Here's an old woodworker's trick for gluing up two flat surfaces. Sprinkle a little bit of Kosher Salt in to the glue before you join the two pieces of wood. The salt acts as a "lock" to keep the two pieces from sliding around while you clamp them. I see several instances where this would have helped you in your video. Cheers!
That's terrible advice and always has been. You create a weaker joint by doing that. Partially because you create tiny voids all over the joint from the salt that dissolves into the glue and partly because that dissolved salt is changing the chemical makeup of the glue. It's also completely unneeded if you bother to learn proper gluing techniques.
I am a science teacher and my physical science class is building cigar box guitars as a STEM project. It is the first time any of us have built one, but your videos are a wealth of information and inspiration. My prototype sounds guitar-like. BTW, we are building fretless slide guitars. Hope to write a simple blues song for the end of the year (June 25). Thanks! 😎
My head still can't get around the imperial system... But I'll take this video to my heart cuz I want to do one for these at least once in my life so thank you mate, cheers
As a Saw Filer by trade I must let you know that files are designed to cut forward and NOT backward. Your idea to grind off the teeth on the edge is good! They do make a file and the one edge is smooth and rounded but your idea is cheaper and will work great! Just push the file and it will work much better. I put my necks in a vice for this job.
The springs are only going to matter when you play the thing acoustically. They will not interact with the piezo in any way. If you use a cheap full size magnetic pickup that stretches over the vibrating springs they may interact with that like the springs on a strat interact with the springs in the underside cavity. The strings have to be stretched but still loose enough to vibrate pretty wildly with the minimal pressure they're going to get from the cigar box though.
Hi Del. Thanks so much for your inspiration. Setting up my new workshop now and nothing has to be perfect. Just so excited about what an ordinary guy can produce on a Wednesday evening. And... you're a lot of fun to watch during your very valuable advice and instruction. Cheers!
Shi-eeeet, I do believe I found myself a new hobby! I'm definitely gonna try to build one for myself. Just gotta nerd over these videos a lot more so I don't f*ck up too much, and figure out what essential tools and materials I need to buy. THANK YOU for posting these gems!
Thanks Del! I've used a lot of these, I came up similar versions of some of them during my own design process (I swear!) but I refer to your video a lot and will introduce more of these elements going forward :D particularly the spring reverb - that's an awesome idea.
This video is awesome. These tips are awesome. And you, Sir, are awesome. Your skill and experience, along with your ability and willingness to share them, are truly a gift to the CBG community, Del. ~~~ Leave it to the internet to surface anyone who'd "thumbs-down" this video. I, on the other hand, cannot "thumbs-up" it enough. Keep being awesome, Del.
Thanks for the tips. I just bought a kit from Stewmac. It came with a P90 pickup and I liked your idea to put the piezo pickup on the neck. Now to figure out how to wire them up is the question. Do you have a wiring diagram for something like that?
Mr. Puckett: I enjoyed your tips on cigar box guitar building. I am a novice woodworker; lathe work mostly (bowls and flutes). I've been wanting to build a cigar box style guitar for some time. I noticed you placed the piezo on the neck stock. Other builders' videos I've seen have placed them on the underside of the box lid. Which position produces the best sound and why? I'd like to make my first guitar for my grandson. I'd like to assemble everything on my own. What woods would you recommend for the box, and the neck?
Mr Hodge, while I certainly no Mr Puckett, I can tell you there are plus and minuses to each way of positioning the piezo. Only in my opinion, I feel on the underside of the box makes it a hotter pickup and gives some great sounds. But you also get along with that , every time you bump it, have your hands on it , your little movements get amplified easier as well. And you are subject to a lot more feedback. The way Del describes installing the piezo, cuts down on feedback, and that’s a good thing. It still has great sound. Everyone is different and has different ways of doing things. ( no rules) I build them both ways depending on the box, what sound I am looking for, and just experimenting. I’ve learn a lot over the past 5 years from Del and others. We all have. Del has done a lot of experimenting and is a master at building CBGs. You can’t go wrong following his videos and advice. But if you start building more, don’t be afraid to experiment on your own. I alway look for different ways to use things and always ask, “What if?” A lot of times it works out well and sometimes not. Have fun if it becomes a hobby/ addiction.
got a menards yard stick for the fret board but it turned out to be 1.44 inches wide. would have had to narrow the neck to accommodate my exact 1.5 inch neck blank
Great stuff. I always watch your videos to keep up on tips. Another tip: If you can, position the gear on the tuner away from the fret board. That way when the string pulls on the post, it presses deeper into the tuning gear, not away, and there will be less chance of slipping tuner gears. I also give a 5 year guarantee on my guitars. The only two failures I have had is with hot glue. It can't take temperature extremes. I use E-6000 now and never have had a failure. It is available at Hobby stores and Walmart. There is clear and white. I use clear if any of the glue will be exposed. Of course that is on hardware, NOT wood parts.
I have a question for you Mr Puckett or anyone else on here that may be able to help me out….I am building my own CBG and I am wondering what type of wood should I use for the neck? I have some beautiful walnut that I got in Wisconsin years ago and I also have red oak. Could I use either one of these?
7:14 ... I would think you'd want to have the full brass surface facing upwards and in full contact with the box lid for the best pickup response...love the clear box at the end!!!
the hot glue kinda "softens" the sound. makes it more 'musical' in my opinion. less 'harsh' and less treble(y). as far as which side up... ?? I dont think it matters but it may be worth a try to experiment.
@@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar I listened to a cbg podcast by a maker in Australia (his name escapes me at the moment) who was interviewing a maker from the US (and his name escapes me too... sheesh!), he was saying he quite hot gluing his piezos into his cbgs because he noticed there was a loss of response due to the dampening effect of the hot glue ... ii was an interesting conversation.
I love your videos and your guitars, but personally I think the shiny stuff makes sense sometimes and others it kinda cheapens the look. Maybe just me.
@@harryodum5598 The beauty of this instrument is you can do anything you want... they are totally HOT-ROD-ABLE. I have a few real nice pickups in a few select personal instruments.
You have so much more hair (2020) how. You would have like our shop Chicago Guitar Shop 2009-2019. 3 huge benches, standing drill press, 4" x 46" sander and complete VAC SYSTEM.
I know I’m late and you’ll probably won’t read this, but maybe I’ll help someone else. The springs are used for a reverb effect. Instead of the artificial reverb we use today, back then the players used springs. Different springs give different sounds
I bought a cheap ass hollow body electric guitar with no electrics at a flea market for $20 and a cheap non working electric guitar for $5, I was wondering is it possible to build a cigar box guitar using those two rejects?
@@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar Like the Doors put it "people are strange". Don't sweat the little things man. How many are brave enough to do a show like yours?Keep on trucking ,Del
