It is easily learned, sounds great when played by beginners, and is positively. Ive heard a bass made out of an automobile gas tank that sounded great. With our family in town and visions of jugbands, we decided to bring all our instruments plus a washboard, some cowbell and a homemade washtub bass. Different materials can be used beside a bucket, this causes the instrument to have a different tone. Better known as the washtub bass, i have played this instrument since 2001. This week, we highlight the american washtub bass, an instrument made of weedwhacker line, a washtub and a wooden pole. Diy washtub bass last weekend we were invited to a hootenanny by my good friends shannon and stacie of mommytonk. Smoke free, climate controlled, television, along with plenty of seats, folding tables, buggies and vending machines makes the chore of doing laundry more enjoyable at the wash tub. This produces a deeper, richer tone than the loosepole bass. The idea of instrument like this is simplicity, what the poor hill folk would have to make things like washtub basses, cigarbox banjos etc, complexity through.
In this instructable well build a terrific sounding tub bass that is highly suitable for studio recording andor live performance. This print was commissioned for a limitededition portfolio published by the women of the west museum now part of the autry national center. The gutbucket bass book awna teixeira, hazy tales, music. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. A jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of conventional and homemade instruments.
These homemade instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, bones, stovepipe, jews harp, and comb and tissue paper. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by pushing or pulling on a staff or stick to change the tension. Jan 31, 2020 washbucket bass the washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a stringed instrument used in american folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. The standard model with resonator consists of a washtub resting on a plywood platform containing a formica disc, which acts as a resonator that vibrates in harmony with the tub surface. Perhaps a little inspiration can be found from that. The stradivarius of the washtub bass wfmus beware of. The standard accessories for performance are a solid pair of work gloves to protect your hands if you are going to play more than a few notes and a tub lifter. Washbucket bass the washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a. Since 1998, has been the bass communitys ultimate online resource for books, music and more.
The jug band cookbook washtub bass the corner jug store. Im going to try to document the building of my 4 string washtub bass. The many illustrations and photographs greatly help to make the process simpler and more interesting. Too high for the lower outside edges to drain properly. May 15, 2014 theyll learn how to compose a ragtime rhythm, make a wash tub bass, dance the lindy hop, and design album and sheet music covers. Their guitar player and washboard player both work, or at least used too work at, a guitar shop and made the thing. My dad was working with car wash entrepreneurs, helping them plan locations and install equipment across south texas. How to play nearly everything from bones and spoons to the washtub bass dallas. The player changes the pitch by pushing or pulling the stick to adjust the tension of the string. Translations in context of washtub in englishgerman from reverso context. An upright bass, also known as the bass or double bass, is a stringed musical instrument that is played either by plucking its strings pizzicato or with a bow arco. Fritz richmond, 66, a master of the jug and washtub bass, is dead. Double bass making book building, construction, upright. I have tried the standard wash tub base but find the garbage can bass to be a whole lot easier to play.
This volume is a wonderful way to celebrate black history with second and third graders. For those interested in constructing their own string bass, this book fills the need for a book that carefully and thoroughly discusses the processes of bass construction from start to finish. This article will attempt to document some of the things ive done and learned while playing and tinkering with the kaufman bros. The string bass or double bass has its roots in the 1500s, when it was developed in italys brescia and cremona regions to complete the lowest part of the register in the violin family, just below that of the cello. The plastic drain tubes they came with always kinked so water stood in the bottom of tub. From a simple twostring tin can guitar to an electrified washtub bass, shane shows how anyone can build amazing musical instruments from found items. The washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a stringed instrument used in american folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Cigar box guitars have been around since the time of the civil war. How to play nearly everything from bones and spoons to the washtub bass. Please remember, that even though a washtub is a normal body for a homemade bass, the engineering concerns of the washtub manufacturer leaves a little to be desired as far as the ultimate bass tone. Oct, 2015 guitar world is supported by its audience. However, this plays into the history of the washtub bass, or gut bucket. How to make and play the washtub bass thomson, ryan j on.
The latest modifications were to apply a finish to the wood, and modify the sound chamber, the washtub, to remove some of the metallic overtones. Our new desktop experience was built to be your music destination. Feb 11, 2014 things just aint what they used to be duke ellington, also done by count basie, and others. A local band in my area old man markley have a bass player that plays an upright, 4 string bass with a wide washtub. It looks like the bridge is very high in reference to the top of the tub. Search the history of over 418 billion web pages on the internet. Unlike the rigid wooden body of a cello, his washtub would not be able to withstand the powerful tension of the strings without caving in.
Washtub blues national museum of women in the arts. The washtub bass or gutbucket is an instrument seen often in oldtime jug bands. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. I took a small square block of wood 2 x 2 x 34 and drilled a hole into it to fit a piece of dowel broom stick for the sound post. I use lawnmower starter cord on my super double two tub bass but it has a. A brief history and introduction to the gutbucket bass 2011 this is the first. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Anyway, the dimensions, and playability look very similar to a 34 double bass. Diy instruments bass musician magazine, the face of bass. The washtub bass requires the usual sound post and bass bar that youll find inside any upright double bass. It all started with my parents, al and dorothy vizza, in the 1980s.
For most of the instruments listed the history section, although interesting to. The 14 input jack is exactly the same as any electric bass guitar. Then i had plumber design new drains and found that the middle of the tub was the culprit. How to electrify a washtub bass and washboard because, why the hell not. The washtub bass is not a double bass, any more than an acoustic bass guitar is a double bass. Since 1993, vintage tub has become americas largest familyowned retailer of clawfoot tubs. Popular musicpsalmsprints jazzbookshistoryamericanhistorialivres. The close school of music offers private lessons in bass, drums, guitar, piano, voice, and ukulele in.
It is considered to be a member of the violin family, and it has the lowest pitch in that family. Plans and instructions for washtub bass diy musical. Norris generally places an inch thick book under one corner of the washtub. Aircraft cable for the stringin doing a net search about washtub basses, the complaint we most often saw was breaking strings when using normal bass strings. Here are some detailed photographs of a typical washtub bass. Unlike a regular acoustic bass, which has four strings, washtub or gutbucket basses only have one string. Now yall have no excuse for not putting your own family jug band together before summers end. Thicker galvanized steel, great tone, higher volume. Javascript must be enabled to view the photo album on this page. I glued the block to the bottom of the tub liquid nails, and then i stuck the dowel into it. How to play nearly everything from bones and spoons to the. Washtub blues is a woodcut print that saar created for the exhibition expanded visions. It has many names by which it has been known over the years, including contrabass, upright bass, acoustic bass and standup bass.
The washtub bass bolin plays was made when former ucla graduate student scott linford received a grant from the ethnomusicology department to build it. This book introduces kids to rosa parks and the civil rights movement that she helped to spark. At toledo bend, if youre having a tough day or things are a little slower than youd like, its easy to go to that spot where you caught em last year or the year before. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Oct 10, 2017 washtub bass plural washtub basses music a stringed instrument chordophone, used in american folk music, that uses a metal washtub as resonator. The washtub bass, also known as gut bucket, is a staple instrument of the jug band. Ringo starr shows how to play ticket to ride, come together and back off boogaloo duration. Dad had good controlhe played in tune and was a good musician, a true bass player. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses. Sport fishing bass tub san franciscos premier fishing. The mounting bracket is easy to attach and is sturdy to allow for safe transportation without having to disassemble and reassemble the pickup. Each bass features the easy traveler neck, which separates into two pieces for easy transport. The corner jug store the jug band cookbook washtub bass. It is loud enough to be heard quite well in a large auditorium, and has a very nice tone. Our employees are the best in the business and have made the wash tub into what is today. At the wash tub, we like to treat each and every customer like my parents might have treated a guest in their home minus the plate of spaghetti though.
Aug 14, 2018 diy instruments nothing says americana more than a cigar box guitar, and this new book includes the electric washtub bass aka the soul bucket. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Popular musicpsalmsprintsjazzbookshistoryamericanhistorialivres. Contact us bass tub san franciscos premier fishing. A complete illustrated history of bass guitars tony bacon, barry moorhouse on. Click on the picture to see a larger version of the image. My 4string, upright, double washtub bass discussion. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. Furthermore, washtub basses are not always in the double bass register, sometimes they are in the cello register. Though not strictly necessary, a tub lifter can improve the resonance and increase the volume of a washtub bass. I loved the look of these wash tubs but after my installation i discovered their poor quality and workmanship. Washtub bass history history ethnomusicologists trace the origins of the instrument to the ground harp a version that uses a piece of bark or an animal skin stretched over a pit as a resonator.
Now when we first started as a band we had built a 3 string upright washtub bass thats similar to yours which, while i wasnt the bass player, i had messed around with quite a bit at least enough to get the basic slap down and the notes always came quite easy because i had been a pretty good bass guitar player when i was younger. Its easy to make a washtub bass with some household. Revised and expanded edition of every bass players favorite book. Looks like a really cool project for a folkbluegrass guy like me. Sidebars present the fascinating backstory of the music, capturing struggle, poverty, and the blues within the artistic side of cigar box guitar building.
Conditions permitting, we often make stops for multiple species while on our sport fishing pot luck trips. Has anyone here ever built a 4string upright washtub bass like that. It was so easy to make so im sharing it with you today. And osner realized that the neck of the instrument, which on a regular cello extends upwards from the top of the body, needed to go all the way through the tub and be reinforced by bracing inside the tub.
The bogdon washtub bass pickup is designed to amplify the warm natural sound existing within all washtub basses. When the string is plucked it causes a vibration in the bucket, which is what makes the noise. They are silly and southern and swear a lot so i knew it would be a good time. Find antique bath faucet, tub and accessories information. Pick a galvanized wash tub with a rustic hotdipped or smooth electrogalvanized finish read. Washtub bass player musician shirt folk music distress flag solid colors. Im starting from where i am and attempting to rewind to where it started. This is a great musical adventure for third and fourth graders. Bands included mother mccrees uptown jug champions which later became the grateful dead, and, the jim kweskin jug band featuring fritz richmond on bass.
The wash tub is a family owned and operated full service car wash and detail center with over 25 locations in san antonio and the surrounding areas. Timeless metal wash tubs are made in the usa and built for up to 70 years of heavyduty laundry tub use. Your musical capabilities will be a bit limited playing on an instrument made from household debris. Heres the washtub bass thing i ran across back when i was desperately trying to figure out how to get an affordable first bass. A joyful introduction to 10 folk instruments everyone can play, including kazoo, wash board, spoons, and washtub bass. The washtub bass bolin plays was made when former ucla graduate. Oct 15, 2015 washbucket bass the washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a stringed instrument used in american folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Sep 17, 2014 just goofing around on the washtub again. At the wash tub, we have been doing our best to provide our customers convenience, friendly service, and a strong sense of community for over 30 years. We are professionally staffed and pride ourselves on creating an outstanding experience for you every time you visit one of our locations.
Do not remove the category for a fourth time, thank you. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. It is easily learned, sounds great when played by beginners, and is positively awesome when played by virtuosi. Bass tub can fish anywhere in the san francisco bay, to the farallon islands and beyond. The term jug band is loosely used in referring to ensembles that also incorporate homemade instruments but that. My father played a washtub bass in a folk group for forty years. Similar to the american banjo, the washtub basss roots stem from the 1800s, in the midst of american slavery. Jim gutbucketeer bunch washtub bass jeff clair guitar fsgw mid winter festival 282014, takoma. Monday friday 8am 6pm saturdays 8am5pm, closed sundays. Bass books bass musician magazine, the face of bass. Largest selection selection of affordable galvanized wash tubs. This primitive instrument, cobbled together from discarded wood, guitar strings, and an empty cigar boxwas the poor mans guitar of the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries.