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New to cigars

I just joined and I am learning my way around the site, how and where to post. Haven't built one yet, but that is my goal in joining. I play guitar OK, slide too, and some banjo (bluesy) and mandolin (also a bit bluesy) and harmonica - not badly I'll say.

I'm in northern Virginia and would like to find out more about building. I am looking at an acoustic to begin with, one that can be finger fretted, not just slide. Eventually I would like to build a dirty electric and play all sorts of the rank blues I have found among YouTube CBG players.

Steve

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Comment by Fomhorach on March 18, 2016 at 9:23pm: If you have an old guitar neck you can use this too. I'm on the lookout just now for a busted mandolin

Comment by Steve Lewis on March 17, 2016 at 1:20pm: Can't type today: Moritz...

Comment by Steve Lewis on March 17, 2016 at 1:20pm: Merits, thanks for some great tips. I'll head to my local cigar store and start with a nice box.

Comment by Moritz Voegeli on March 17, 2016 at 4:43am: If you play guitar and mandolin, so you have already an idea about an acoustic instrument that sounds well, so for a cigar box guitar there apply the same rules: try to find a box of wood or plywood, better if not covered with paper; cigar boxes typically have the bottom finer than the cover, so use the bottom as soundboard; due to the little stability of cigar boxes typically you stick the neck through the box and attach the strings on both ends to the neck; to let the soundboard vibrate freely let a gap between soundboard and neck, better too, if the neck doesn't touch the bottom of the box; take your time to shape the neck for pleasant playability; nut and bridge of bone are far superior to a piece of wood with a fret on top; go for good tuners: strings that don't stay in tune are a pain in the ass; for a first try, put the frets directly to the neck and save your fretboard for a second project; and stay away from all kind of embellishments as you see them on most cigar box guitars, grommets, kitchen sink seeves and the like. That's all for a good start: have fun!