Thanks so much, It was my first musical instrument... But I watched a lot of UA-cam before giving it a go, so I shared the love. Hope you can check out my new lap steel video: ua-cam.com/video/fvJra79Q64s/v-deo.html
You don't need to use that many tools to make a cigar bog guitar, I built mine using hand tools only so it can be done. For a first guitar I think you did very well, especially with the neck and headstock.
Thanks so much. I hope you get a chance yo check out some of my other diy videos. Yes often it is easier to measure things with a practical application rather that a bunch of measuring and math.
I did enjoy it as much as you did! Well built, detailed, and informative. I'm getting ready to turn loose of the edge of the pool, with 3 one-strings, all first time ever. Your calm, thoughtful demeanor give me confidence!
Hey Thanks Paul. I hope you get a chance to check out my Lap Steel video I have posted as well.Are you going to add frets to yours? Whatever you decide, don't feel pressured. It's all about just having fun. I hope to hear how it came out.
Nice build! Especially being your first! I used cow bone and began making my own bone nuts. I'll never forget the smell the first time I sanded one! Yuck! Reminds me of the dentist drilling a big tooth! If you're like me and many others, you're probably addicted to this and working on another! I'll have to check out your channel!👍😎🎸🎶
Sean, I found you build and video filming both very professional. I too, am attempting my first cigar box build. I found your voice very smooth and Understandable.Thanks for taking the time to help novices like myself. Your friend, Don Odom Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Hey no problem and I wish you the best of luck on your build. Best advise is just to have fun, thats pretty much what the whole cigar box community seems to say. I hope you will share your results when your done. Please visit Sean Hale Woodcrafts on facebook to see more of my projects.
I've never seen anyone use wood for frets so I am looking forward to seeing/hearing how it plays! Great job and you did a great job on your first youtube video as well! Bravo!
Nice job my man, great video as well! I have been building and selling locally for about 2 years and I learn something new with each video, one thought for you, perhaps a few well positioned sound holes would really bring out the wonderful wood sound of that cigar box. I have built several using that identical box and they sound fantastic accoustically! Great job for your first, you are light years ahead of my first build, lol....live and learn!!! Rock on!!!!!
Thanks so much Dan. I just posted a new video of a lap steel build that is more ambitious, I hope you get a chance to check it out and let me know what you think.
great work Sean, am really interested as my first two were not so good, so to see you working really helped, you skipped over a few things which was the fret measurements and I would have like to see the way you cut the frets in. I understand what you were going to do then it done ? the presentation was good, very clear and easy to understand, I have downloaded and intend to go through it bit by bit as I start to rebuild mine. thanks again Bob Clutton Nth Qld Australia.
Thanks so much Bob. Yes I cut this from an hour and a half of video down to a half hour, so some of the detail got cut. For measuring the frets, I used an online fret calculator from stew mac. In an Illustration program on the computer, I numerically entered the measurements given by the fret calculator to position my fret lines. I used the full size printout of this file to mark my frets on the actual guitar neck and then used my crosscut jig to cut a groove on each mark. Hope this helps. Below is a link to the fret calculator. www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator.html Lastly I should mention that the frets are sanded flat. Since it is a slide guitar, the frets are just for visual. That said, you would not want to use a table saw if you were inserting fret wire. There are plenty of other videos on that subject.
Dude! You look like a legitimate wood worker, I’m shocked you never lowered the blade guide on that band saw!!! It should be no more than about 1/8th inch above your stock. I’ve definitely never seen wooden frets before! I’d like to hear how they’ve held up.
Thanks for the safety tip. FYI this is a slide only guitar (see my video of how slide is played). I won't be worrying about fret wear. ua-cam.com/video/m-iTrg1RW9U/v-deo.html
Hi Sean, greetings from The Netherlands. Well done, that's a really nice build. It sounds great too. You've the knack. That is a serious piece of Merbau you scavenged - outstanding! I was having a look at some the other day. You should try cutting it by hand. You'll very quickly understand why it's also called Ironwood 😲. That neck is never going to bend or distort, that's guaranteed! At the moment, I'm working of my fifth and sixth 3-stringers. One will be fretless, fitted with P90 magnetic pickup in the neck position. It'll also have a piezoelectric rod pickup set under the custom fully adjustable bridge I'm constructing. It'll have a selector switch to access each pickup but no blending option. It'll be one or the other. The other will be fretted with a piezoelectric rod pickup in a custom made floating bridge. Building and playing Cigar Box Guitars is a really enjoyable, relaxing and rewarding pastime. I'm sure you'll end up building more. Thanks for sharing your experience, I thoroughly enjoyed watching 😀.
Wow great to hear people all over the world are having fun with this. Yes that Merbau is pretty tough. When I was retrieving it from the free pile, there was a long piece I wanted to cut in half to fit in my car... it was 105 degrees f and all I had was a little hand axe. That was fun chopping through that :) I have taken a couple months off in the garage, but now that it's cooler, I have begun work on a Lap Steel of my own design. I will make a UA-cam video for that as well, so stay tuned. I still have a lot to learn and hope my video encourages people who have never done this kind of thing to give it a try. I have found the best way to learn anything is to welcome mistakes as part of the process. Thank you for your Comment.
A bespoke "Lap Steel", I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing that build. Yeah, building CBGs is popular here in The Netherlands, as is building Cigar Box Ukuleles. CBG building is also very popular in the UK and Germany. Building a tenor Cigar Box Ukulele, is on my bucket list. If you're interested, here's a couple of links to my last two CBG builds: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203466870428678.1073741837.1720763049&type=1&l=4493744c98 and facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203637202086863.1073741840.1720763049&type=1&l=e7c1920c82. The only power tools I use, are a cordless drill, a drill press and a Dremel. Everything else is done with hand tools. I love my Japanese saws etc 😁.
i really enjoyed your video. ive made several bass guitars and im building my first cigar box guitar. your video was very instructive but i have a question, maybe you stated it and i missed it but what is the height from your box to the top of your fret board? thanks and once again great video and guitar
Thanks for your inquiry and I hope you get chance to subscribe and check out some of my other videos. In answer to your question, this is a slide only guitar and cannot be fretted, therefore my fretboard is level with the top of the box. I would suggest watching a few videos of folks making fretted ones. In general though, think of the neck being flush to the cigar box and the thickness of the fretboard (Which you glue onto the neck) is what would site over the box. That about a 1/4 I believe.
Nice vid sir I too am trying to figure out my first cigar box guitar ,can u give me some advice on how many inches from the nut to the back of the box I an doing the 25 and a half scale the neck installed seems to short in hand , plz and thank you
I was lucky to find it for only $200, but I wound up investing into the new fence, nice blades and riser kit for a full 12" of cutting height. I have to say it is very useful.
I'm 51 years old never played a guitar in my life I'm wanting to learn so I'm trying to figure out what Cigar Box Guitar should I get first it would be awesome to get one like you built I don't have the tools to do that so I got a long ways to go awesome job thank you for sharing it with us
Thanks for the compliment. I admire you wanting to learn to play guitar. Although cigar box guitars are a novelty, I would suggest starting out with a regular 6 string guitar. cigar box guitars have less strings and often different tunings. My build does not even have frets and can only be played with a slide. No reason you can't also have a cigar box guitar, many folks sell some good ones. Good luck!! There are many great resources online for learning guitar. It's difficult at first, but it gets easier.
I play both Guitar and CBG. Matter of fact, I play guitar in an Ozzy Tribute Band and a Blues Band. I've done ENTIRE Blues Gigs and Classic Rock with nothing more than my CBG's.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Leslie. Currently I am in the middle of making a Lap Steel guitar. Until I have actually built some fretted ones, I wouldn't think of making one for hire. There are some Facebook groups and online stores for cigar box guitars. I have no doubt you could find someone that would jump at the chance to build you one.
Actually I just used a premade lap steel fretboard from CB gitty. since it is 23" scale, all you have to do is measure 23 inches from the nut to the saddle. Here is a link to what I used: www.cbgitty.com/made-in-the-usa/clear-acrylic-fretboard-for-2x4-lap-steels/
WOW, Not bad for your first UA-cam video AND CBG Build. Guess I should get my sh*t together and do one as well. Already made my test CBG. Now I wanna build a 2nd one. Maybe I'll post that. Why did you choose to do a 4 string over a 3 string for your first build. I did one as well (because I saw Justin Johnson play one and wanted one like it) and in retrospect I should have started with a 3 string. Oh well. live and learn. GJ, Thx
Hi There, and thanks for the words of encouragement. Yes Justin inspired me too, as a long time guitar player, I have much respect for him. He's talented, intelligent and hard working. The reason I went with 4 string is simply because I am used to playing 6 strings and 3 just would not feel like enough for me. The reason I went with slide only is because with my lack of luthier experience, I figured this would be my easiest choice as a first build. Yes for sure build your guitar and make the video. I learn by first watching lots of UA-cam videos and then just going for it and incorporate my own ideas, If I fail (and I do fail sometimes) I always come away with a learning experience and do better next time. Please send me a link to your video when you done. Love to see it.
@@SeanHaleWoodcraftsandMusic with your wood working ability, I don't think you would have any problem building a fretted neck! CBGitty has fretting tools for sale that work well. I bought their wider miter box, fret saw, and fretting hammer. You probably have more experience with woodworking than I do, and it was very easy...and rewarding too!☺
Look good, bud. Do you think you are ready to build your own "Red Special" now? :) BTW: I subbed your channel. I can't wait to see what you do next. Have a great one. :) - John
Merbau (or Kwila) is classed as a vulnerable rainforest timber. Please don't use it. It is being illegally clear felled in the Phillipines and Borneo :-( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intsia_bijuga
Good work!
Thanks so much, It was my first musical instrument... But I watched a lot of UA-cam before giving it a go, so I shared the love. Hope you can check out my new lap steel video: ua-cam.com/video/fvJra79Q64s/v-deo.html
You don't need to use that many tools to make a cigar bog guitar, I built mine using hand tools only so it can be done. For a first guitar I think you did very well, especially with the neck and headstock.
I gotta say, using the pickup to figure out the spacing was very smart. Bioooootiful build, cheers!
Thanks so much. I hope you get a chance yo check out some of my other diy videos. Yes often it is easier to measure things with a practical application rather that a bunch of measuring and math.
First UA-cam video? You're a natural haha.
I did enjoy it as much as you did! Well built, detailed, and informative. I'm getting ready to turn loose of the edge of the pool, with 3 one-strings, all first time ever.
Your calm, thoughtful demeanor give me confidence!
Hey Thanks Paul. I hope you get a chance to check out my Lap Steel video I have posted as well.Are you going to add frets to yours? Whatever you decide, don't feel pressured. It's all about just having fun. I hope to hear how it came out.
Nice build! Especially being your first! I used cow bone and began making my own bone nuts. I'll never forget the smell the first time I sanded one! Yuck! Reminds me of the dentist drilling a big tooth! If you're like me and many others, you're probably addicted to this and working on another! I'll have to check out your channel!👍😎🎸🎶
Great job, nice work. Play it and enjoy it.
Beautiful guitar and a great job, thank you for sharing, I am thinking of making one and this video is a great source . Thank you
Amazing!! I did learn more things on your video than the others I saw.
Nicely done. Thank you.
LOVE THIS SOUND!!!
Sean, I found you build and video filming both very professional.
I too, am attempting my first cigar box build. I found your voice very smooth
and Understandable.Thanks for taking the time to help novices like myself.
Your friend,
Don Odom
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Hey no problem and I wish you the best of luck on your build. Best advise is just to have fun, thats pretty much what the whole cigar box community seems to say. I hope you will share your results when your done. Please visit Sean Hale Woodcrafts on facebook to see more of my projects.
Nice job with the CBG and video editing, lots of info here for builders. I'm starting my 5th one soon.
Thank you kind sir
I've never seen anyone use wood for frets so I am looking forward to seeing/hearing how it plays! Great job and you did a great job on your first youtube video as well! Bravo!
Well this guitar is slide only, so you dont actually fret any notes :) Here is a link to it being played: ua-cam.com/video/m-iTrg1RW9U/v-deo.html
Very nice! Thanks for your vid.
Just seen the video share.
Loved it. 😎
Great First guitar & video Sean. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year
Happy new year to you too. More videos in the works. I just take me sweet time :)
Looks great. And sounds quite Hawaiian. Roll on number 2! Well done.
Nice job my man, great video as well! I have been building and selling locally for about 2 years and I learn something new with each video, one thought for you, perhaps a few well positioned sound holes would really bring out the wonderful wood sound of that cigar box. I have built several using that identical box and they sound fantastic accoustically! Great job for your first, you are light years ahead of my first build, lol....live and learn!!! Rock on!!!!!
Thanks so much. Yes I may add the soundholes
Good Job...Well put together ..Both Video and Guitar (y)
Thanks so much William
Great job Sean. Sounds great.
Thanks so much Dan. I just posted a new video of a lap steel build that is more ambitious, I hope you get a chance to check it out and let me know what you think.
really cool video :-) greetings from bavaria!
Great job on your first video and great first CBG build!
Thank You
Nice one Sean.
well done Sean !! well done !!!
Thanks Dale. I enjoy your videos. Thanks for furthering the cause man.
Very nice 👍🏻
Nice 1 Sean Great for your first on your cigar box guitar and video . Same last name but no resemblance {lol} .
Good job,👍🏻
great work Sean, am really interested as my first two were not so good, so to see you working really helped, you skipped over a few things which was the fret measurements and I would have like to see the way you cut the frets in. I understand what you were going to do then it done ? the presentation was good, very clear and easy to understand, I have downloaded and intend to go through it bit by bit as I start to rebuild mine. thanks again Bob Clutton Nth Qld Australia.
Thanks so much Bob. Yes I cut this from an hour and a half of video down to a half hour, so some of the detail got cut. For measuring the frets, I used an online fret calculator from stew mac. In an Illustration program on the computer, I numerically entered the measurements given by the fret calculator to position my fret lines. I used the full size printout of this file to mark my frets on the actual guitar neck and then used my crosscut jig to cut a groove on each mark. Hope this helps. Below is a link to the fret calculator. www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator.html
Lastly I should mention that the frets are sanded flat. Since it is a slide guitar, the frets are just for visual. That said, you would not want to use a table saw if you were inserting fret wire. There are plenty of other videos on that subject.
Nicely done!
Thanks. I am going to start a lap steel soon. I hope it turns out. Never made one of those either.
I think it will be awesome, you do great work brother!
Dude! You look like a legitimate wood worker, I’m shocked you never lowered the blade guide on that band saw!!! It should be no more than about 1/8th inch above your stock.
I’ve definitely never seen wooden frets before! I’d like to hear how they’ve held up.
Thanks for the safety tip. FYI this is a slide only guitar (see my video of how slide is played). I won't be worrying about fret wear.
ua-cam.com/video/m-iTrg1RW9U/v-deo.html
Hi Sean, greetings from The Netherlands. Well done, that's a really nice build. It sounds great too. You've the knack. That is a serious piece of Merbau you scavenged - outstanding! I was having a look at some the other day. You should try cutting it by hand. You'll very quickly understand why it's also called Ironwood 😲. That neck is never going to bend or distort, that's guaranteed!
At the moment, I'm working of my fifth and sixth 3-stringers. One will be fretless, fitted with P90 magnetic pickup in the neck position. It'll also have a piezoelectric rod pickup set under the custom fully adjustable bridge I'm constructing. It'll have a selector switch to access each pickup but no blending option. It'll be one or the other. The other will be fretted with a piezoelectric rod pickup in a custom made floating bridge.
Building and playing Cigar Box Guitars is a really enjoyable, relaxing and rewarding pastime. I'm sure you'll end up building more. Thanks for sharing your experience, I thoroughly enjoyed watching 😀.
Wow great to hear people all over the world are having fun with this. Yes that Merbau is pretty tough. When I was retrieving it from the free pile, there was a long piece I wanted to cut in half to fit in my car... it was 105 degrees f and all I had was a little hand axe. That was fun chopping through that :) I have taken a couple months off in the garage, but now that it's cooler, I have begun work on a Lap Steel of my own design. I will make a UA-cam video for that as well, so stay tuned. I still have a lot to learn and hope my video encourages people who have never done this kind of thing to give it a try. I have found the best way to learn anything is to welcome mistakes as part of the process. Thank you for your Comment.
A bespoke "Lap Steel", I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing that build. Yeah, building CBGs is popular here in The Netherlands, as is building Cigar Box Ukuleles. CBG building is also very popular in the UK and Germany. Building a tenor Cigar Box Ukulele, is on my bucket list. If you're interested, here's a couple of links to my last two CBG builds: facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203466870428678.1073741837.1720763049&type=1&l=4493744c98 and facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203637202086863.1073741840.1720763049&type=1&l=e7c1920c82. The only power tools I use, are a cordless drill, a drill press and a Dremel. Everything else is done with hand tools. I love my Japanese saws etc 😁.
i really enjoyed your video. ive made several bass guitars and im building my first cigar box guitar. your video was very instructive but i have a question, maybe you stated it and i missed it but what is the height from your box to the top of your fret board? thanks and once again great video and guitar
Thanks for your inquiry and I hope you get chance to subscribe and check out some of my other videos. In answer to your question, this is a slide only guitar and cannot be fretted, therefore my fretboard is level with the top of the box. I would suggest watching a few videos of folks making fretted ones. In general though, think of the neck being flush to the cigar box and the thickness of the fretboard (Which you glue onto the neck) is what would site over the box. That about a 1/4 I believe.
Nice vid sir I too am trying to figure out my first cigar box guitar ,can u give me some advice on how many inches from the nut to the back of the box I an doing the 25 and a half scale the neck installed seems to short in hand , plz and thank you
I would love that bandsaw ❤️
I was lucky to find it for only $200, but I wound up investing into the new fence, nice blades and riser kit for a full 12" of cutting height. I have to say it is very useful.
Cheers mate
I'm 51 years old never played a guitar in my life I'm wanting to learn so I'm trying to figure out what Cigar Box Guitar should I get first it would be awesome to get one like you built I don't have the tools to do that so I got a long ways to go awesome job thank you for sharing it with us
Thanks for the compliment. I admire you wanting to learn to play guitar. Although cigar box guitars are a novelty, I would suggest starting out with a regular 6 string guitar. cigar box guitars have less strings and often different tunings. My build does not even have frets and can only be played with a slide. No reason you can't also have a cigar box guitar, many folks sell some good ones. Good luck!! There are many great resources online for learning guitar. It's difficult at first, but it gets easier.
I play both Guitar and CBG. Matter of fact, I play guitar in an Ozzy Tribute Band and a Blues Band. I've done ENTIRE Blues Gigs and Classic Rock with nothing more than my CBG's.
Omg I need iiiiiiit
From England Great bit of engineering ther Sean, Make me one please but fretted ?? how much?
Thanks for the vote of confidence Leslie. Currently I am in the middle of making a Lap Steel guitar. Until I have actually built some fretted ones, I wouldn't think of making one for hire. There are some Facebook groups and online stores for cigar box guitars. I have no doubt you could find someone that would jump at the chance to build you one.
Is that the Harbor Freight woodworking bench? I have one from there just like it and love it! Best $129 I ever spent o. Shop equipment
LOL yea. They are not solid wood . But Ok for light duty small projects
First seconds of this video I was like: "OMG Is this real?"
You did really great job!
I am going to admit the into was kinda strange. LOL
great job on the video! working on an instrument for myself. where did you find the printout for the neck scale?
Actually I just used a premade lap steel fretboard from CB gitty. since it is 23" scale, all you have to do is measure 23 inches from the nut to the saddle. Here is a link to what I used: www.cbgitty.com/made-in-the-usa/clear-acrylic-fretboard-for-2x4-lap-steels/
WOW, Not bad for your first UA-cam video AND CBG Build. Guess I should get my sh*t together and do one as well. Already made my test CBG. Now I wanna build a 2nd one. Maybe I'll post that.
Why did you choose to do a 4 string over a 3 string for your first build. I did one as well (because I saw Justin Johnson play one and wanted one like it) and in retrospect I should have started with a 3 string. Oh well. live and learn.
GJ, Thx
Hi There, and thanks for the words of encouragement. Yes Justin inspired me too, as a long time guitar player, I have much respect for him. He's talented, intelligent and hard working. The reason I went with 4 string is simply because I am used to playing 6 strings and 3 just would not feel like enough for me. The reason I went with slide only is because with my lack of luthier experience, I figured this would be my easiest choice as a first build. Yes for sure build your guitar and make the video. I learn by first watching lots of UA-cam videos and then just going for it and incorporate my own ideas, If I fail (and I do fail sometimes) I always come away with a learning experience and do better next time. Please send me a link to your video when you done. Love to see it.
@@SeanHaleWoodcraftsandMusic with your wood working ability, I don't think you would have any problem building a fretted neck! CBGitty has fretting tools for sale that work well. I bought their wider miter box, fret saw, and fretting hammer. You probably have more experience with woodworking than I do, and it was very easy...and rewarding too!☺
Look good, bud. Do you think you are ready to build your own "Red Special" now? :)
BTW: I subbed your channel. I can't wait to see what you do next. Have a great one. :) - John
Red Special?? I am afraid I am not in the know my friend. Do tell.
Sean Hale Woodcrafts and Music Red Special is Bryan May's (from Queen) guitar. Look it up. He made it from the hearth of an old fireplace.
Don't do it!!! its addicting lol... good job bud
You did good - are you sure you"re not Val Kilmer
Ha Ha. Strangely enough, I have heard that before.
Merbau (or Kwila) is classed as a vulnerable rainforest timber. Please don't use it. It is being illegally clear felled in the Phillipines and Borneo :-( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intsia_bijuga
Never knew that. Crazy they would make pallets out of a vulnerable wood.
Yeah that's the shame. They just clear fell and use it for pallets :-( Always good to recycle though and keep it out of the fire :-)