Oh, and I go REAL slow because the bit will break easy.

I take the bit and also put it into the drill press. I try to get it as high up in the chuck as I can without getting into the threads. I will use a simple piece of wood clamped onto the press table and set the table so the neck is about 1/4" from the bit. I positions the fence so that the bit is set in the center of the neck (I draw a centerline first). Then I crank her up and run the neck through with the bit about 1/16 - 1/8" in. I prolly make about 20 passes each progressively deeper until I get 9/16". This way, I have about 1/6" of wood before the bar top in case I need to sand something flatter.

-Wes

Right. I use that too. Heh, I use the drill press too! Did you have a router bit? Only thing I have is a 1/8" rotozip tool bit.

Gotta love the drill press.

Hello,
I have started a CBN group entitled, "How to Play CBG" It is my hope and intention to encourage the "Wealth of Talent" here on the Nation to share their knowledge and skill to further the CBG movement. Please consider contributing an instructional "video" link to this group. If you are a viewer seeking instruction, please feel free to write. If you have any suggestions or know other players who you think may want to post instructional "video" links, please contact me. Thank you for your interest and support, Keni Lee

Hey Doug - thanks for the comments! The sodbuster mini amp is built using one of those Artec SDAP amp circuits on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ARTEC-SDAP-Amp-Circuit-GAIN-Guitar-Cigar-Box-Mini-Amp_W0QQitemZ120441233913QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0adb61f9&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 Have to say it looks better than it sounds, I think. I was a little disappointed with the out put on it. But I have to say they are good people. I wrote them after building the amp questioning the output and they sent me another one for free to see if there was a problem with the first. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet but I'm hoping it's a little hotter than the first. I'll let you know how it goes when I do. The other amp I have photos of (CB Mega Twin) started off as a Washburn Lyon 9V practice amp. It screams! Just got another one on eBay for about $25 including shipping. Just take out all the electronics and refit into box of choice. I'll be starting the 2nd one soon. Here's a photo.

Doug,

with three stringers (fretless), I tend to go with a simple open chord (open D = DAd)

with fretted, I tend toward an open chord, but with the 3rd instead of the octave (open D = DAf#... this can be modified to open D minor by changing the third to make open D minor = DAf )....

Open tunings are standard guitar tunings... with heavy or medium strings it will give your CBG more "Punch".... hehehehe..

the best,

Sam

Hi Doug,

The neck is a little narrow (1.25 inches), so the strings look bigger. Actually they are the top three from a "medium acoustic set" (46.36.24) I think. Most of the time I will play this finger style with a little basic chording. I am working on a "soft slide" technique, where I tune an open cord, but use my index finger as the slide. If I tune an open minor chord, I can finger "ahead of the bar" one fret on the bottom string to achieve a Major chord. This allows easy play for a song with a mix of major and minor chords, without a lot of wierd fingerings....

the song "heartache tonight" on my page's juke box is done this way. still have a ways to go with the technique, but getting there.

the best,

Wichita Sam

Thanks for your message Doug , very intresting , like the idea of the slight bow to allow for string tension sounds like it's a winner
Regards
juju.

Hi Doug , no worries mate , i like to give credit where it's due and you deserve it mate , yes i was wondering if you added any bracings with such a expance of wood , the pyro work is very good you have a steady hand and patiance , good on you mate
Keep well
juju.

Okay Doug, I've now put on a photo of the headstock showing the cup hooks. This is the only time I've used this method; now just use screws, sometimes with a washer under the head, which i think is common practice.

Glad you like the matching headstock & body of my unimaginatively titled CBG 1. I should post a photo of the headstock, I used right-angled cup hooks as string guides as I couldn't think of anything better at the time.

Yep, I keep meaning to try the mdf - Iv got a stack of it - but always get carried away and forget. Il make a note next time! All the best mate
Ben

I agree on the statement you made, of not everybody buying into the cigar box guitars, I am finding that out on another guitar forum, that I don't feel like going back to. LOL

Yes Doug, Fret.zip will be extremely helpful, my brother will love it also.He plays a few different stringed instruments

hey doug, thanks for the comments on my resonator! i'm loving that thing. its tuned e b e. it sounds great plugged or unplugged. slide action is great or playing it just outright. the fretboard material is the same as the sides. and it is a birch wood design piece that i bought at michaels and did some touch up work to.

Thanks Doug. I just went for it when gluing up the neck. I cut 3/4 inch strips and layed them out the way I wanted them to look. It took many clamps. After drying I put some pressure on the neck and it had some give. I added a 1/4 thick piece of oak to the back, added a hefty neck heel and shortened the scale to about 23".

well sir, im right handed but it is more comfortable to play lefty. so therefore my personal stash is all lefty. i can play right handed but only good enough to test out things. i just built that one on account of selling it and to test the waters on a six string build. i love it so im gonna do a lefty six stringer for myself. everyone else that i play with is righty so that one was just to kinda get them in on the fun! thanks for the interest. so do i understand you are a lefty?

Doug: yeah, I found the plywood edge to be quite sharp and uncomfortable, and the armrest really helps.

I just used a scrap piece of 1/4" oak and shaped it a bit with scroll-saw and sander. Couple of L-brackets to attach it to the banjo. (I just used JB Weld epoxy to fasten them to the armrest.)

pace is not really a hinderence because i have only been building cigarbox guitars for a month and a half. availability of imagination and ways to figure out how to use whatever parts you can see as parts is what helps me the most in getting projects to fit together. i find something and ask myself can i use this,sometimes it,s from old car parts we have in the back yard. i,m just a ninja cigarbox guitar builder. ha ha. i also use a scientific approach to assembling various things together. it takes me a lot more thought hours than build hours to complete a project. you keep on jammin man cause your projects define distinguishable character.