What are the most difficult aspects about making an instrument by hand?
For me, it’s not having a mentor show me the simplest way of doing things. YouTube is a
phenomenal virtual mentor, but it’s not always consistent or through enough to save you
from making some crushing mistakes.
However, I didn’t start this to turn it into a business; I started it because I was curious. To
make some sawdust and understand some things I knew nothing about. And by keeping my
fascination on the process instead of the product, I’m never that disappointed when a project
goes to hell. I just note the lesson and salvage what I can for the next build.
How long does it usually take to make a Three-string cigar box guitar?
With a few very cheap, basic tools I can knock out a very basic, acoustic, slide CBG in- side an
hour. But generally, I put around 3-6 hours into one.
I’ve heard golfers say, “Drive for show, putt for dough” and the same rule applies. At the start
of the film “It Might Get Loud” Jack White built a very primitive, very cool instrument in 5minutes. But it’s not one he tours or records with.
Still, anyone inclined to make their first CBG should follow that example. Aim low. Make it
ugly and make it fast. Just the basics. Because that first raw tone from your first homebuilt
instrument will get you amped to learn the refinements and make slicker, more technical,
more capable, and more dazzling builds.
How long does it take to make a 3-string cigar box guitar? Somewhere between 5 minutes
and your whole life.
I know all woods are not created equal - what types of woods do you like
to use and why?
The only absolutely crucial wood choice in any stringed instrument is the neck because the
strings stay under constant tension and a weak neck will bow or snap. So it’s essential to use
a hardwood at least around 3/4 of an inch thick. My favorite neck wood is Maple which is
what most guitar companies actually use as well. It’s very hard, tight grained, common,
inexpensive, and easy to work. You can get similar results from Poplar and Oak, but Maple is
the prettiest.
Other woods I love for making saddles, nuts, bridges & fingerboards are Padauk, Zebrawood,
Bubinga, Redheart, Wenge, Leopardwood, and occassionally Ebony, Blackwood, or one of the
non-threatened sustainable Rosewoods. All of them are very dense (except Zebrawood) so
they resonate clean and bright under the vibration of the strings, which is why they’re known
as “Tonewoods.” All of them are also gorgeous with deep color, intricate figure and grain
patterns.
If you don’t have a good wood source where you live, there are tons of places online that let
you select your own pieces from photographs. There are other good shops that don’t do this,
but it’s always a blind date.
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THE CONE - ISSUE #9 - SPRING 2016