Dlog

Click the smaller image for a larger view. Grin.

The weather was incredible this weekend so I propped the shop doors open and spent some hours on a Classical Cigar Box Guitar. As usual, I am not finished with this project but am too excited to wait to post it.

Of note, the scale length dictated the placement of the bridge just at the back edge of the box. I originally used a hinge for several reasons; 1. I didn’t want to drill through the top of the box and, 2. it gold color doesn’t hurt the design. The saddle would have floated in the dado-cut channel. This will ensure that it will not slip forward or back, but will let the tension of the srtings center itself/themselves over the neck, in case it is a bit crooked. (After stringing the instrument I found that I mis-measured the action and the strings sailed like telephone cables over the neck! So I have installed a different bridge, but have no pics of it yet.)

Then there is a 3-holed hinge coming from the back of the box which will serve as the tailpiece, 2 strings through each hole.

I cut a peice of wood to attach to the bottom, shaped like the bottom half of a classical guitar. Funny design nod, and functional in that it will provide a place to nestle on one’s knee. (I got this idea from seeing a Johnny Lowebow piece at the Deep Blues Festival this summer. His stuff is amazing.)