Adjusting the string height on a Cigar Box Guitar

Some tips on how to adjust the height of the strings on your CBG and get a better action out of it.

[@jeremiahstevens3319]

Miss this guy so much. What a great soul and generous as anyone could be. See you again one day my friend

[@jeremiahstevens3319]

Still hard to believe it's been this long since lord our jesus and christ decided he needed him to join all the other great artists to play the blues in heaven. To all of his family and friends I'm so very sorry for your loss. I never met him. I had several discussions with him over the web and, he was super nice . Happened to run across his page and felt like saying that he was awsome. I know it's been a while dont want to reopen anyone's emotions but just wanted to end my day expressing my feelings for Dan

[@mcstabba]

Watching a whole lotta cigar box guitar and diddley bow build videos these days. Getting ready to build my own awesome instruments. Thanks for the great and informative video Dr Mindbender.

[@marydaley7862]

Thanks alot, basic info that I've never heard before !

[@tomcooper1243]

Great practical tips. I'm building my first CBG any day now. You Tube has a lot of great helper videos. Yours though really addressed some of the toughest problems that I've read about. Thank you for all your help. I'll keep you posted on the status if my first attempt.

[@boxnastyau]

Awesome advice, a skilled cbg maker had a spare fret board and gave it to my mum to give me. I'll be building my first ever cbg and I'm very excited to get it all together. No doubt this will help me

[@TheEHermit]

Wow this was really educational. Thanks! and the Zombie blues guy looks great!

[@GlennAndTheGlenns]

Thanks so much man! I'm busy building my first one, and this info has just saved me from having to cut another neck :-)

[@vickieglomp7322]

1ST TIME BUILDER. THANKS, YOUR INFO HELPED BRIDGE THE GAP

[@johnholliday3518]

Excellent.......in the process of building my first.........and at this very stage, some great information.....thanks

[@undecided95]

Rest In Peace Dan, you will be missed.

[@marcthacker4walls]

This guy died?? I literally just found this guy on KZbin. What happened? Do you know?

[@valveman12]

Great advice. I'm just about to put in a 1/4" finger board on my 3 string. It was marginally set high for slide but now I'd like to chord so this video gave me some great ideas. Thanks

[@mickyboy1955]

Very informative with a few solutions to a few problems well explained,Thank you..

[@MrsMiddenfaceMcNulty]

Thanks for this. Great advice....will get to my workshop and try and fix up my hubcap guitar and biscuit tin banjo. Cheers. Much appreciated.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Thanks, man. I've had a few problems with the strings being too high and your advice has helped. I'm always learning! :O)

[@KM-ws8qs]

Unreal, I've had the very problem, too high action, at the bottom, near the body, of the fretboard. thanks for the vid, great job, not making it complicated. & BTW, I was going to do what you suggested, just build another one! & now I can fix this one before going ahead

[@sidney001]

Some good tips in there, many thanks for sharing

[@yellowboxfilms]

you can use a wood yard stick for the fret board if that hasnt been mentioned yet. easy and quick way

[@BigDaddyPoof]

Good video. Thanks for the tips. I started building my first cbg on Friday and thought I would finish it by Sunday. Nope. One more weekend.

[@roscheff]

Super helpful! Thanks for the tips!

[@onebrotherjohn]

Thanks a bunch. I have to reset my first CBG to do a better job.

[@vonormykirk]

Thanks for this video! I learned a lot!

[@74dartman13]

Thanks for the tips! Appreciate it!☺🎸🎶

[@tracymcdougal6381]

Thanks sir you helped tremendously

[@johnrichard9606]

useful information - thank you

[@hovlandbound]

Hi and thanks for the video. I just got done building my first cigar box guitar and have a question. Sure I'm still learning the slide but can you have the strings to low for a slide to work properly? I don't get a buzz noise on the frets at all with or without the slide but I'm getting a buzz on the slide itself. Maybe it just takes more practice. I did start out with the bridge to low and put a spacer under it and now for using a pick or no pick with the side or without seems to be fine but I sure am having a hard time getting the slide not to buzz. like I said, maybe more practice. But wondering if the strings were higher if it would work better. Anyway, just a rooky here trying to get some clear sounds out of it. Thanks again and keep plucking away! :)

[@tstoneami]

I bought a CBG ..it sounds pretty good but the strings are way up. The bridge near the bottom of the guitar is some kind of plastic material. The strings are sitting in grooves that sink them in about half their diameter. About the easiest way I can think to bring the strings down is to make those grooves deeper in in the bridge. Can you comment on this? Thank you!

[@bobu5213]

So what is the right height for the strings?

[@jimjakosh2506]

What is the ideal spacing from the string to the fret? You said you don't want it too high, but what should a person design to when making a CBG? Should it be .125", .150", .180" ???????Also, should the spacing be parallel or at the same height all along the fret bar? Thanks, Jim

[@normanacree1635]

If nothing else, measure the distance of a 'regular' guitar and base you distance on that.

[@ITubetc]

Thanks for the video, it answered a lot of questions that I had. I just built my first CBG and the box all most level with the neck. I used 1.25" maple for the neck should I route out the neck more so it sits lower?

[@ecalzo]

very helpful .. thanks

[@jmarksbery]

good advice

[@tracymcdougal6381]

Thanks

[@waden404]

Thnk u so much

[@jttoad252]

Thank you for posting this video. For the bridge, what size bolt and nuts did you use? I had trouble understanding that part. I am almost to this step. I have added a fretboard which does sit 1/4" above the lid. Thank you, Mike

[@IggyTheBiker]

I used a 1/4 x 20 bolt. I cut a trough for the nut bolt to lie in. You want to shoot for roughly 1/16 inch string height above the first fret. If you cut the trough too deep, you can squirt a bed of hot glue in the trough and lay the bolt in the glue to raise it up a bit.

[@btizme64]

Around 4:35 you're showing a guitar with no fret board.... I'm starting my first build and trying to gain as much knowledge as possible. Am I understanding you do NOT have to use a fret board? Thanks for any info.

[@IggyTheBiker]

Hi Beth, No you do not have to use an additional fretboard if you don't want to. You can cut the fret slots right into the neck if you like. I prefer to add a fretboard to my necks so I can increase the distance between the lid and the strings, which helps in adjusting the string height. But you don't have to do that if you don't want to...Dan

[@btizme64]

When adjusting your string height, is the reason to go higher or lower with the action. I am trying to spend as little money as possible so if I can eliminate a fret board that may help. Also, I'm not even sure if I will achieve success so I REALLY don't want to put lots of money into this project. :-)

[@IggyTheBiker]

Beth Trepagnier Typically, when a new builder makes a CBG, they will often end up with the strings being too high. To lower the string height you can do it in two spots, the nut and the bridge. If you don't use a fretboard and you lower the nut or bridge, you can end up with strings that are REALLY close to the body/lid and it can be hard to play. The fingerboard is usually at least flush with the lid, or higher/proud of the lid. Usually you will cut a relief notch in the neck wood (assuming it is a neck through design) that will allow for the thickness of the lid. The deeper this notch is, the higher the fingerboard will be above the lid. If you don't add a fingerboard, you can end up cutting quite a bit of the neck away. That is why I like to add a fingerboard/fretboard. A fretboard can be something as simple as a 2 dollar "scant" from the Home Depot.

[@IggyTheBiker]

Beth Trepagnier If you register at CigarBoxNation (if you aren't a member already) there is a TON of information there, and I can help you more that way if you like.

[@AdrianFoppianoLuthier]

gracias capooo

[@jmerrow02]

so is a 1/4 in above the finger board good

[@Powertuber1000]

I was looking for info on the best string action for slide/fingering on a CBG (a "measurement" at the 3rd and 12th frets) you said nothing about string height.

[@fokker313]

I always try to get the lowest possible string height for my builds, that being said I aim for 2.0-2.2mm at #12 fret. You can finger or slide a CBG properly set up with that string height.

[@goodboyringo9716]

I haven't gotten all the parts yet to build my first cigar box guitar but I have one question for you I wanted to use an 3 string adjustable bridge and bought one so my concern is the height ill have using this type of bridge, what can you tell me about using it?

[@IggyTheBiker]

+R Shay I typically use a quarter inch thick fretboard, and I shoot for a starting string height of 1/8 in at the 12th fret. So, that makes the string sit at about 7/16 above the lid (ish). So, if you measure the height of the slot on the saddle that the string rides in, you can estimate how high the saddle needs to be set to make sure the string is roughly where you want it. I have found on some of my builds that I have to make a 1/8 inch thick shelf for the adjustable bridge to sit on, otherwise the saddles may not be able to adjust high enough without running of or adjusting screw. If you set the adjusting screw to be screwed about halfway in, then you leave enough screw so that you can raise or lower the string if need be.

[@KM-ws8qs]

That's what I did on my first build as well, adjustable bridge. I'm going back to the simple threaded 5/16" bolt, & will use my adjustable bridge on an electric build, whenever that comes. Right now I have about 20 CB's to get this craft right before moving onto the more diverse stuff, namely electric CBG's

[@iandavidharwin]

When you use a bolt as a bridge, how does it stay in place?

[@PyskoDude]

Ian Harwin I’d say from the tension of the strings

[@dougsmith4999]

I thought it was just referred to as the Action.

[@michaelgroth8574]

That's Johnson's zombie guitar isn't it!?!

[@IggyTheBiker]

Actually, it is my guitar but Justin Johnson borrowed to do the video with. Oddly enough, at the time, he did not have a 3 string CBG handy, so I loaned him the zombie guitar.

[@JoseGarcia-yk3dl]

what is the right height for the strings? in the 12 freet an the first freet?

[@fokker313]

. 4mm at 1st fret, 2.2mm at 12th

[@JoseGarcia-yk3dl]

@@fokker313 Very thanks!