Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

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ElMano
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Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

I have build a lot of CBG's and i can say that i am well known in that scene in the Netherlands. A guy that i met a couple of years ago was just start building Diddly bows,
I give him some advise and in the mean time he is building very good an use-full CBG's 2 yaers ago in a chat session on a internet radio show we thinking of bringing a band together just playin on CBG style. We do a gig in my holiday on the campsite where i stay because we live a long way from each other 200 km :alright:

Henri start a band whit a couple of friends ans is playing a lot. This year he want to organized a CBG festival in Holland and ask me if i would play there to.
I say YES!! of course and the gyus of Chitlin Crew are whit me. The idea is playing our normal stuff but on CBG"s and so on. I have build an CBG based on an 6 stringstrat, and a 6 string Reso Banjo Guitar. The percussion gonna be a couple of things like stompbox, Cajon washboard etc. But in this band i play the bass :think:
So i start thinking of a solution. It has to be a bass that could be played the normal stuff But have to fit in like the guitars. Use full but authentic.

A Thee box bass don't work for that.( one string no ftretboard) Tonight i get an idea that will work out and got the "looks" The problem is to get an iron wash tub, not to big and heavy. Because i want to use the tube as a body and not like they use to build them whit a broom stick. I found one in a garden shop where the sell them for flowerpot.
This is the idea.

put in a neck and heel block, and use the same setup as in a banjo. Put in a staple like they use in a violin cello ore upright bass from the camb to the bottom.

Monday i star shaping the neck. I gonna made a 4 string bass and gonna put in at least 14 frets, and gonna play it up right.

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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

Put the right size pics in het topic.
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HalfBlindLefty
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Hey that's a fun project :)
I remember I've baded in such a tub when I was very young. No shower or even warm water from the tap.
My mpther or grandma used to put a kettle on the fire and use that to warm up the bathing water :)

Is the wood on the sides temporary ? ( you didn't steam bend it as far as I can see)
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

:cool: You must be very small if you will fit in to this tub HBL :big_smile: This one is about 50 cm long and normally used to put in the garden. I can't find a original one that is small enough. Unfortunately it is not as stiff and heavy as i remember the originals are. But i think it will sound acceptable. The sites are not permanent this way. I gonna put in a strip like the use in a normal acoustic guitar. A long wooden strip wit V shape cuts half way (the inside) so you can bend is like you want and glued at the side to connect the top.
Saturday i do some raw work on the neck. I want the headstock more ore less the way they are on a upright bass. This bass has the same size as a normal 24 frets bass guitar. But i gonna put in not more than 14 frets i guess. I want the neck angle 5 or 6 degree's backwards en a part of the not fretted part of the fretboard over the top of the body. The first pick up mounted direct on the fretboard and a piëzo ore mic element on ore under the Bridge. I gonna do an experiment by using a staple like a violin, cello, doublebass etc. The strings gonna be rather high on a camb like a real bass.
You can't bend the rule, Every man is some womans fool
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12bar
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by 12bar »

Just amazing what ideas you have, and how you make them real... :pray:
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by MichaelRobinson »

Like HBL I have bathed in such bathtub. It was much bigger than the one you are using.

I do not think I've seen anything like this before. Will you show the instrument to image here when you're finished with it? Upload an audio file, so you get a little taste of how the instrument sounds?
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

The idea starts whit an idea, I do not make any drawing or so. I solve the most problems in my head first and start collecting the mean stuff. I have seen the "standard" washtub basses. But they are all one string, on a broomstick instruments. The stick is manted on the tub and the tone is made higher en lower by pulling the stick backwards. The same whit the cigarbox guitars > the most are 3 ore 4 strings and played whit a slide. I build a 6 string full playable example that sounds like a vintage strat.
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Just like the resonator. I only use rare material.
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We will play on that festival the same stuff we play on every gigs but on instruments that looks like the things they use in 1910 on the cotton farms. Like Hood caps and cigarboxes, Oil cans etc. As long as you keep the ground rules for measurements you can build from any kind of material. That is the hobby and i have the drive tot build NO BUDGET as far as it is possible. The brand name ELM stand for El Mano's Low budget Manufacturing :rofl:
In the meanwhile i finely found a solution for an other long running idea to build a headless bass. I found some part and the construction fall in place for the tunners on a headless! But that,s for the next build. :beer:

I will give some sound samples as it is finished Michael I Promised! I will do the pick up my self whit the winder that is finished yet. For the looks it has to look like a soapbox ore a wash brush :whistle:
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

I eat some dust this afternoon :mercy: Start shaping the neck of the wash tub Bass. I want the headstock looks like the double bass. I want to use standard butterfly machine heads sidewards. I did it before in a slotted headstock on the melobar skreemr. The neck is slim but still to thick. As truss rod i have routed a Central heating tube a 15mm diameter. I will fixate it whit some epoxy that i cascade in. To morrow shaping the top, the fixate strip on the inner site of the tub, and finishing the neck. I am worried that its is finished to soon cause i enjoyed this project so much :high5:
Some pic's

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HalfBlindLefty
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Awesome project. Love it. Great progress to
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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vancouverois
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by vancouverois »

Plenty of good ideas and craftmanship! :clap:
Jan 15th 2007
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by MichaelRobinson »

Oh well. That is how the instrument will look like. Is still curious how it is when it's finished.

Good luck with your creation.
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

Image shack the program that i used for uploading pictures is not longer available in the free modus for me??? So i am looking for an other option to show the work of today.
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vancouverois
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by vancouverois »

ElMano wrote:Image shack the program that i used for uploading pictures is not longer available in the free modus for me??? So i am looking for an other option to show the work of today.
Photobucket.com seems to still be free.
Jan 15th 2007
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12bar
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by 12bar »

ElMano wrote:Image shack the program that i used for uploading pictures is not longer available in the free modus for me??? So i am looking for an other option to show the work of today.
You can upload pics here like you the mp3's... no problem.
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

I have found a working free program But i am not impressed gonna try Photo Bucket Thanks for the tip! I know i can upload pictures like i do the MP3 But i have to resized them first otherwise they are much to big.
Some pics of the progress of to day'work :phew:

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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

It is cold in the shack but working on this project keep you warm. A lot of hot Thee to :snacks: Fixing the inner ring and the top. Start of shaping the fretboard, and some fine tuning work on the neck and headstock.

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12bar
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by 12bar »

Can't wait for the result - looks cool! :thumbsup:
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

Keep on building shaping an i love it. Slowly it start look like i had it in my head :think: :aha: :dance:
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VikingBlues
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by VikingBlues »

It's astonishing how you can get such good projects together that use so many bits and pieces that lie around that most of us would be throwing out with the rubbish. :eye_rub:

Real craftsmanship, very inventive and looking like it'll be a great success. :clap:
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ElMano
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Re: Washtub bass for Cigarbox Guitar festival

Post by ElMano »

This week the parts that i ordered arrived by post, the finishing is the best part of the building process! I connect the pots the PUP etc. And i was surprised that the bass sounds nice acoustic as well on the amp.
The last thing to do is fixing a stilt under the wash tub to get it up hight for playing.
In the meantime i build two Cigarbox guitars ( 3 string ) from metal 40 year old cigar-boxes. 1 of them will be sold in an auction for the Dutch cancer foundation.
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Work in progress:
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A Diddlye bow also for the auction.
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Tested and it sounds super. But it will be twice as good when it gets a Piëzo under the bridge an two small sound-holes so thats what i gonna do!

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