Adventures in soldering [NLP #2]

My cigar box guitar (CGB) is coming along nicely.

I’ve been following the Art of Manliness DIY Cigar Box Guitar plan for the design and Instructables.com for making it electric. I looked at YouTube videos for help with constructing a guitar, but found them far less useful than step-by-step instructions with pictures. Videos are better suited for demonstrating motion or action, but moved too quickly for me to follow while measuring and cutting. A theme quickly developed in my learning: I need more rote instruction because I lack a deep understanding the principles involved in the process. I am learning like a novice (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 1999).

For example, I used to wonder how anybody could learn from a TV cooking show. Do you cart the TV into the kitchen and try to keep up with the celebrity chef? As I learned to cook like an expert, I learned that precise instructions aren’t important for master chefs. They watch for new ideas and techniques. The recipe becomes less relevant.

For guitar building, I still need a recipe. Hundreds of forum posts say things like, “there are no rules” (that’s a lie, there are) and, “be creative, no two CGBs are the same”. These comments are from folks who’ve built a ton of these puppies and can improvise based on mastery of the core principles. I don’t understand the principles well enough to know how long a neck should be or what sort of strings to use, so I need to follow a precise model.

I do not have a lick of knowledge about audio electronics or soldering. Instructables recommended using a part called a potentiometer. I didn’t even know what this was, but I dutifully ordered it online based on the part number provided in the instructions. When it arrived, it didn’t look EXACTLY like the pictures in the instructions. I was in big trouble.

I had to research what in the heck a potentiometer does (it’s just a volume knob) to figure out how to wire it up. Mine had more wiring contacts than the one in the instructions. I learned that these things have negative and positive contacts, but I had no idea which was which, or why mine had an extra. I finally solved the puzzle by reading customer product reviews for the potentiometer. One reviewer kindly explained which was which. I had to understand something of the basic principles before the advice in the product review made any sense.

YouTube was great for soldering. With no background in soldering, I didn’t know the terminology well enough to follow written instructions. Instructions like “first, tin the tip” were a mystery to me. When the guy in the soldering video (link to YouTube) said it, however, he demonstrated melting solder onto the tip of the iron and shaking it off. Made sense.

I captured a short video of my attempts at soldering:

[made with GarageBand and iMove]

For rote tasks with easy instructions, the internet can be a fantastic teacher. When reality deviates from instructions, however, you need an understanding of principles to continue learning. I was still able to learn the principles online, but it would have been MUCH easier to consult a good teacher.

References

Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.), How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school (pp. 3-27). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368.

Coldrestart, (2007, February 27). How to do it: basic soldering
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLfXXRfRIzY