3D Printed Cigar Box Guitar

by Doug Thorsvik

Apr 4

The only wood on this CBG is the cigar box! The 2-piece neck has a dovetail joint and a 12” carbon fiber rod inside and is a near clone of my normal 2X4 derived necks. The wings on this one are inspired by the late Ted Crocker, but I reversed them! The upper one is an arm rest and the lower one keeps the guitar from sliding off my leg.

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  • Doug Thorsvik

    Glad to catch your interest Southern Ray! I am always experimenting, like the rest of us, just using different tools. My first 3D printed neck used a pencil for the support inside the neck and it did not work well because it wasn’t stiff enough, so I moved on. I had just developed a bolt on neck approach, so I worked on refining that. I decided it was time to revisit the 3D printed neck again and this time with success. The carbon fiber rod is the key. The dovetail joint was a recent discovery in the process thanks to YouTube!

    Apr 6

  • Southern Ray

     Oh, I've been following along with your work with the 3D printing of parts and building with those parts. It's very interesting, but I typically don't have a lot to say when I don't know anything about a subject. I know less than nothing about this subject. I wish I had more time and resources to look into it more, but I have so many other interests ahead of this one, I am content just to watch you. 

     Building is stimulating! Keep on building! 

     Ray

    Apr 6

  • Doug Thorsvik

    Thanks for the kind words Southern Ray! I don’t remember how I discovered (found out about) 3D printing, but I remember also considering a CNC machine (more expensive) too. The first project was a string guide for a cigar box guitar style short scale bass. I found making them out of wood and getting the string spacing right tedious and difficult. I found an open source (free) program, designed one, and found someone who could print it for me. I was making a 1-hour drive to Idaho to pick up the parts. It didn’t take long to decide to get a 3D printer and that changed everything! It also connects well with my interests, skill set, and it’s fun!

    i understand competing interests all to well! Keeping priorities in order is always a challenge. Good luck (to all of us)!

    Apr 7