size and shape are big also but I thought this was interesting. Any other thoughts? sound absortion inside boxtag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2009-09-08:2592684:Topic:1062942009-09-08T11:40:52.755ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
has anyone tried to laquer the inside of the box? I did this to a earlier build and it sounded a lot like a banjo. I would think that the wood absortion inside the box would make a difference in volume and tone.
has anyone tried to laquer the inside of the box? I did this to a earlier build and it sounded a lot like a banjo. I would think that the wood absortion inside the box would make a difference in volume and tone. Innards - reinforcements, struts and bass bars?tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2009-06-22:2592684:Topic:791352009-06-22T22:40:50.221ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
Say, in a fiddle, there is a bass bar of wood running in the top, inside, just under the foot of the bass strings.<br />
<br />
Would such a beast be helpful in bringing out those lost bass tones in a cbg? I have never made even something similar twice in a row, so I can only compare apples to oranges. Maybe you builders with dozens behind you might have some insight.
Say, in a fiddle, there is a bass bar of wood running in the top, inside, just under the foot of the bass strings.<br />
<br />
Would such a beast be helpful in bringing out those lost bass tones in a cbg? I have never made even something similar twice in a row, so I can only compare apples to oranges. Maybe you builders with dozens behind you might have some insight. Nuts - materials, setup tricks, trouble shootingtag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2009-04-28:2592684:Topic:499412009-04-28T20:33:07.619ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
While all the usual dense materials that applied to the bridge also work well for the nut, bone, ebony, rosewood, corian, brass, etc...<br />
I'll start by championing the "no nut" or "zero fret" approach.<br />
<br />
What's known as the "zero" fret - a fret placed where the nut would normally be, can circumvent a lot of issues regarding action and set up. Then how you guide the string to your tuner is less critical. you can even have a carved out slot or a saw kerf that makes the string track to the tuner. As…
While all the usual dense materials that applied to the bridge also work well for the nut, bone, ebony, rosewood, corian, brass, etc...<br />
I'll start by championing the "no nut" or "zero fret" approach.<br />
<br />
What's known as the "zero" fret - a fret placed where the nut would normally be, can circumvent a lot of issues regarding action and set up. Then how you guide the string to your tuner is less critical. you can even have a carved out slot or a saw kerf that makes the string track to the tuner. As long as there is enough angle to the string as it leaves the "zero" fret, buzz should be no problem. Here's a sample on one of my octave dulcimers.<br />
<br />
<p><img alt="" src="http://www.davidbeede.com/images/partialFret2.jpg" width="417" align="left" border="0" height="320"/></p>
<br />
Now sometimes a kind of string spacer nut is used with the zero fret just to keep the strings in correct alignment - If I do that I use a piece of 1/8" Delrin [if you sand the black stuff down to 600 grit and steel wool is with 0000 it looks a lot like ebony] as it adds almost no friction to the tuning process. Another upside of minimal friction besides ease of tuning is you can push on the strings behind the zero fret and get a nice bending sound on your open strings almost like a wammy bar.<br />
<br />
Also if your path to your tuner is at a slight angle, rather than a straight line, you can have the string turn around [meaning be slightly deflected by] a guide pin that maintains it's side to side position. This can be anything, but can also be Delrin to reduce friction.<br />
<br />
[I know the traditional threaded bolts for nuts give you many choices of which groove to put a string in, but you're still stuck with hoping the groove you made for it results in the right height for the string.]<br />
<br />
Whatever we choose to use here, the string wants a fairly clean break point with a back angle to the tuner. If it rests in the bottom of a filed groove or if by accident the groove is higher at the back edge of the nut - the edge towards the tuners - a pesky buzz or whine can arise. This can be interestingly sitar-ish but mostly un-welcome. bridges - materials - setup etc.tag:www.cigarboxnation.com,2009-04-27:2592684:Topic:494762009-04-27T19:54:49.198ZRand Moorehttps://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/RandMoore
A lot of creativity is shown regarding bridges on the CB instruments I've seen. The quintessential eye bolt seems to show up a lot, dog bones, ball point pens, bottle caps... all kinds of cool stuff. These obviously works great for plugged in CBs, [& for aesthetic "funk factor"] but what about acoustically?<br />
<br />
In most non amplified instruments some general rules of thumb I've observed:<br />
1. Most are made of pretty dense material like bone, ebony, rosewood, maple, corian etc.<br />
2. sometimes the…
A lot of creativity is shown regarding bridges on the CB instruments I've seen. The quintessential eye bolt seems to show up a lot, dog bones, ball point pens, bottle caps... all kinds of cool stuff. These obviously works great for plugged in CBs, [& for aesthetic "funk factor"] but what about acoustically?<br />
<br />
In most non amplified instruments some general rules of thumb I've observed:<br />
1. Most are made of pretty dense material like bone, ebony, rosewood, maple, corian etc.<br />
2. sometimes the body of the bridge is made with dense material like, ebony, rosewood or maple and capped with even harder materials like for banjos ebony atop maple and guitars bone on ebony.<br />
3. Softer materials tend to absorb highs and denser materials accentuate them. I've used this to advantage on instruments like hammered dulcimers by capping the bridges with Delrin [a sort of self lubricating synthetic - I think it's generic name is acytal] this not only helped reduce friction to make tuning easier - it filtered out some of the high frequencies that HDs often have too much of anyway.<br />
<br />
One of the ways you lower the volume of traditional stringed instruments is by using a "mute." [And in spite of what one of my T-shirts says a banjo mute is NOT a 9 lb sledge hammer...;~) ]<br />
These are weighted clips that fasten to the bridge of say a fiddle or a banjo. This is helpful if we're trying to balance their volume with other acoustic instruments. But this also tells us that all else being equal, if you merely add weight to a bridge is reduces it's ability to vibrate freely and pass that vibration on to the sound board, and so the instrument gets quieter.<br />
<br />
With all that said, I'm guessing large eye bolts work against us if we're trying for optimum sound unplugged. An easy experiment someone might want to try is make a few bridges of different materials, but all the same height, and test them on the same instrument. If you have a cohort who's got the patience a blind listening test might be even a little bit scientific. Any takers? Recording the results and comparing that way might be cool too, but keeping all variables the same can be tricky.<br />
<br />
How about other bridge observations?