New Cigar box Ukulele project.

I've started to make my first Cigar box Ukulele. and it's going along swimmingly. I made a couple of  Uke neck blanks out of Mahogany last year so it was about time..

I had an old block of Wenge that I got from a retiring wood turner that I have used for the fingerboard. I was really pleasantly  surprised at the amazing grain pattern when I planed it does have quite deep open grain though but I can't envisage this been a problem. Sealing will fill it to some extent.

 I also made some really nice fret position markers. I had some thin aluminium tubing lying around from a big plastic model kit of the International space station that got broken beyond repair many years ago. The tubing was to re-enforce the structure. I made up a dowel from a thin strip of Wenge just a little bigger than the internal diameter of the tube and hammered it into the tube. then I cut small segments of the tube. gave each side a little rub down with 320 grit sandpaper and hey presto custom markers. The segments  feature the end grain of the wenge which looks like a leopard skin pattern in miniature. I made two to cover up the screw holes in the bridge also.

I've also made a nice little bridge out of Australian Walnut from the same source as the Wenge.

I ought to make bridges like this for my cigar box guitars. any how another build on the roster.

Beech Kitchen Worktop Bass Update

The Beech Kitchen worktop Bass Is almost finished. I have run into a little problem with lacquering it as it seems to retain air in the wood as I am getting air bubbles. it's so extreme that in places it looks like bubble wrap and I had one bubble that was the size of a squash ball! and there are lots of tiny little bubbles too. It has been sealed so I don't know why it's doing this.  I'm trying to repair and make good these areas but if I can't get a good enough finish it will be a case of taking it all off! and using a wood stain or maybe an oil finish.  It's a shame because the pale colour looks really nice.

Bass Guitar From a Beech Kitchen worktop

I have only made one Bass so far. (The upright one from an old wardrobe that is still unfinished)
So when I was looking at my pile of collected wood I saw a sizable piece of beech block kitchen worktop and thought why not turn it into a bass. I have a nice neck from an old Aria P bass copy to use.
My original intention was to make a Basic slab type body but then my creativity got the better of me.

Here is the initial attack with chisel and router.

After a bit more sanding and chiseling

And a bit more sanding and chiseling

And yet more sanding

And more sanding. The body is Almost finished. A few scratch marks and a couple of bumps to sand out. Then fine sand seal More! sanding then I can get some lacquer on it. I really like the pale colour of the Beech. It's very skin like which suits its feminine curves really well. Although By the time It's had sealer and lacquer it will look like it's had a slight tan.



I've ordered a new bridge and tuning machines as the used ones I have in my spares box just don't seem worthy enough now I've put so much effort into it.

Most basses have their bridges almost at the end of the body to make the overall length smaller and keep the weight down. This fact hadn't occured to me  as I sketched this one out I was thinking along guitar proportions So it's got quite a big bottom! However I quite like! it so I'm sticking with it. I think it will be quite nicely balanced as the beech isn't too heavy and it feels very comfortable with all those contours.

New Guitars

It's been a busy couple of months here at Shonky Central
Finally the last few weeks have been productive on the guitar making front and I have three completed guitars up for Grabs

The first is a 6 string CBG made from a Cohiba cigar box. Sporting one humbucking pickup.
The Box is a really nice and solid. The neck is bolted to a solid mahogany core which runs the length of the box and fills and is glued to the bottom of the box and fits flush with the top. There is also a peice of mahogany glued into the top and bottom edge (see Photo below). this is to add weight and give the guitar a bit more resonant stability. In essence Ive turned it into a chambered body.

The neck of unknown origin Although it looks like an old encore neck. (the Logo had been sanded off) was in a very sorry state. The fret board was dried out, frets corroded. it had also been redrilled for 10mm machine heads so they are not perfect. The Truss rod works as well as it probably never did.  However my ethos is to re-use as much as possible, The finish was sanded back and refinished in a mat lacquer. The fingerboard has been liberally beeswaxed. I re-shaped the head to remove any allegiances and to reduce the weight. I also put a new nut on.  So although it's probably unsuitable for standard fret playing it makes a perfect slide guitar neck. Having said that it's not so bad. It can still be fretted without too much difficulty.

For it's voice it's fitted with a cheap re-used humbucker. I hate to say cheap but really to get an authentic raw blues sound I don't think an EMG really cuts the mustard although if you wanted to buy it and have me fit a different pickup then it's really no problem.

So on a clean setting play it softly and the notes are lovely and clean an ring out like a bell. Hit the strings a bit harder and it gets a little crunchy.

With a bit of distortion it really sounds the biz. raw but not harsh is how I would best describe it.

There is no tone control as I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.

When I was measuring up the neck atachment I originally was going to fit the Humbucker directly in the body. I then decided to fit the humbucker with a mounting ring which meant the neck was 3mm to low. sow I have placed a mahogany spacer in the neck socket. I don't believe this is detrimental to the sound or performance in any way. who knows it might be what gives it it's special tone :-).

Sold :-)

Next up is this fabulous Custom Strat

It features an amazing distressed finish which has been created by a long process of multi layered application and then distressing by sanding scraping and melting. It has been upgraded with Genuine Fender USA Standard Standard Stratocaster pickups.

It plays very well and sounds just like a Stratocaster should.

Sold:-)

The last one for this post is this little 2 String.

This is one of my rustic builds which are hand carved and very basic

There are a couple of little experimental touches to this one. I've tried a different two pronged headstock. The good thing about this is that I don't have to waste much wood as the whole neck is made from a 1 inch square length of mahogany. It's also pretty quick to make.

The action is very high and with the thin neck enables the player to play a melody on the 1st string whilst leaving the 2nd string as a drone.

I have tuned this to C,G and can play some interesting ethinic indian asian sounding tunes on it.

Sound wise it's very loud for such a small box. The Mahogany top is braced in a radial pattern to add strength and to reduce the plonkyness. It has a nice Banjo'ish tone to it.

It does also have a peizo disc fitted for amplification or recording purposes although it is primarily an acoustic instrument.

Buy it HERE