Cigar Box Guitar

Step 3 Notch the Neck

You will need to make a notch on one side of the neck so that the fretboard is level with the top of the box.  Measure the thickness of the box top and mark this depth on the top of the neck.  Measure the inside length of the box (ie the length of the box minus the thickness of one side) and mark this on the neck.  Then use a saw to make cuts of the right depth along the neck, and knock out the sections between with a chisel.  Test -fit the neck into the box and use a file or sandpaper to take away material until the fretboard and the top of the box fit flush.

Optional step: I added a heel where the neck meets the body, made from scrap pieces.  This is even with where the cutout begins, but on the opposite side of the neck.  I glued the blocks of wood to the neck and roughed out the shape with a saw and file after the glue dried.

You will also want to round out the back of the neck, to make it easier to slide your hand up and down.  This can be done with a rough file or low-grit sandpaper.  It doesn't have to be perfectly rounded, just smooth enough to be comfortable.

Now start sanding!  Especially on the back side of the neck, you want the wood to be very smooth.  I also wanted to make a nice and shiny guitar, so I went all the way up to 400 grit.  Unless you have a power sander this will probably take a long time.

Comments

[kgrant-2]

it would add stability to the neck. There will be a lot of tension pulling the neck upwards, and having another connection point to the box would be a way to get some strength. I would put a couple of screws into that heel through the inside of the box.

[gnargnar]

What's the purpose in the heel?