Box Bass experiment for uke accompaniment

Timbuck · Aug 12, 2013

Before I made Ukuleles one of my many jobs was loudspeaker repairs for large PA Systems and Discos..I was impressed with a certain design of Sub bass bin used by Electrovoice...and for some time now i wondered what a simple stick bass with a folded bass bin would sound like for Ukulele accompaniment at meetings...Now I know.. " it works pretty good" ..Instead of a speaker driver I made a diaphram out of a steel sheet from the sides of an old cooker...The rest of the material was scrap stuff lying around the shed...It was too loud in the house and I had to stuff a pillow into it to play it at a reasonable volume.
Anyway here's a few pic's of it..... it still needs more work and a paint job.

gyosh · Aug 12, 2013

Sound sample?

(you are an amazing man Mr. Timms)

PhilUSAFRet · Aug 13, 2013

Cool, I wonder if there is a limit to how small that could be and still sound "bassy"? I'll bet it would mic well.

Timbuck · Aug 13, 2013

This morning I swapped the metal diaphram for a 3mm thick plastic one and got it to sound better at the top end of the scale...you have to experiment with this serious stuff

..I'm going to try a few different string types next....when I get it to my satifaction I'll post some plans.

Hms · Aug 13, 2013

Mrs T to add the final finish?
H

resoman · Aug 13, 2013

A friend of ours built one but bolted a leaver to an upright with one end tied to the string; the other end you press down to change the notes. Then he has a little stand bolted to the side to carry the paper he "calibrates" to notes. He put a laser on the leaver that shines on the paper. Then he uses a tuner to calibrate and mark the notes down on the paper in relation to the laser spots. Works pretty good and at least he gets "close".

rudy · Aug 14, 2013

Nice, Timbuck. I prefer merembula,though. Being able to sit while playing bass is an awesome advantage!

ksquine · Aug 14, 2013

Hmm...not up to your usual finish standards

Skinny Money McGee · Aug 14, 2013

Timbuck said:
This morning I swapped the metal diaphram for a 3mm thick plastic one and got it to sound better at the top end of the scale...you have to experiment with this serious stuff ..I'm going to try a few different string types next....when I get it to my satifaction I'll post some plans.

Try a piece of Kevlar yacht braid. It doesn't stretch like regular braided line does.

Titchtheclown · Aug 15, 2013

The traditional Australian box bass string is fencing wire.
The traditional box was a tea chest. Unfortunately they are harder to get these days

.

Your box looks like it has the external dimensions of a tea chest. Intentional or form following function?

Timbuck · Aug 15, 2013

Titchtheclown said:
Your box looks like it has the external dimensions of a tea chest. Intentional or form following function?

It's internal dimensions are in cubic feet....it's a folded horn (like a snail shell) if it was opened up and put together in a line it would be about 6 foot long.

Timbuck · Aug 15, 2013

It's now evolved a bit...Styrene sound board, and a rocking bridge to press inwards (instead of pulling outwards) and moving the string closer to the neck (improving the action)...It's sounding so good now that I've decided to make it a three string job

..this of course! means making another neck.

tobinsuke · Aug 15, 2013

Timbuck said:
It's internal dimensions are in cubic feet....it's a folded horn (like a snail shell) if it was opened up and put together in a line it would be about 6 foot long.

Bigger on the inside? Maybe you should paint it police call box blue

Timbuck · Aug 15, 2013

tobinsuke said:
Bigger on the inside? Maybe you should paint it police call box blue

I do have a can of dark blue paint somewhere.

Timbuck · Aug 15, 2013

Still needs a little tweaking, maybe a heavier gauge string??....But I thought i show what it sounds like up to now..the volume is giving the camera mic a bit of a hard time...I can actually play tunes on it now..well almost

.

Barbablanca · Aug 15, 2013

Great sound Tim! From Blues Brothers to skiffle, that'd be a mighty beast to have on your side!

BigMamaJ40 · Aug 17, 2013

Cool! can you elaborate on the bridge?

Timbuck · Aug 17, 2013

BigMamaJ40 said:
Cool! can you elaborate on the bridge?

Not my words... but a description taken from another forum on the build...

the fulcrum-and-lever arrangement to (I suppose) keep the string closer to the fretless "fretboard" while still applying the string's vibrational energy to the center of the soundboard, whilst designing the fulcrum to rest on the edges of the box so as NOT to interfere with the vibrations of the soundboard. :agree:

Titchtheclown · Aug 17, 2013

Have been looking at other horn based instruments and the bridge arrangement on Stroh ukuleles (and violins and basses) seems to have a neutral weight on the membrane.

You also inspired me to post on cigar box nation where a guy name of 407bug has put up heaps of amazing stuff.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/horn-instruments?id=2592684%3ATopic%3A1684967&page=1#comments

Titchtheclown · Aug 18, 2013

Have you started on a smaller version with ukulele tuning?

Box Bass experiment for uke accompaniment

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