Building a Cigar Box Uke

Kurukato

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I'm going to be building a Cigar box ukulele here in a few weeks. I am getting the neck from a Grizzly soprano kit, but I'm unsure about the type of box I should choose. I was looking at this cigar box but the 8 inch length is making me a little uneasy about bridge placement.

Any comments or suggestions on the box and build would be greatly appreciated.

And of course I plan on posting pictures of the build :D

Thanks,
Evan
 
8 inch box should be great for a soprano. It will have a large soundboard infact. I keep having problems getting large enough boxes for tenors and baritones. Do yourself a huge favor and sand the soundboard down to about 1/16 in. and seal the box shut. you will get a much better tone. I am no expert, but if you have any questions I would be happy to help. I have made several CBUs and thanks to a mix of trial and error and advice from others, I am getting prety good at it.
 
what would be the ideal depth to look for in a CB when finding a body? and do you use glue to seal the box?
 
The depth depends on what kind of sound you are going for. I use Tiebond original wood glue wherever glue is needed including sealing the box.
 
The cigar box uke I built for my wife for Christmas has a similar sized body. I built is as a tenor. The bridge sits pretty close to the edge of the body, but it sounds pretty good. You would be well served by stripping the paper from the inside of the soundboard.
 
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