Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Sutton on August 21, 2010 at 6:20pm

You can use a rasp to file any part of the broomstick flat that you need to fix things to, like the nut or the tuners.

Permalink Reply by J-Hob on August 21, 2010 at 9:34pm

I have built bass and guitar scale diddley bows from softwood broomsticks and they work just fine, no bowing that I can detect over 5 months, and seeing as you play them with a slide anyway it's doesn't really matter if there's a little bowing.

There's some photos from my diddley bow build here: http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/albums/diddley-bows-2 You should be able to see how the headstock was cut away little to provide a flat surface for the tuner, I just used a saw to do cut it.

Permalink Reply by Naz Nomad on August 21, 2010 at 11:26pm

I didn't even bother to flatten the spots where the tuners were mounted on this ... and the nut, just cut a flat-bottomed slot the same as you would for any other neck.

With this one, I cut half the dowel away at the back to leave a flat surface for the tuners ... it's not gone out of tune so far.

Permalink Reply by Havana Honey on August 21, 2010 at 11:54pm

Thanks everyone!

This and a trip to my local hardware store has generated a lot of ideas - I'm going to try and draw them up and post them and get your opinions.

One thing I'm worried about is learning fretless and/or the best way to mark the chord locations on something round.

I'm really kind of sad about the wood situation, because I was REALLY looking forward to making a really nice fretted and veneered fingerboard. I took furniture class in the past and did everything by hand...but if I have to order tools and clamps and vice, etc. this project looks to be getting really expensive!

Permalink Reply by Havana Honey on August 22, 2010 at 12:24am

Will this work? The shovel handle is too short to run the full length...Ugh. That's a lot of wood removal by hand...I was thinking bamboo as the connector, because it is strong enough I can take a slim piece and let it be the male piece and I can carve a female socket into the shovel and tail piece, giving surface area for glueing. Or do you think being made of two different materials will compromise it and contribute to bowing?

It's rotated correctly on my computer, but can't get it to upload that way - sorry if it's a pain in the neck!

Permalink Reply by Havana Honey on August 22, 2010 at 12:32am

I like the twisty end!
Naz Nomad said:

I didn't even bother to flatten the spots where the tuners were mounted on this ... and the nut, just cut a flat-bottomed slot the same as you would for any other neck.

Permalink Reply by 3 String Blues on August 25, 2010 at 5:31am

thats way cool!! I have never seen such a thing!

Permalink Reply by Havana Honey on August 25, 2010 at 9:17am

I went back, and the wood shovel handle is actually about 10" to where it splits, so that takes up about a little less than half of its length. (and with it's width, it's almost as wide as the box itself) I was thinking I could just use it as the head stock and put a broom handle through it, but then it will be heavily imbalanced. Back to drawing board...

Do CBG'ers ever weigh down their boxes?

My kingdom for a wood store!

3 string guitar said:

thats way cool!! I have never seen such a thing!

Permalink Reply by GI Junker on September 8, 2010 at 7:34pm

Theres a guy out there his name is Super Chikan ( spelled just like that) in anycase he uses broom handles or something similar. You can find him on you tube. He has very unique designs and builds his own stuff. Check him out. I have one of his videos on my page of him preforming.

Permalink Reply by GI Junker on September 8, 2010 at 7:36pm

Permalink Reply by Havana Honey on September 8, 2010 at 8:36pm

His strings look like they're over an inch above the neck!

So you think this is by design to reduce the tension a bit?