First Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) Build

Ted Calver

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Yorktown, Virginia
After building the fret slot cutting jig and milling some fret boards, I was pretty much forced to build something, so this is it....my first CBG. Don't know what I'm doing so this will be in the style of, as Brent says....here, hold my beer and watch this.

First step is to move stuff out of the garage so there's some room to work.
CBG 004.jpgCBG 015.jpg

Next is the jig needed to help cut the 15 degree head stock to neck scarf joint. You don't need to use a scarf joint, but it helps ensure there is enough angle on the strings to keep them pressed firmly into the nut. I found a jig plan on the net and glued it up. Added a handle made from an extra push stick. I made a similar one for the band saw to cut wider pieces.
CBG 007.jpgCBG 013.jpg

With the jigs ready for action I cut some neck blanks from a piece of 1" cherry from the stash. I'm hoping it will be strong enough for the job, since most of the necks I've seen were oak. These are 1"x 1-5/8"x 38". I'll run them over the jointer to bring them to 1-1/2" wide.
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I milled up some 1/4" thick fret board stock out of left over flooring at the same time that I built the fret slot cutting jig. I saved the finish on the flooring. It remains to be seen whether keeping the finish is going to work OK.
Jig 048.jpg
Out of the rafters comes the stash of cigar boxes accumulated over the last couple of years. Interestingly, empty cigar boxes have begun to demand serious money in our area. The tobacco shop near me wanted six dollars for their empty boxes! I collected these boxes out in Oklahoma when visiting our daughter. They were about 75 cents each and some had really colorful graphics.
CBG 006.jpgCBG 009.jpgCBG 003.jpg

So, now I have some boxes, fret boards and some necks. Wondering what to do for a head stock (the part where the tuning pegs live). I was thinking of trying to do a fish theme and work in some carving. Maybe a fish head or tail.
 
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Some 'fishy' and not so fishy concepts. The crescent shape is supposed to be painted to look like a piece of watermelon. The whale tail made the AutoCad cut.
CBG 001.jpgCBG 009.jpgCBG 003.jpg

Then I saw a little piece of spiked silver maple burl that looked more interesting and ran it through the band saw scarf jig.
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I sanded out the band saw marks and it will be sandwiched together with the scarfed neck under the fret board kind of like this.
CBG 055.jpg
The head stock and neck are ready for glue and clamps. The fret board gets glued on later. If you take a close look at the little Irwin 6" clamps you will see the heavy rubber band I loop around them to make them more one-hand friendly. It works very well.

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This Parmesan cheese container makes a great dispenser for glue brushes. Tomorrow is another day of CBG fun:D
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Ted, that is going to be just awesome. Just a word of warning though, you start buying cigar boxes you end up with shelves like this;

IMG_2647.jpg

And several drawers like this:

IMG_2648.jpg

And I have sold some this is what is left.

Now here is my very favorite, and I still plan on turning it into a guitar some day. This is a tin:

IMG_2649.jpg
 
A little more progress today. Out of the clamps and sanded up. Spritzed some mineral spirits on the head stock wood to see what it might look like. I like the grain on the back better. I'm using the open gear economy tuners from CB Gitty and they seem OK, but the bushings that came with this set are really flimsy and I'll probably have to glue them in 'cause they are so sloppy. I might look for a better set, since this is for family. Any suggestions on better tuners and sources would be appreciated. I used the drill press to drill out the tuner holes. Next time I will drill the tuner holes before gluing on the neck, but it worked out OK. The other thing I should have done before glue up was taking the head stock down a bit thinner, because it looks like the tuner pegs don't stick out far enough. Silver maple is not the strongest wood, so I was trying to leave it as thick as possible. Maybe I'll run it through the jointer a few times to take some off the top....or use the band saw to take an eighth off the back. While I was pondering the next move, the snack lady brought out some delicious, fresh from the vine broiled Juliet tomatoes topped with cheddar cheese ...yummmm! Tomorrow is another day!!
CBG 005.jpgCBG 006.jpgCBG 008.jpgCBG 009.jpgCBG 001.jpg
 
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Wow you sure follow the moto when the going gets tough the tough get going. Love this post and all your choices. Allen looks like you have competition in the production speed category.
Ted that snack Lady is a real keeper. Thank goodness its breakfast time. :)

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That neck will look awesome once finished Ted. It will raise the category and the perception of the guitar by 300%. I like it far better than the original fishy ideas. Good change!
 
Going to be a great looking guitar. You going to add some electronics?

I use to get Grover(?) tuners off ebay pretty reasonable. If I remember correctly there is a numbering system of the tuners that relates to the quality.. Higher the number, better the tuners.,?? or was that something else I was doing?:huh: Gett'n old t'aint fun.

My wife fed me some peppers fixed like that a couple nights ago. Yummmy!
 
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