New 3-String

[Raymond Overman]

This is my fifth 3-string Guitar. I got the inspiration for these from a friends cigar box guitar and they've been a lot of fun. The neck was turned by face joining two 6/4 cherry boards with paper between them and turning between centers. The body was turned as a normal lidded bowl. The inlays were turned between centers and the bridge was turned with a flange so it fit in a 1" hole in the body.

This one has a cherry neck, a rosewood body and ebony nut/bridge/inlays.

I also put a piezo pickup in it to get a little more volume out of it. The piezo is attached to the bottom of the bridge plug and though it's not the best sounding pickup on the market, it's not too shabby for less than $10 at the Shack.

Comments and critiques welcome.

[Steve Schlumpf]

That's pretty cool Raymond! Nice shape and great wood combination! Electric no less! Works equally well as an art form or an instrument! Very nice work! Thanks for sharing!

[Jim Becker]

Oooh...that's major cute! If you have any "intermediate" pictures from the project available, please post thing. This is very interesting... ;)

[Raymond Overman]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments.

Jim, I will tell you, we have a definition for 'cute' at my house though...

passively attractive yet of no real value. :rolleyes:

[Bernie Weishapl]

Roflol Raymond that is good. Great looking guitar. I have never seen a 3 string one.

[Bill Embrey]

Raymond, I'm with Jim... very cool and very interesting... I would love some more information on this (with pics if available)... If you don't mind sharing... looks like a really fun project and I like doing music instruments (what's bad is I can't play anything!!!)

[Raymond Overman]

Bernie, take a look at Cigar Box Guitars on Google. It's a musical movement.

I'm with you Bill, I can barely get a tune out of it but I'm trying. The nice thing about these 3-stringers are that you're always playing a power chord. Mines tuned GDG (open G) or you can tune it to AEA (open A).

I don't have any pictures of the process but the next time I put one together I'll try to document it a little better. Even after five of them, I'm still in engineering mode. Getting a little better each time.

You can hear a sample of the noise I make here (http://www.nakedwoodturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/bowl_guitar.mp3).

[Bill O'Conner]

I like it

I hear you about not being able to play anything the best I can do is play the radio

Bill

[Doug Shepard]

Cool. Here's a free 3-string guitar lesson
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=03e_1201105234

[Jim Kountz]

And now for something completely different. I love this thing!! Looks like it could be alot of fun and a nice "backpacker" for camping. Whats the tuning? Have you played it much?

[Paul Douglass]

That is absolutely GREAT!
I have spent most the evening searching cigar box guitars, watching them being played on u-tube. I just can't find enough info for me to be able to make one. I have got to do more research and give it a try.

[Radek Kowalski]

WOW THIS LOOKS GREAT! I have wanted to make a guitar for a while now and I LIKE THIS IDEA!!!!
Do you have any specs or materials for the project. Can we see some of the other ones you have made?

[Raymond Overman]

That is absolutely GREAT!
I have spent most the evening searching cigar box guitars, watching them being played on u-tube. I just can't find enough info for me to be able to make one. I have got to do more research and give it a try.

Paul, check out www.cigarboxnation.com for plans and forums. They're not so civilized over there as we are here but there's a lot of information.

[Paul Douglass]

Thanks, Raymond.

[Radek Kowalski]

What is the diameter of the cherry body? Thanks.

[Pete Jordan]

Really nice Raymond!

Are you going to ever try a five or six string?

[Raymond Overman]

Radek, It's about 8 or 9 inches in diameter and about 3 inches deep.

Pete, The next one I do is going to be for my five year old daughter and I think I'm just going to make it a one stringer diddley bow. Played with a slide and a stick.

After that, I'm thinking about a four string with frets. I'm debating putting a volume and tone knob or a humbucker style pickup in it as well. All of that info is out on the web and they can be as fancy or as simple as you want. I may even go with tapered wood pegs for the tuners instead of buying them but I haven't decided on that.

I can't even play the three string very well so I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with that fourth and can't imagine having to deal with a fifth or sixth.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments.

Jim, I will tell you, we have a definition for 'cute' at my house though...

passively attractive yet of no real value.

I assure you, I was using a different and totally complimentary context for the word!! :)

[Paul Douglass]

Does your neck run through the bowl, like they shoe on the cigar box ones?

Thanks

[Raymond Overman]

The neck does run through the bowl. I cut a half moon out of each side.

[Paul Douglass]

Raymond, anymore guitars? I got the DVD fron Jelly Belly Music. Great video. I started working on one this weekend. I didn't have wood to turn a box so I made a retangle one. Got some wood for the neck today and ordered some parts. I don't know how long it will take me to finish, or if it will work, but I'm having a great time.

[Jeff Nicol]

Raymond, Do you have a post on Youtube showing how it sounds when played? I think it would be nice to hear you play one of them for us!!!

Keep on a pickin!

Jeff