hello michael, i stopped by ta answer yer question about the strings on the old vintage leader box.they are nickel strings, but i plan on doing a build with nylon strings soon as i can get it on my list. thanks fer da comment--i like the old vintage cigar boxes they usually have good tone to them.

Montesino! I was just playing it. I decided to build on the back of this AFuente I'm working on. It's really thin, but I'll just put a couple braces on it if it looks too weak.

hi mike thanks its sounds great the picups buddy makes in vancouver are hot

Thank you MichaelS for your comment. The reso was built from a large vintage box from S. S. Pierce, an importer of jams and jellies that I found on ebay. It was thicker, but the builder, James Millinchuk cut it down. Richard Sanabia, here on the Nation built the other one. Due to the fact it is a bass, it needs a big box to resonate those deeper tones. But, I agree it does look funny. Enjoy.

Thank you for the kind words. means a lot.

I carefully sawed the slots, then used LOTS of elmers wood glue...well, maybe that's an exageration. I did have to reglue some of them a few times. Now, it's holding up pretty well. It was a crazy idea that I had last year, using readily available/unconventional materials to see what would happen. Call me a mad sonic alchemist...LOL!!!

Hey bro!!!!!!! No cutting as of yet. I am tossed between 2 designs. I know I should do 'em both but to get this right I want to focus on just 1. I will more than likely start cutting next week or so!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait to see what you come up with bro!!!!!!!!!!!

HA HA HA HA!!!!!
-WY

Thanks for the kind comment on my video, Michael. I've enjoyed looking at your builds!
K

Heh heh heh. I do get myself in trouble. No prob. If I post a solution, use it. There are some I might not post but mostly will. Well, the tone issues per se, are subtle. I have put two piezo in parallel now in two boxes and I'm even finding out that 1) having two piezos makes for a much louder, fuller pickup and 2) how you place them means everything. By that I mean I have one set in between the neck and the lid (I make a thru neck with a 1/16-1/8" sound resess. I put the piezos there. It worked ok but dampened the acoustic resonance. I wound up mounting them on the side of the neck (see below)

Darn, There I go again. Anyhow, you can see where and how I mounted them. I sandwiched them in carft foam and mounted them under 1/8" pressboard plates. I found that the tighter the plates, the less high end BUT the more box noises (bang, scrape, bump). Looser, the less of the box noises but more high end. Good and bad this is adjustable. Note as you were doing your neck holes, I was too :-) We both did the same thing at the same time. What do you think of that solution? -Wes

I used a 4" speaker and I put jacks on the back to hook up two more speakers. It works great with the piezo pickups. I was very pleased with the amp kit.

So what are your latest photos? I'm starting a new CBG tomorrow. Looks like you're trying to keep the back away from the soundboard. I'm going to try that too. Let me know how that works out. All I know is my last CGB has a piezo that doesn't work as the bridge is right over the through neck.

Hey Michael, thanx for the compliments on my Ashton CBG, you've made some fine looking boxes yourself!... I must say I have had some worries if I supported the top well enough, but it seems to hold nicely, only a slight indent... as you can see it has one brace and the circles of wood of the piezo's under the bridge gives it some support too... I wanted to leave the top as free as possible of bracings for vibration and volume... it's a small top and the bridge is close to the edge... if you look at bracings on western guitars it's actualy not that much considering the size of those tops... so I think it will do.... well, only time will tell... as soon as there is any increase in indent I can always glue some more bracings on...

Michael, it is a great feeling when your plan comes together.

Michael, great job on the nice builds.

First, it's not about how good you think others are going to think you play. It's about self expression! If all you know is 3 notes bro, play the hell out of them 3 notes until the 4th note comes over to visit. A great book I tell EVERYONE to get is called Zen Guitar. In fact I have given every copy I have ever had away I believe in that book so much! Puts you in the proper mindset when you pick up a guitar (or any task for that matter). I am a student of marshal arts but have never had to learn with a belt system, that is an American system of learning. But look at playing like this. EVERY TIME you pick up the guitar you also put on a white belt! You play, practice or whatever. By the time you are done that time your belt is dirty from the work you just put into it. Hence the black belt. The next time you pick it up you start with a white belt, and so on!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE has a song in them like the bird, the guitar is just the tool that you use to get it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So pick up that box and just do your thing!!!!!!!!!

As far as your buddy with a basement of SG's, that is my fav guitar! I restored a 78 "The SG" sometime ago. Walnut from head to toe. (wait do guitars have toes, well anyway. LOL) I love them!!!!!!!

Build #2 is coming along great, better than the first. I decided unless its a special or different kind of build I will just post images as they are finished rather than step by step.

So dam it, play! Find that song in you and share it with the world, even if it's only here!!!!!!! The only thing you can do wrong with music is to over look something and get overwhelmed!

Thats enough for one day grasshopper.

welcome..!

Hey Michael,
Great looking builds so far. I'm glad someone found a use for my TAB. I don't know if more people are using it or what, but its good to know someone is. At the time that I did it, there was a lot of interest from people in finding 3-string CBG TABs. I don't know if they don't use them or they just don't know how to say "Thank you" but I'm glad you found it and you like it. I'll do some more if I feel like anyone uses them. Keep playing. I get the feeling there are a lot of builders on here who don't do a lot of playing. Keep up the good work.

There are about 2.359.115.225.010 people behind me screaming that you need vids of your gits bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh ya, and I just wanted to say hi! LOL