CBG's 041 - 045

CBG 41 - 45

It has been awhile since I have uploaded some of the latest CBG's so here goes...No 41.

I took all the paper of the cigar box and painted it with the Eureka Stockade image for something a little different. As already stated, I normally use 19 mm thick timber for the neck and then add another 6 - 8 mm for the fretboard. This makes the neck about 25 mm - 27 mm thick. I have decided to build some with a thinner neck (12 mm + fretboard...the laminated neck makes it stronger and no truss rod is required) and I do like the thickness of these newer necks. Due to the thinner neck, I do have to use an inlay (rosewood) on the headstock so as to accommodate the tuning pegs. Again, 635 mm from nut to bridge, fretted Tassie Oak neck, 3 strings, single coil pick up and a homemade tele style bridge.

No 42 was a gift for my nephew's 18th birthday. This time I bought a neck from China for $35 inc. postage as well as some skull type tuning pegs and a telecaster bridge pickup. These pickups sound quite alright for the price and I was very happy with how this played and sounded when finished. Due to all the reinforcing required (which took quite some time) to strengthen the the neck the CBG is now more like a solid body that a semi acoustic. 

No 43 was a nice timber Partagas box from Cuba (photos courtesy of Paul Johnson). Again, 635 mm fiscal length, a laminated fretted Tassie Oak neck, 3 strings, single coil pick up and a homemade tele style bridge. The neck is 42 mm wide and about 19 mm thick. By using the A, D and G sting this guitar can be tuned to either A E A or  G D G.

No 44 was made so I could take a guitar away with me while I was overseas for 2 weeks...shame as it was 2 cms too long to fit diagonally into the suitcase. Anyway, same measurements again (635 mm or 25 inch scale length), 18 frets, Tassie Oak neck (about 20 mm thick), Rosewood floating bridge, 3 strings and a piezo pickup (tuned to AEA). I know a lot of people sell CBG's fretless but I feel that fretting the guitar makes it a lot more useful as you can play chords as well as slide. Fretting a CBG is a lot more work but definitely a better instrument is created in the end.

For No 45 I used a H. Upmann box and a Precision style bass pickup with a volume pot. This CBG sounds and plays quite nicely...I think I'll be using more of these pickups as they do sound pretty good.

Same measurements again (635 mm or 25 inch scale length), 18 frets, laminated Tassie Oak neck (20 mm thick and 40 mm wide), Rosewood inlay on the neck, Tele style bridge and 3 strings tuned to EBE.