Build Your Own Cigar Box Ukulele"Recommendations For Success
Have you thought about building your own cigar box ukulele but youre unsure if you have the right stuff? You may have looked at all the ukuleles for sale at multiple online sites. Maybe you dont need a professional instrument, but just a beginner ukulele. Maybe youre looking for that perfect, unique Christmas gift. With the wide range of prices, maybe youve thought its time you considered building your own. A cigar box instrument can offer the best of both worlds, one that is simple to make and at the same time offers a high quality, well playing instrument. Check out these insider techniques and youll see that you can put together a beautiful, good sounding, acoustical instrument, provided you start with the stuff presented here.
The most unique part of a cigar box instrument naturally is the box, so Im primarily concerned in this article with attention to the box. You can successfully build any of the basic ukuleles"soprano, concert, tenor or baritone; if you pay close attention to these four key elements in choosing and preparing the box: 1. Use the right box 2. Reinforce the box 3. Use the right hardware and attachment methods methods 4. Follow the rules
The sound box is the basic element of the ukulele building kit. These are existing cigar boxes and were originally intended as packaging material, no matter how extravagant or enchantingly beautiful they are. Cigar box ukuleles are born of what is considered tramp art culture. The original idea was to build with discarded materials, leftovers that were originally meant for another use. You have probably already noticed the very wide range of sizes, shapes, length to width ratios, thicknesses and materials that make up cigar boxes and how well, or not, they are constructed. With all you have from which to choose it is best not to use all-cardboard boxes. Use whatever suites you like, but bear in mind the following guidelines for optimum size depending on the instrument you are building. Remember wider is better, with a 6 minimum.
Soprano Ukulele use a box between 7 and 9 long Concert Ukulele use a box between 8 and 10 long Tenor Ukulele use a box between 8 and 10 long Baritone Ukulele use a box between 9 and 11 long
When choosing the length you wont have much control over the width, but remember that anything less than 6 in width will have a tendency to reduce the acoustic effect, and as a rule wider is better. Deep can be better too, up to a limit, with a minimum depth of just over 2. Dont overlook the need for reinforcing your box. Use x blocks glued inside the corners of your box with top-quality Titebond II wood glue or equal. A thin, even coat of glue on two sides of each block is all you need. Place these blocks so they float above the bottom of the box. This bottom of the box is usually solid or laminated wood, and will become the sound board for your instrument, and not allowing the blocks to touch the bottom prevents any interference with soundboard vibration. Use a 3/16 x 3/8 support block glued on its edge inside the soundboard directly below or very near the location of the bridge. This will reduce the slight indentation of the soundboard caused by string tension.
Use a damp cloth and a straight edge to remove all paper inside the box that can interfere with getting a good wood to wood glue line at blocking locations. Dont skimp on screws and other fasteners in your box. Use only the best. Use a template to mark all fastener locations and press the mark with an awl or nail set to provide a good starter for each fastener. Pre-drill fastener pilot holes and drive screws with hand tools only.
One last thing to remember is to follow the rules. This is the most important point of all. There are two basic rules you must remember when building a cigar box ukulele, or a cigar box banjo for that matter. Rule #1 is Do it your way, and rule #2 is Dont forget rule #1. Once youve dealt with the basic box preparation steps above, you use your creative imagination to its fullest with added design and fabrication techniques using these same two rules. Good luck to you and good building. - 2361
The most unique part of a cigar box instrument naturally is the box, so Im primarily concerned in this article with attention to the box. You can successfully build any of the basic ukuleles"soprano, concert, tenor or baritone; if you pay close attention to these four key elements in choosing and preparing the box: 1. Use the right box 2. Reinforce the box 3. Use the right hardware and attachment methods methods 4. Follow the rules
The sound box is the basic element of the ukulele building kit. These are existing cigar boxes and were originally intended as packaging material, no matter how extravagant or enchantingly beautiful they are. Cigar box ukuleles are born of what is considered tramp art culture. The original idea was to build with discarded materials, leftovers that were originally meant for another use. You have probably already noticed the very wide range of sizes, shapes, length to width ratios, thicknesses and materials that make up cigar boxes and how well, or not, they are constructed. With all you have from which to choose it is best not to use all-cardboard boxes. Use whatever suites you like, but bear in mind the following guidelines for optimum size depending on the instrument you are building. Remember wider is better, with a 6 minimum.
Soprano Ukulele use a box between 7 and 9 long Concert Ukulele use a box between 8 and 10 long Tenor Ukulele use a box between 8 and 10 long Baritone Ukulele use a box between 9 and 11 long
When choosing the length you wont have much control over the width, but remember that anything less than 6 in width will have a tendency to reduce the acoustic effect, and as a rule wider is better. Deep can be better too, up to a limit, with a minimum depth of just over 2. Dont overlook the need for reinforcing your box. Use x blocks glued inside the corners of your box with top-quality Titebond II wood glue or equal. A thin, even coat of glue on two sides of each block is all you need. Place these blocks so they float above the bottom of the box. This bottom of the box is usually solid or laminated wood, and will become the sound board for your instrument, and not allowing the blocks to touch the bottom prevents any interference with soundboard vibration. Use a 3/16 x 3/8 support block glued on its edge inside the soundboard directly below or very near the location of the bridge. This will reduce the slight indentation of the soundboard caused by string tension.
Use a damp cloth and a straight edge to remove all paper inside the box that can interfere with getting a good wood to wood glue line at blocking locations. Dont skimp on screws and other fasteners in your box. Use only the best. Use a template to mark all fastener locations and press the mark with an awl or nail set to provide a good starter for each fastener. Pre-drill fastener pilot holes and drive screws with hand tools only.
One last thing to remember is to follow the rules. This is the most important point of all. There are two basic rules you must remember when building a cigar box ukulele, or a cigar box banjo for that matter. Rule #1 is Do it your way, and rule #2 is Dont forget rule #1. Once youve dealt with the basic box preparation steps above, you use your creative imagination to its fullest with added design and fabrication techniques using these same two rules. Good luck to you and good building. - 2361
About the Author:
To learn more about building your ukulele here or email me at Walker Hayes and Ill send you a follow up with pictures.
posted by Marcondes Allen at 1:05 AM
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