How to Build a Cigar Box Guitar - Make a Bridge, Fast and Easy.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

This is an easy way to make a bridge or bridges for your CBG's. Let me know what you think. Thanks. M~

[@Chriswoodworker]

I can't make my mind up whether I like you making videos better or your playing but what I do like is your little bit of madness you put into them all. Keep them coming.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Steve. I appreciate that. I'm glad you like both, and I will Keep em coming. M~

[@eml5086]

I’m learning a lot from your videos. Thank you! Thank you!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome, thanks for watching. M~

[@writehandman2833]

I tried using square dowels and a Japanese hand saw and sawed them diagonally corner to corner (not easy). It made a nice pair of bridges and the CBG sounds great.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks for the info, HandyMan. That's a good idea, I bet that's NOT easy. I would have a big pile of scrap wood. lol M~

[@derekrobertson7912]

hi from uk just picked up my boxes last night and they were local [makes a change] got to sort out necks next.your a great help thanks.

[@1stetson57]

I make these as well and I take the fret wire and solder a length of 20-22 ga wire to the tang and then drill a hole in the slot down to the inside of the GBG. Then slide the wire down into the CBG and set the fret wire in the bridge (I just have em made up that way now). Then solder it to a ground for grounding the strings. Nice Video!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks for the tips. M~

[@robertyoung7027]

I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH, THANKS MAN

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome, thank you for watching , Robert. M~

[@bobrinchik564]

great idea for a person just starting to build guitars, like me,, Thanks

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome. bob. Thanks for watching. M~

[@CelesteSanderson-ez2gp]

Love saw, fixing to attempt my first box guitar, need all help can get, channel is amazing, keep it alive, 5 STARS

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks, good luck on your build. M~

[@KM-ws8qs]

Love your channel, buddy. Always good stuff. You have a way of making us feel like we've known you our whole lives.👍

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you very much KM, I really appreciate that. M~

[@CMRWoodworks]

Good info! Helpful.

[@pctips4all]

As always bud…. That was a great explanation!!! Thank you for everything.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

You bet! M~

[@pctips4all]

@@SouthernFireGuitars you rock Michael!

[@blindstrom14]

i've been making fret wire bridges for quite some time, but I've always used wood scraps and shaped them individually. Square dowels - brilliant! Thanks for the tip!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome, Bil. Thank you for checking it out. Those dowels work great.. and their cheap lol M~

[@MajorUpgrade]

Nice job Michael! You really "bridged" the gap in my knowledge here! :D

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks Major. good one lol

[@kewlbns69]

good stuff as always mike. i never would've thought to use fret wire on a bridge. have a great day! :D

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you Kewl. It works great. You have a great day as well. M~

[@Heather22056]

Thanks for the best.😎

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks Doodles. M~

[@marcmayou1422]

My local hardware store is An Ace they well have it Lowes is too far way. I have been just using scraps from cutting opening for the neck. But that looks more consistent. Marc

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

I use a lot of scrap pieces as well. M~ 😎

[@walterkemp6558]

Another great video. Nice one Michael.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Walter. M~

[@andrewscheuermann1890]

I think you are the best

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks andrew. M~

[@rzambory2938]

done and done !!

[@sixstring001]

Wince tip! I usually use piece cut from a 1x2 poplar. But this will be much easier. Closer to finished size. Thanks! 👍

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you sixstring. Yes, very easy to make like that. M~

[@tumbleweed4213]

Let's Just Say..It happened to a friend of mine once... LOL :) Another helpful Video Michael! Thank you.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome, Tumbleweed. Yeah, my friend said that was really painful. lol Thanks for checking it out. M~

[@johnmitchelljr]

Very good video. Great saw. The right tool makes building fun. Thank you.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, John. Your right, the right tool makes it fun and of course a lot easier. :) M~

[@rstarguitar5350]

Well I really appreciate information it’s always good to hear how someone else does it and get some great ideas from your channel which keeps getting better and better . Thank you for the fretting recommendation it’s good to have alternatives when it comes to tools . For sure! anyway thanks again👍

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, R Star. 😎🎸

[@stephenpascoe1148]

Great footage Michael...do you ever glue in the fret wire in bridges or fret boards and what is the colour stain you use? Thank you...keep up the good work !!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks, I use a little super glue for both.. I use all colors of stain. M~

[@danc.5607]

Fairly easy to sharpen that dull saw. Simple jig and small triangular file.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks for the tip Dan. I'll have to try that next time. M~

[@stevemanleycbg.5232]

Great informative video! I always have trouble cutting slot straight ! And in middle.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Steve.

[@stevesstrings5243]

Great tips Michael! Thanks!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Steve for checking it out. M~

[@larzhillbot1443]

Great method Thanks as always

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Larz. M~

[@larzhillbot1443]

@@SouthernFireGuitars Michael you should make a couple of dulcimer Scale fret board CBG I have been having a Real Hoot so many fun tunings I like DGD i use like a 22 # 12 # 12# for strings All the fun simple songs and Hymns guess you could still use the cromatic scale but it just seems more simple with out all the half steps Any way if you have nt allready give it a try its FUN :)

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

@@larzhillbot1443 Thank Larz. I wanted to do one of those one day, maybe its time to give it a shot, they do look fun to play. :)

[@peterhaynes8258]

Very clever & informative video Michael, also a lovely sound when you played the CBG. GOD BLESS.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, Peter. M~

[@rocketpoolpki]

Beautiful sound..hahaha...Fingers McMichael...Shefield steel has been the coice of premier knife and sword makers in England scince the middle ages but is super renown for the Stainless and Crucible steel manufacture in the 1800's allowing clock makers to get real precise, and also mass production of stainless cutlery...it's been a place of constant human occupation for around 13,000 years, back then they had to make their own boxes and necks from Oak tree and mammoth bone with cat gut strings...not as good as Southern Fire Guitars by a long shot.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you very much David, and thanks for the interesting Sheffield steel lesson, I had no idea :) M~

[@doggylv]

Great Tip!!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, doggylv. M~

[@bondoman2k]

I actually do the same thing with round dowels and finishing nails. I sand down the dowels to get the desired shape, then I glue on the nails to work like the fret wire. Probably not as strong as using actual fret wire though. ;) I need to start looking for the square dowels though, definitely a time saver. ;)

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

The nail is a good idea, Ive done a few like that before, definitely cheaper than the fret wire lol

[@UliKuder]

oh, you have a old new amp?? as always YOU are my hero!!! Thanks

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hey Uli, thank you very much. If your talking about that Ibanez amp, I did get that recently, but I was playing through my Line 6 Spider, on the bottom shelf. My Vox Mini 5 amp was resting in the house. lol M~

[@UliKuder]

@@SouthernFireGuitars oh sorry, yes i was talking about the ibanez amp. Thanks for answering....

[@mshrad]

Great video and tip. I was wondering if you notice any difference when using a harder wood like oak as compared to the softer poplar. I like your method but have read that for bridges, the denser the wood the better.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you mshrad, I don't really hear much difference, I guess because there are so many other factors involved, string gauge, action, box type, box top thickness and so on. M~

[@TLAS]

Love your videos. I see you using that same small handsaw in many of your videos but don't recall you mentioning its make or where we could find one. Could you share some info on it? Thanks!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks TL, That little saw is from Harbor Freight.

[@roberthamrick9711]

Geeze!! I’ve YET to find a video or written instructions as to how the bridges are attached to the cigar box. So are these that you’ve made glued to the box? Are they screwed into the box? Are they nailed into the box? Or, since no one ever addresses it, does it just miracle itself onto the box top?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

My guitars have a floating bridge, which means it is NOT ATTACHED to the box, I repeat NOT ATTACHED to the box. It is moveable so you can set the intonation :) M~

[@mattmcclain829]

I've just finished my first CBG build, from scratch, not a kit. Unfortunately it sounds terrible. I think the break l angles are a factor. I have a good string tree but the neck is not a scarf joint. Whoops. I want to make a bridge similar to yours to see if it helps the break angle. If you don't mind, what are the approximate dimensions of your bridge? I have a Fender Roosevelt resonator guitar (a few videos on my channel) that I've tinkered with, but this is my first CBG build. I really like your style, your content, and your skills. You have a big fan here in South Mississippi! 🎸🤘🤠

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hi Matt, Congrats on your first CBG build. My first build was a kit, and it sounded terrible also lol. Each one gets better though. My bridge dimensions vary slightly with each guitar, the length is always 2.5'', the height or action I set for each guitar after I string it up. Here is another video on making bridges kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKvUfYqfj5mZoa8

[@mattmcclain829]

@SouthernFireGuitars That video is awesome too! Very fancy. I actually binge watched a lot of your stuff last night. Very entertaining and informative. Do you have a rough guess on the height of a typical bridge for a 3 string CBG? Just a ballpark will help me. I figure that I have nothing to lose, making a new bridge. Thanks again for making such great videos. Also, I saw where some commenters are not subscribers. Not me, I just slid on over to the SUBSCRIBE button. 😁🎸

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

@@mattmcclain829 Thanks for the sub Matt, I would say a ballpark height would be 1/2''. A great help may be my Cigar Box Guitar Pro Builders WorkShop, Its a 2 hour video work shop where I go through step by step how I build my guitars from start to finish. It's now 30% off, and well worth it. Its on my website www.southernfireguitars.com/pro-builders-w

[@bobhunt1253]

Very nice bridges and very nice sound. On that guitar you are playing how would you ground the strings and mount the piezzo?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you Bob. I don't ground the strings when using a piezo, never really needed to, only on a magnetic pickup. The piezo is hot glued under the box lid under the bridge.

[@fokker313]

Hi Michael, another great video, I was wondering about the humbucker pu's you use, if you have any issues with the internal depth of the magnets, causing you to groove or notch out the underlying neck inside the cigar box? I appreciate your advice. Thank you.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you, fokker. Some of the regular humbuckers I use, you will have to cut a pretty good notch into the neck, in that case I will use dowels in the neck for added support. I also like using the flat, top of the box pickups from MGBguitars.com. All you need is a little hole for the wire to go through, and hot glue them to the top of the box and add the cover. :) M~

[@brian2browder]

Do you cut grooves in the fret wire on the bridge too keep your strings in place on the bridge?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hi Brian, not usually.

[@graysaw]

Do you have a favorite scale length you prefer

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

I like the 23's and the 25's

[@denbo6054]

Do CBG guitar bridges have to be fret wire? I'm thinking about making a more traditional Rosewood and bone bridge. Will that work?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

They do not have to be fret wire, they can be wood or bone, or a rusty bolt. :) M~

[@denbo6054]

@@SouthernFireGuitars Awesome. Thank you so much for the quick response. I really enjoy your videos and your playing. You motivated me to build one. Ive been playing guitar for over 50 years and have successfully built a Les Paul kit so I'm really looking forward to building and playing a CBG because of you and your videos.

[@joelchamblin2433]

Total newby here, is the bridge attached to the box, if so how? Or is it held in place by the strings? Thanks, learning a lot from your videos.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Your welcome, Thanks for watching the videos. The bridge is a floating bridge, not attached to the box. Its moveable to set the intonation. I explain it here in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4O2p2uHn795otU

[@joelchamblin2433]

Thanks for answering my question, will watch that video.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

@@joelchamblin2433 Your welcome, sounds good. M~

[@gtrboy77]

I had a couple questions about locating the bridge. First, do you locate them right at the exact scale length or do you move them a little to compensate for the string size (think traditional acoustic slanted saddles)? And second, how do you fasten them in place? I’m guessing a little hot glue...

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks for checking out the videos. I start with the bridge right at the scale length, then adjust it to set the intonation, usually sliding it back a little. I do not attach the bridge to the box, ( its floating ) its being held down by the string tension. I leave it floating for adjusting the intonation. Hope this helps. M~

[@guzzoofoz]

Q. Do you slot or mark the fret wire to hold the strings in place? 🙏🇦🇺

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hi Guzzo, I have before but usually I do not, because sometimes it will cause string Buzzzzzz. M~

[@timschultz1139]

Mr Southern Fire: what is the string spacing on a three string CBC. Tim Schultz

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hi Tim, its 1/4 inch.

[@rparker120]

I’ve watched your video on making bridges several times. Every time I come up with another idea. I found some knife handle scales from my knife making days. They are wood pieces laminated and sealed in resin. They are about 1 1/4” X 4” X 1/2”. Do you think they would work for bridges? Or would they be too hard?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

That's pretty cool, The only way to know for sure would be to make one and try it out. It may work great. Keep me posted :)

[@zipzip8239]

is there a reason you use this style of bridge instead of a bolt? curious if its just because its better looking or if it serves a purpose.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

I do use bolts occasionally, I think the wood bridges transfer the sound a little better acoustically, plus if I need to bring the string action down a little, I can just sand the bottoms some. M~

[@zipzip8239]

@@SouthernFireGuitars makes sense, much easier to fine tune and i imagine it probably does help the sound a bit.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

@@zipzip8239 I think so

[@matthewmcpherson610]

Where do you get empty guitar boxes?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

If you meant cigar boxes, you can find them at cigar stores, flea markets, online. M~

[@mrwilly41]

Hi Mike, Two questions. What file are you using to cut the fret wire? And where do you get your sound hole ring covers? Thanks. P.S we just got 8" of frozen liquid sunshine...only we don't call it sunshine...we call something else in Iowa!🤐

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Hi mrwilly, I don't use a file to cut the fret wire, I use wire cutters. Sound hole grommets here amzn.to/34SeZUQ Frozen liquid sunshine is too cold for me lol

[@mrwilly41]

@@SouthernFireGuitars What I meant to ask was, What are you using to cut the slots in the fret wire for the strings to nest in? Or do you even cut slots into the wire?

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

@@mrwilly41 you can cut slots in the fret wire with a small triangle file.

[@alwayslearning8365]

Michael go to the Great Guitar Build Off. You can enter the 2ndary contest by building a guitar and posting a video of the build. There are no rules about what type of guitar you have to build. It would be great exposure for your KZbin channel and would help it grow. Check it out at Crimson Guitars.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thank you Cris, Darn I just seen this.

[@TheSpeenort]

I make my nuts and bridges out of bone. My dog goes a little crazy when he smells the bone sawdust as I saw out the blanks.

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks Greg. Yeah, that bone has a weird smell when you cut it. lol M~

[@waltdavis29]

Love the jam at the end Michael, what song is that? Have a lesson maybe? I’m working on #429 this morning and stumbled (bumbled? 😂) across your channel again. I need to revisit your channel, good stuff!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Thanks Walt. That's one of my tunes. I do have a lesson video on my channel. 😎

[@waltdavis29]

@@SouthernFireGuitars I’ll look for it! As always, good job amigo! Wish I could head down your way and jam with you 🍻