Thread: My take on a cigar box guitar WIP

The top and back are book matched Silky oak, I had fun getting these down to size as I don't have a drum sander so through the thicknesser they went!





Decided that the box needed binding, created the strips on the table saw and after the back was mounted to the body, used a rebate bit in the trimmer to create the 1.6mm rebate. Will do the same to the top.

Decided that the top needed something around the sound hole, although I don't call it a rosette. Epoxy with a bit of mica will do.



I cut this out with the dremmel in the router attachment, not the stiffest contraption.







After the sound hole came the bracing, not sure if it's acoustically correct??

I got the top glued onto the box today, and the binding started. While it was doing its thing, I started on the fret board.



A square, saw and a bench hook and a bit of time, the frets were cut.



On to the slow process of fretting. I undercut the wire so I could fill the cuts at the edge of the fretboard. A bit of sanding and filling with superglue.



Oh, I added a rod piezo to the top before I glued it all together.





Bridge, needed to make one so I did! One piece of myrtle, Bit of work on the table saw and router table. Bit of dremmel work to shape, a domino for the bridge (still to shape it) and a bit of claret ash to fill the slots.



As I type this the neck is being glued up. Will mount it to the body in the morning and work out exactly where the bridge will sit. The nut will be shaped and then it can be strung up. Hope to get a sound out of it tomorrow night!

Hi Cal,
That is a very impressive CBG build. Your first effort was good for a first go but this is light years ahead. Have you been on a secret instrument building course? I really like the shape. Just a few light curves but what a difference. Going to have to pick my game up now.
Regards
John

Thanks John, I think I out did myself with this one! Very happy with how it's going.


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Neck and bridge attached, nut shaped an glued. Will leave the bridge set and start shaping to get to final height. Tempted to string it today but should wait until bridge is firmly in place.





No I didn't make the acoustic guitar in this pic! [emoji1]

Finally got this thing strung up, had a few issues with the bridge lifting so had to add a tail piece to it. Sounds great, really happy with my first attempt at an acoustic guitar.

Hi Cal,
Looking pretty good. I know where you are coming from re the bridge issue as I have just hit the same problem with my current build. So far all my boxes have had a tail piece and floating bridge. A system that really cant be beat as you can adjust the intonation pretty spot on. As this one has a rod piezo in the bridge however the wire has to go down through the top so the bridge can not move. I dont think I have the confidence or experience to make it a fixed bridge however as it is for a customer and I dont want him back in 6 months with a unstuck bridge or bulging top. I am going for a floating bridge that moves just a little bit to allow fine adjustment. Too far down the build to change things now so fingers crossed.
Anyhow enough sidetracking I reckon you have raised the bar CBGwise on this forum.
Regards
John

Yes it creates a real challenge John. I have learned a heap of things with this build (that I should write down) and I can't wait to start the next one. The voicing has improved quite a lot from the addition of the tail piece, was not expecting that. I am now trying to work out how to build a bending iron so I can attempt a "real" guitar or ukulele. I acquired a heap of Blackwood logs that I will mill up later this month, so would love to make use of some of it in a guitar in the future. It's been fun and given me a direction to follow in woodwork.
Cheers Cal


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Hi Cal, Looks great !

Just a tip on gluing bridges....
I am assuming that the soundboard is dead flat and an intentional curve was not put in.
1.Both the bottom of the bridge and the soundboard must have full contact.
2. The bridge must be attached directly over the bridge plate that you have glued to the underneath of the soundboard.
3. Glues like Titebond( which I recommend) ,have a shelf life,make sure the stuff your using is not out of date.
If you don't get squeeze out around the whole perimeter of the bridge, you haven't used enough glue.
4. Invest in or build a clamp that can fit through the sound hole so you can get enough pressure on the joint.

Oh, and have a look at ukulele bracing for some ideas, what you have done might be a bit have a bit too much meat.

Hope this helps !

Thanks Mase, I hear you loud and clear! A lot that you mentioned I did do correctly, my bracing was bad though. I used to thin a strip for the bridge bracing and got deflection once the load of the strings were on it. I could see the top pulling up at the rear of the bridge and pushing down in front of it. A major lesson learned in that alone!
When I first glued the bridge on and strung it up it was ok (holding), I then plugged it into an amp an realised I had damaged the piezo some how. I removed the bridge and the piezo and saw that I clamped over the lead coming out of the piezo, wrecked it! Pulled the piezo out and dismantled it completely, striped and re soldered the wires back on and reassembled it, new heat shrink then checked it worked. Reinstalled the piezo into the top using silicone again and didn’t think to cover the rest of the top with masking tape so as to not get silicone where I needed titebond. That is where it all went pear shaped, stupid mistake but I won’t do it again. I had to add the tail piece to rescue the whole thing. All was flat(checked and re checked the soundboard and the bridge), not the case now though! The titebond is fine 6 months old. Had squeeze out. Clamp fit.

I had some ukulele bridges turn up after I finished this one, see exactly what you mean. This one was chunky and not wide enough either. I have learned a heap of things not to do now and I am in the thinking stage of what next. This one plays well and is still in tune even! I won’t be doing any more work to fix or improve things on it, I will put it down to a learning experience.

While I am typing, any tips on a bending iron? I have only found one in Australia at $399. Any other choices? The only other thing I can find are the blankets, I see some limitations with them though?

Thanks for your advice, appreciate it!
Cheers Cal

Very very nice, I must admit I've been feeling the itch to make another one myself...

Thanks Kiwi, kinda gets to you doesn’t it? [emoji16]


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Hi Cal,

The blankets are good for someone like me because you have to build forms to use them with, and this gives you accurate repeat-ability. It just appeals to the old tradesman in me.
Been a long time since i used a bending iron as my hobby is now electric guitars, but its a timely question as i am planning on building a semi hollow and I will be bending the sides for that project.
20180308_174106.jpg

Sorry for the dodgy pic.What you are looking at is a piece of 75 mm water pipe that been thumped with a hammer so there is a shallower radius on the top.
It has been welded onto a length of angle iron so it can be held by a vice. The butane cylinder is strapped onto the angle iron with the burner tip ( missing from pic),sitting inside the pipe.
The amount of heat is controlled by the burner control. You can use different sized bits of pipe for different sized bends.Works a treat and didn't cost the earth. I suspect i will use the blanket for most of the bending, and the iron to get around the lower bout.

One thing that puts people off building instruments is the cost of the tools.I reckon for tools like nut files you just have to shell out, the alternative is too frustrating, but there is a lot of gear you can make yourself.
Cheers,