Finally the "fretboard" is glued on to the neck. It took a while to drill and place the dot's, glue the nails and get everything smooth... but it's done. Now it's waiting for the glue to dry...

Slowly every thing comes together. The part of the neck that runs thru the box and the inside of the box were painted black, so when looking alongside the tuna can's into the box, all will look nice and clean. The plywood top and back were sanded down to have a distressed look. We started on the fretboard, which in this case isn't a fretboard because we went back to the good old nails. It means a bit more filing, but it beats original guitar fret's on a build like this. Today we were designing a pattern for the "nailboard" dots, it had to be inline with the re-used tuners, which have some kind of a  "crab" shape. In the end we simplified it to a big circle with 6 around it, and used it on the sound-hole on the body. Now it's just matter of drilling the holes in the right place on the "fretboard", we'll see....

Now that took a whole day. Adjusting it to fit in a shallow box with 3 tuna can's. The neck will have to lean back because of the high bridge. But after a lot of chiseling, sanding and measuring... it's done!

While working on the number 3 and 4 of the Fab Four, we came to the conclusion that the the boxes were a bit to high. So we did put new front and backs on them, without using the lids. This means there's material for a number 5!

The boxes number 3 and 4 are ready. In the pile of old broken furniture we got from out neighbours, we managed to cut a few neck's out of a beech bed.

Number 5 is going to be made out of the 2 lids that were left over. They to are out of beech but with beech plywood front's, which will stay as they are. We put some materials together for the design... 3 "tuna" can's, a strange kind of hardwood (which makes green sawdust while sanding) for the fretboard and some small parts, some 3 millimeter threaded rod, some nuts and washers, a beech neck and a "triple" tuner from an old guitar that was left after replacing them because one side was broken. In the end... well let's see what we can make of it.

I'm not a guitar-player, but still wanted to answer some questions asked by other builders and let you hear how it sounds...

Yes, another build finished. The Anobium Puctatum is ready and looks rather smart. The cut of bridge piezo works and although, next time, we would use 4mm threaded rod instead of the 3mm one, the tuners work fine.

The last thing we had to make was a tailpiece. To keep in line with the fretboard and biscuit-bridge we decided to make our own wooden hinge.

The tuners worked out fine. However there is enough room on the headstock for a 4mm threaded rod system like on the Tribute to Amalia Rodrigues. Yes, we could do better knots to attach the strings to the wingnuts... 

We're happy with the result. The way it looks, the way it handles and the way it sound acoustically as well as amplified by the bridge piezo. A sound-check video will be up as soon as possible.

The neck is ready to join the Box. After a whole afternoon of sanding you just have to stop at some point and feel happy about the result. 

Time to make the tuners out of 3mm threaded rod. This time we came up with the idea of bending the rod at the end so we would have "curly" grips.

A few coats of lacquer and finally it's time to join the neck and the box.

Another day in the workshop. Lot's of sanding, spray-painting and some creative painting. Yes, we thought the name was a little bit long for a 3-string CBG, so now it's just; Anobium Punctatum! 

We managed to spray some kind of a "sunburst" from black to pine. Did some letter stamping and gave it all few coats of semi-gloss lacquer, including the bridge.

Time to make the dots on the fret-board. The front ones are out of 8mm beech dowels and the top ones... just Saté sticks!

Time to put some frets on, glue the fret board to the neck and assembly our latest 3-string Recycled Box Guitar!

No, it isn't number 2, we just finished that before we got to number 1 of the fab four. The biscuit bridge is ready, the slots are in the fret board and the experimental layer of epoxy mixed with sliver dust is on. Waiting for all to dry and than see whether all that the creative brain thought it would work, turns out to be real! 

Time to move on in the workshop. After a few musical weeks of traveling around with Canadian singer/songwriter Robert Burton Hubele, the new owner of the "Coevorden Special", party's and festivals, it's time to get some old stuff and recycle it into some Box Guitars. The beetle perforated box is up next. We found some Brazilian hardwood strips, great for the fret board, a cat bowl, some old sink parts and a Chinese "under the bridge" piezo. Yes, it will work fine. Last week we placed a Chinese set in Toby Selway's custom guitar (which he uses when performing as a living statue) and were surprised about the good sound. 

We gathered all things we think we want to put on the The Anobium Punctatum Survivor...

If somebody knows what kind of wood, of which we are making the fret board and the biscuit bridge, is than leave a comment! We came up with another idea to shape the neck and head stock. This time the strings will "disappear" to the tuners that are on the back. The neck is made out of beech that has been laying around in a local "carpentaria" for many years.

We seem to be on our way. Let's hope that the piezo we cut of to fit a 3 string will work.

We will soon find out. Some glue, some paint... soon we'll start our first epoxy experiment to fill up all the little holes that the beetles left in the pine top and back. We will keep our readers up to date.