Jewelry Box Build #8...

I Picked this old ceder jewelry box up for $5 at the storage building flea market in Herne, Tx where the guys sells the cow horns. You will know it when you see it. I used it for my 8th box guitar build. 

With the $5 box, a little under $20 for the rod piezo pick up and harness, $4 or so for tuners and few cents each for bulk resonator grommets and bolt bridges. I used ceder for the neck since it matched the box. Ceder is cheaper, easy to work but I don't think it will be a favorite and I will get this one long neck and two short ones out of this board so $1 on the neck. I did buy a stain for $5 or so but I won't count this because it will last a long time and be used many times. Strings were a busted apart set of something called "Power Flats." If you can tell me what use I had for power flats please call. I don't remember buying them. I am not the only guitar player in the house but I am generally in charge of maintenance and pick polishing.  

I built the guitar in two sessions. On my last off days from work I cut the box, shaped and stained the neck. Yesterday was spent on assembly and electronics. No building surprises or special problems to solve but much care taken cleaning and cutting. I think the box is old. It was paint spattered with the dirt of ages on it. Inside is a wad of chewing gum. It's not mine but I left it there. 

The acoustic sound of this guitar is fair to good. It won't twang frontally in a crowded jam of folks waving at big cowboy chords but for experimental stuff played by people that want to paint their sounds it will be all right. Electrically it's loud and keeping with the character of rod piezo pickups a bit shrill. I'll experiment later with a dirt or EQ type pedals to see if it does better. I really favor the magnet pick ups but I think it would have lost the looks of the box to mount one on the front without coughing up big bucks for something slim and elegant such as those made by custom builders.  Overall electric sound at rest is quiet so good connections. I am on the look out for something to remake the volume knob out of. I had collected some polished beads and stones at the hippie type things I go to but could not make them work. 

I am well satisfied with this project.  I would guess it's under $35 in parts all total. Of course at Bill Kritchen says, "You can't pay me what I'm worth, I do't work that cheap."