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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
 Posted - 08/04/2007 : 3:37:02 PM
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Any of you people who get the Seattle Times last Sat 7/28/07. There was a picture in the DIGS insert of a woman playing one of the most interesting versions of a wash tub bass that I ever saw. It had an opening on the tub with a horn bell ti facilitate sound projection. The bass had a finger board and three tunable strings. The finger board ended in a bridge type arrangement that supported the finger board and it straddled tubs diameter and it connected to the rim on either end of the length of this cross piece. The entire structure was supported by guy wires to keep the finger board straight. My questions is does anyone know or has seen one of these types of washtubs. Has anyone heard it. And does anyone know how to get one. Simple questions but maybe no one can answer them. I have by the way googled what I could and nothing like it turned up.
Aloha for now.
Here's the link.
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No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 08/04/2007 3:37:36 PM |
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Absolute
Lokahi
275 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2007 : 3:54:54 PM
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I didn't, but you might spend some timing looking at the various links here.
http://tubotonia.freehomepage.com/Tublinks.html#news
It might be easier to simply e-mail an editor of the Seattle Times and tell him/her you want to know where to get one of the washboard basses shown in the DIGS insert. They might feel obligated to give you some contact information. |
Thank you. |
Edited by - Absolute on 08/04/2007 3:55:44 PM |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2007 : 6:46:14 PM
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| I did write the editor. Did I forget to say that? they haven't responded yet. What am I? Chopped liver? I think the people o heah mo expert anyway. Oh and thanks for the link. Couldn't see what I was lookin for. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 08/04/2007 6:50:53 PM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2007 : 1:55:55 PM
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I've seen a variant of WTB,using reeds mounted on a wooden box. The reeds were just pices of wood, aprox. 1-2 inches wide, 6-8 inches long, maybee !/4 inch thick. They were mounted in a wooden bracket and could be tuned. You played it by flicking the reeds with your foot, leaving your hands free for guitar, etc. I'll try to find a name of the maker. Jesse Fuller,one of the old time blues guitarists made a similar thing he called a Fotdella, or something like that. Not positive about the spelling. I'll look for a picture.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2007 : 9:14:45 PM
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| That fotdella is way cool. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2007 : 9:17:04 PM
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| Le4t me revise a little. The bass had only two strings |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 6:55:08 PM
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| I just added the pdf link in noeau's original post above. |
Andy |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 8:47:04 PM
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I built one of Dennis Havlena's tub basses. It works pretty well, better when I use a transducer and an amp to boost the weaker frequencies.
Here's a photo:
This is my first one, which had a #3 tub, a maple ply soundboard and an oak neck. A later model used a larger tub, a mahogany neck and a lauan ply soundboard. The second one was better. The hardest part was finding the right strings. One string is too taut, another too floppy, etc. I've used weedwacker line, but I should try a set of nylon strings made for an upright bass. But then I would have to build a tailpiece because they wouldn't be long enough to tie off on the end pin. Hmmm.
These are fun to play and always draw a crowd at old time and bluegrass jams. But they are more of a novelty. If you want consistent volume across the frequency range and true thumping power, buy a standard standup bass.
Here's a link to a song I recorded with the bass.
http://users.adelphia.net/~jessehj/kalehua.mp3
Jesse Tinsley
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Edited by - hapakid on 08/06/2007 8:54:16 PM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 11:54:52 PM
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| Jesse - I am telling you, friend, you need to make one real kind CD for sell and get rich. You have the talent that neeeds to be shared. Who is singing with you? Who playing `ukulele and steel? Very fine indeed. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2007 : 08:14:08 AM
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KB,
I've vowed that my next bass will be without the tub, if I can get the transducer set-up to work. The Konawalkingstick is a work of art, while mine are strictly "rustic". Maybe I'll see if I can make a neck-only bass that screws to the top of a battery amp. Many design ideas to choose from.
Wanda,
Thanks. I love to play and sing for fun. The recordings are all one-band operations. The recording sessions take place late at night after the kids are in bed.
Jesse Tinsley
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2007 : 08:58:21 AM
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| E hapakid et al. Visit the link that admin added to my original post and you will see the bass in question. I really appreciate all the input. This web site is the mostest. Almost everybody has something maika'i loa to contribute. Mahalo au ia 'oukou 'apau no ko 'oukou kokua 'ana. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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nick_borho
Aloha
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2007 : 08:32:42 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Konabob
Hmmm... if you are going to go to all that trouble, and then use a transducer... why even bother with the bucket? I say that in jest, of course. You are not too far off from my bass. But mine is a little easier to lug around.
If you're looking for a cool practical "wash tub bass" then Kona Bob's stick bass is definately the answer. I've seen him play it and it gets a good sound and would be good for everything from jazz to bluegrass, not just Hawaiian. For upright players, it sure looks a lot easier to lug around... But on the downside you can't do laundry in it. |
Nick Borho
Kona
http://www.nickborho.com |
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on a wahtub, but often on a bass drum. My long-time music partner and best friend, John Zehndeer (of McCabe's fame) made and often played a left handed version, frequently wearing his Viking helmet.