For step by step instructions on how to restring your instrument, search online for tutorials. Be aware that for a couple of days the strings will not stay in tune very well.

The nail violin is a musical instrument was invented by German violinist Johann Wilde in 1740. It consists of a semicircular wooden soundboard with iron or brass nails of different lengths arranged to produce a chromatic scale when bowed with a violin bow. Uncle Crow shows how to make a simple, yet great sounding cigar box guitar in less than an hour. He includes step-by-step video instructions. or similar (optional: to make a new top for the ukulele, you'll need a board as wide as your box or you'll have to glue pieces together) Set its upper edge parallel with the fingerboard, and so that the latter is flush with the top of the body, when fitted to it.Video lesson on how to build a heavy metal one-string shovel guitar, as played by Youtube sensation, Rob Scallon. That's right, this is the end. It is time to install the tuners and strings. Installing the tuners will vary for each instrument. I took the tuners from a thrift shop guitar, so I had to cut down the metal sheet that houses the tuning pegs with the metal cutter on a dremel. If you follow this example be sure to wear protection and watch out for fire hazards, this throws a lot of sparks. Another advantage of a Salvage Sounds cigar box guitar is the proportion of the instruments. The most common “scale length” of cigar box guitars elsewhere is 25 inches (this being the string length between the nut and the bridge upon which the fret spacing is based). Our cigar box guitars instead have a comfortable 22.5 inch scale length (inspired by the original Fender Duo-Sonic guitars of the 1950s). These free plans are for a traditional 3-string, triangle-body Russian instrument known as the Balalaika. They were written by James H. Flynn, Jr. Make Magazine originally published these plans for a great working "Strung Out" PVC bass in 2009. We recently discovered that they archived the plans and info so that everyone could build their own.

Note about cutting on a band saw: When cutting a hardwood on a band saw, some pressure has to be applied to move the wood through the blade. I was not prepared for the moment when the wood slipped past the blade and the pressure was suddenly gone. When cutting slow down as you reach the end of a cut so the change in pressure does not whip your hand toward the blade. We have two cigar box guitar models: The classic “f-hole” with its ornate and instantly recognisable sound-hole shape. And an alternative design built using beautifully intricate paper-covered boxes, with dual metal sound-hole covers (that you may recognise as being a pair of sink strainers!) Wood for the lid supports: the cigar box will vibrate with the strings. The inside of the box must be braced with a wood light enough to allow the box to be springy but strong enough to keep it from warping. Steve Miller suggests spruce, but I used pine since I had some lying around.The head shape is usually a trademark of an instrument maker. Search online for ideas. I chose a very simple square shape with rounded edges. The head should "dip" 3-5 degrees downward to add tension to the strings (see uke2total, below). Instrument kits are the Silver Cat speciality. We already supply cigar box guitar kits, with ukulele and guitar kits coming during 2021. Material for the saddle and nut: I used dominos, which I cut down to size. Another type of hard plastic or ebony will also work. Very simple instructions to build a one-string bass with a "whamola" style lever as the tuner. The plans come from a 1970's children's book. For added strength we drilled a hole through the walnut support and the tenon joint and inserted a dowel so it ran through the mortise and tenon and joined them together. Because my joint was loose, we also inlaid pine to make the joint tight. Because this step is optional (and hopefully unnecessary) I will not go into more detail here. Information about inlaying wood can be found online.