ive noticed a few folks mention that they spend 40+ hours per CBG. I am a new builder and my first one took about 15 hours and the second about 8 hours. the most time on both was spent on the neck and frets. i feel both of my guitars are on a pretty even level with the guitars ive seen from the folks claiming 40 hours build time so i was just wondering what you guys usually spend on a guitar time wise?
i have a pretty solid woodworking background and have pretty much all the tools one could need to build these (minus some specialized luthier tools) so i have to wonder if that makes a big difference but 40 hours for a typical CBG sounds like a lot of time. am i wrong here?
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Wayfinder I agree. Building the ideal guitar should take time, effort, dedication and craftsmanship. It should be a labor of love in the creation of a great musical instrument. Tools should be bought, workshops attended, etc.
In the mean time, put a stick through a cigar box, wire it for sound, grab a slide, and turn it to 11. Let's play.
I remember losing sleep being excited about early builds, what I was going to do and how I could do it, But some of the most fun has been walking into the shop, looking through the boxes and parts on hand and just building. Great fun that way with some great and not so great results.
Pretty well sums the whole thing up. I think all builders with passion would agree.
i think a lot of time is spent trying to figure out what questions to ask so as not to be totally ignorant. in appearance that is; else we are all somewhat dumber than the average mule in our honest desire to build a wonderful cigar box guitar. Our marvelous tin ears; and our ability to be bamboozled by cbg's that sound as tho Chet had returned! we do find VERY helpful folks that have sucessfully built wonderfully sounding:and tonal quality unsurpassed a cigar box guitar. Then as we all begin to get confortable in our inadequadicies along come a marvelous player on a cbg in his own right- and now he plays a neck with strings a amp and NO CB! i guess i am a little perplexed!!!!! i will suceed and build my own box! AMEN!
Bill - What I like about CBGs is that there's not much need for a lot of thought and study. It takes me about 3 hours to get to the point where the riskiest and hardest parts are done. All that's left are the details and finishing, frankly my favorite part of the build.
I've spent nearly a year build a guitar. Fussing over every detail. Asking a million questions. It was mainly because I was working with a special piece of wood, or design, that I was so cautious. With CBGs, I've let experience be my teacher. I've made a few goofy looking CBGs, but all of them have sounded cool in one way or another when plugged in and cranked up. I really don't think you can screw up building a cool CBG if you follow a few simple ideas and keep building them until you get it. I've given away almost as many as I've sold, just so I could build another one. The few I've sold were more to justify all the time and expense to my wife. I'd build them for free, but don't tell anybody. I've built 2 that I wouldn't sell, because they turned out exceptionally well. The rest are just the next attempt to build another exceptional "keeper" for myself.
Last week there was an article on Yahoo about a lady crying that she stopped selling on ETSY because there were Chinese-made knockoffs copying her idea. I wanted to tell her that the point of crafting is that each product is unique--unlike anything else in the universe. Ya' gotta' keep the creativity coming. Her one little pattern was easy to copy. She should have just sold (or given away) the pattern if that's the only idea she had.
There is the temptation to set up an assembly line to cut setup time, but what would be the point? I can't even mass produce necks because, so far, I've never done two headstocks the same way.
Not really sure how long I spend on a CBG as never kept notice.. Way longer than would be needed if you are selling.. I am in this for the fun and pleasure, retired and so don't really care how long it takes me.. Often I might spend a couple of hours just looking at the wood or the box I have and visualizing what I may or may do with it.. that's part of the fun... Often will work couple of hours on a part then do other things while its drying or glue set up etc etc.. I have two on the go at the moment and both are almost done, but have deceided to make a change or two in the end as didn't like the sound.. this ll takes time...
My next build will be a CBG made from an old jewellery box that looks like two books the are together.. spent couple of hours last nite just dreaming of how I might do it.. got the material ( oak ) and some of the other little parts, but have not set a blade to it yet.. Maybe next week.....
Bottom line for me is the fun and enjoyment not for money or other gain. I either keep them or give them to friends ..
Have also made 3 small amps as well and this too take lots of time and patience and FUN..
Your mention of amps caught me. Have not tried making yet but collected a few old radios. I saw a hack on You Tube a while back and wonder if you have a link to a helpful site or would post something here. Seems to me that it would fit somewhere in the CBN format. What with stacks of boxes and now radios in my garage, I feel I have to do something before my wife calls Hoarders TV.
htthttp://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/ampsp://
www.cigarboxnation.com/group/home-made-guitar-amps
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/vintage-radios-converted-into-g...
try these Grondon
Thanks Darryl
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