For The Next Contest

[Curtis P]

What type of contest should it be? I am thinking a 2x4 special, its cheap, fun, and best of all, if you screw up, you can always use it for something else (that addition to your house for example )

This mini contest will start on feb 1. and it will go for 2 weeks, all entries must be submitted within that 2 week build time.

Building Rules!

-Must produce some sort of acoustic sound

-May be electric

-Minimum of 3 strings

-Must not go over the $50 (possibly $75??) mark

Get out there, vote for the Cigar box guitars of first contest, then vote in here for the next contest!

Curtis

[Nitefly SA]

i think the "no wood" contest would yield the best results.

[thegarehanman]

2x4's all the way. The only stipulation is that absolutely everything needs to be made from 2x4's, even the tops and fretboards.

[Nitefly SA]

i didnt think about it that way garehan, that wouldnt be bad either. everything made of 2x4's

[thegarehanman]

It's no challenge if you're allowed to use anything besides pine, or even 1x12"s.

[M_A_T_T]

i think the "no wood" contest would yield the best results.

I agree. It would show the most creativity.

On the other hand, we had a 2x4 project in highschool and I made an awesome stool by turing the legs & seat on the lathe. You wouldn't have thought it was made from a single 2x4.

Keep in mind with the 2x4 project you're not just throwing strings on a 2x4, you'd be able to join numerous pieces to make a guitar body & neck. I just had a though that maybe while I wait for my wood for violin #2, I could quickly throw together a 2x4 violin???

[thegarehanman]

Yeah, I was thinking it would be a full blown guitar. Died top, faux binding, cleared fretboard...the whole nine yards. Although I have to warn you, I could put out one mean guitar, be it pine, metal, or fiberglass.

[MzI]

i personally like the 2x4 idea. itd be cool if you were limited to a regular pine or duog fir 2x4 available at home depot

MzI

[skibum5545]

I'd say the "no wood" contest would probably yield the most interesting results. The cigar box contest has already been done, and a 2x4 contest just limits cost and variety.

The no wood contest, on the other hand, will be an excellent way to encourage creative use of products in the creation of a guitar, and will have the most widely varied results.

Perhaps we could also add a "no premade parts" rule, to keep things interesting?

[GuitarGuy]

I really like the no wood idea but it would need to be longer than 2 weeks to build. Cuz alot of us have family etc.

[thegarehanman]

Ditto on the longer time limit.

EDITED: Don't want to give away my idea just yet.

Edited January 20, 2006 by thegarehanman

[x189player]

I like the idea of NO GUITAR PARTS.

I mean, if you're going to use existing guitar tuners and fretwire, you can pretty well make a guitar out of anything without too much trouble... 2x4's or whatever. the real challenge is doing without those things. To me that's the fun of a cigar box guitar.

Edited January 20, 2006 by x189player

[Jehle]

I really like the no wood idea but it would need to be longer than 2 weeks to build. Cuz alot of us have family etc.

If your kids resonate well, you could build a guitar out of one of them.

[LGM Guitars]

No wood parts might be cool, but I think you'd blow a $50 or $75 dollar budget really fast. Plastics and metals are far and above beyond the cost of wood not to mention most people don't have metal working tools and I'd hate to see routers and wood bandsaws being used for metal

The 2x4 project sounds pretty cool, I might even have to get in on that one

[Daniel Sorbera]

I would also like to see a no wood, but with the $50 budget lifted.

also

-Must produce some sort of acoustic sound

I'm not sure if that appliciable to a 2x4. It's all about the definition of the phrase "makes an acoustic sound". You could say that an electric solid body guitar makes "an acoustic sound" even though it's a solid peice of wood.

Or are you trying to get at the fact that it can't be a solid chunk of wood?

One more quick question. I still can't start a poll Why can you guys start a poll and I can't? Is it some glitch? or have my rights been revoked or something??

Edited January 20, 2006 by Godin SD

[tasty]

2x4, because the entries would be far greater in number than say plastic or metal. Low cost, plus easy accessiblity for even newbs. Lets do it!

[thegarehanman]

I like the idea of not being able to use any purchased items. That'd be pretty crazy. I think we should at least be able to use tuners. I have no problem with trying out pickup winding, but I think we shouldn't have to resort to the screw in the body as a tuner. That substantially deminishes the quality of the guitar.

edit: Oh yeah, we can't very likely make pots, switches, and output jacks on our own. Those should probably be exceptions to the rule as well. Other than that, I really can't think of anything else you couldn't make on your own with a bit of effort. Pickups you can make pretty easily. Truss rods are a snap to throw together. Bridges...piece of cake. It really wouldn't even be that hard to make your own strap buttons(out of stabalized wood that is).

Edited January 20, 2006 by thegarehanman

[Mickguard]

but I think we shouldn't have to resort to the screw in the body as a tuner. That substantially deminishes the quality of the guitar.

Think about a variation on the Wilkinson EZ Lok tuners -- it should be easy to find some nice thick bolts that can be transformed into locking 'tuners'. If the strings can't slip, they can't go out of tune, right?

Hmm...no wood, huh? Well, I still have a sheet of metal my kids peed on...

But honestly, you guys are stifling me with all your rules. If it's okay with you guys, I'm just going to pursue any ol' idea that comes into my head...

[thegarehanman]

The thing with the tuners is that I want to build a pine guitar that's just as good as any other guitar out there. I was thinking I'd just throw it on ebay, for cheap, as a novely to recoup the costs once the competition is done.

Edited January 20, 2006 by thegarehanman

[tasty]

Yeah. F the rules. Perhaps a cost limit. But it looks (for now) that the 2x4 project will be the winner! Can't wait to do it. I'm already thinking about some great ideas!

[Jehle]

Yeah. F the rules. Perhaps a cost limit. But it looks (for now) that the 2x4 project will be the winner! Can't wait to do it. I'm already thinking about some great ideas!

Me too.

I've also been thinking about the ideas of contests in general. Is it possible to have a build a pickup contest? What would you use if you had to make one in a week? A sewing machine bobbin and a few turns of Bell wire?

Since we are pushing the boundry of imagination here, why not consider just building guitar parts as a contest. Nitefly's PVC whammy gave me that idea. What's a few alternative whammy designs that we could dream up in a week or two?

Just thinking out loud.

The thing with the tuners is that I want to build a pine guitar that's just as good as any other guitar out there. I was thinking I'd just throw it on ebay, for cheap, as a novely to recoup the costs once the competition is done.

Also a good idea. I'm already planning on selling the White Owl on eBay just to build up some cash for other projects. CBG's sell on ebay for a decent price. It'll go up for sale probably this weekend and then I'll pimp the link and such. Not too sure how a 2x4 guitar would sell, or how to list that on eBay to get attention. That alone could be a contest, "how to make a good listing that will sell"

[AlGeeEater]

2X4 special no doubt. I think it should be made from ALL 2X4's that would be kinda cool. Body, neck, fretboard, headstock. I'm all for the 2X4 for one

Edited January 20, 2006 by AlGeeEater

[thegarehanman]

It certainly would give everyone a good idea about how good or bad pine can be for a guitar, at least in terms of(cover your ears) "tone." I think I'll probably grab my 2x4's now just in case we do have this competition. You have to work on letting them dry out so I can have instrument grade wood(at least in moisture content). Word of caution, it's probably a bad idea to get any 2x4's that have been treated with chemicals. This is most common in lumber intended for exterior use. It probably won't allow the wood to ever fully dry out and it could potentially cause some problems when you decide to finish it.

peace,

russ

[psw]

I got to say Gentleman, that this is a terrific development here at PG. Simply Fantastic in everyway!!

I voted for the no wood option, cause it could yield some really interesting results. The 2x4 is also interesting but runs the risk of some fancy pine necked PRS clones...interesting, but not quite the spirit of the cigar box comp which really encouraged some left of centre lateral thinking which I really enjoy.

You can see that people are already using their imaginations as to future concepts...no guitar parts, for instance...and there is a whole range of things that could be considered for the future.

Anyway, great stuff. I think a longer time frame is necessary but it needs to be short to avoid too many over-the-top expensive cretions that are perhaps out of the spirit of the thing. How about a 2 week build and 2 week notice of the rules (for people to get their ideas and materials together)?

As for me...I'm without a workshop or I'd have slapped a spare sustainer driver and piezo buzzer bug on a uke by now...made from soft drink cans of course, and polished to a bright sheen!!!

Best of luck to all, a wonderful initiative...who will be the first to enter one of these friendlys and take out the GOTM with the same enty do you think...it could happen you know!!...pete

[AlGeeEater]

It certainly would give everyone a good idea about how good or bad pine can be for a guitar, at least in terms of(cover your ears) "tone." I think I'll probably grab my 2x4's now just in case we do have this competition. You have to work on letting them dry out so I can have instrument grade wood(at least in moisture content). Word of caution, it's probably a bad idea to get any 2x4's that have been treated with chemicals. This is most common in lumber intended for exterior use. It probably won't allow the wood to ever fully dry out and it could potentially cause some problems when you decide to finish it.

peace,

russ

I dont think i'll be drying my 2x4's, straight up wood

I actually think most of my 2x4's are pretty dry, they're all atleast 10 years old.