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Joined: Jun 2009
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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Hey Gang,
I was wondering, since all of us are from the prior millenium, what do you think about the Talk Box? We have all heard somebody use it whether it was Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Joe Perry, and Jeff Beck.
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I borrowed a friend's foot pedal in the late 1980's and had great fun. In later years I think it was the Roland SE70/SE50 half rack effect "box" that had a preset which vaquely emulated it but it was rather limiting in its use as I soon got bored with getting my guitar to say "hullo" and other stupid phrases based on vowels!! as our band's song list didn't need really warrant the effect and so I was soon banned from using it.
It goes without saying that I didn't sound like the aforementioned guitarists.
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I'd love to have one. I had the parts to build one, including a Heil case and Craig Anderton's project instructions, but lost them in a divorce. I'd also like to have a hardware ring modulator so I could pull of some of those Mahavishnu-era sounds. Software RMs are available as add-ons for Reason but I haven't got to that point yet and don't feel like paying Moog's price for the Mooger Fooger (yet).
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Talk box is aomething easily built by the home entusiast, one can use a Horn Driver with a hose attached instead of the horn, or you can even use a small diameter guitar amp speaker fully enclosed in an infinite baffle box that has a hole and attachment for the necessary hose in the center of the plate that would normally be a grill cloth, but in this instance is a hard plank with a hole in it.
I remember seeing a young fellow who had attached a plate to the front of his inherited olod Pignose amplifier, hole in plate with hose attached to a suitable plumbing fixture - and had fashioned a quick and dirty talkbox for live performance that sounded rather good actually.
The talk box history goes way back, Alvino Rey and his talking steel guitar was likely the first to make hit records using one. That was a looong time ago.
The talk box seems to enjoy a resurgence in popularity about every 15 years or so, give or take, as a new performer comes along and makes "good" use of one in a recording. So it may be about time for another coming up soon. Of course, all would depend upon what they do with it and how they manage to fit it into the popular music of a younger generation that would be once again knocked out by the effect.
--Mac
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Talk box with ukulele. And cowbell!!!!! Yeh--that's the ticket!
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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You can find a Danelectro Free Speech on Craigslist or eBay for 50 bucks. Or you can buy mine for 50 bucks. I used it once and said "Yeah this is cool" and put in in the closet.
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Journeyman
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Mac, you just inspired me. I never heard of Alvino until you noted him. Here's a video of his technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPd9cxqKCVg&feature=relatedI loved it! Man, he was ahead of his time in mimicing the sounds of brass and woodwind instruments into a steel slide guitar just by using the Talkbox. In the video it appears that they may have had the unit off set and someone else was forming the words with the sound eminating from his steel slide being fed through the tube. On a side note, I have an 8 year old daughter that I have been showing her movies like the Marx Brothers because there was so much going on in those movies that is missed today. Then, an actor had to sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes all above their acting in order to make it. Alvino inspired me to try and use the slide as well as chordal riffs on the Box. Like gibson, if we look at some of the novelty acts from the 70's that used it, they sort of hit a wall with the idea. Same ideas... same sounds. I think this concept can attract fans again, if it can be used creatively again as Alvino did in his time. It is the artist that pushes the envelope and makes it into something new again! I am going to toy with building a tune in BIAB and practice those chordal & slide techniques to insert in the song someplace. It'll be a lot of fun. Once it is done I will post it online. Wish me luck!
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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Speaking of the different models and ways to construct a Talk Box, I have a Rocktron Banshee 2. This is far better than the original models in that it acts like a stomp box. Where with the other models you need to have separate speakers, and almost an adiditional rig of gear just for the talkbox. With the Rocktron, it can be put in line with your other stomps. How it works is when you engage the unit it actively sends your signal through the tube and you are ready to use. When disengaged, the unit bypasses the tube and pushes the dry signal through your stomps and into your amp as normal. It's the best version of the idea I have seen.
Another feature I like about the Rocktron is that it also contains its own volume, gain and tone, so you do not need to redesign any of your other stomps to boost the signal when using the Box.
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Quote:
Mac, you just inspired me. I never heard of Alvino until you noted him. Here's a video of his technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPd9cxqKCVg&feature=related
I loved it! Man, he was ahead of his time in mimicing the sounds of brass and woodwind instruments into a steel slide guitar just by using the Talkbox. In the video it appears that they may have had the unit off set and someone else was forming the words with the sound eminating from his steel slide being fed through the tube.
On a side note, I have an 8 year old daughter that I have been showing her movies like the Marx Brothers because there was so much going on in those movies that is missed today. Then, an actor had to sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes all above their acting in order to make it.
Alvino inspired me to try and use the slide as well as chordal riffs on the Box. Like gibson, if we look at some of the novelty acts from the 70's that used it, they sort of hit a wall with the idea. Same ideas... same sounds. I think this concept can attract fans again, if it can be used creatively again as Alvino did in his time. It is the artist that pushes the envelope and makes it into something new again!
I am going to toy with building a tune in BIAB and practice those chordal & slide techniques to insert in the song someplace. It'll be a lot of fun. Once it is done I will post it online. Wish me luck!
Yes, the era's ideas about what should or should not be shown dictated that Alvino couldn't appear on television or movies with the tube hanging out of his mouth, so they wouod either place someone backstage with the actual hose in their mouth in front of a mic, or they would use overdubbed recordings of Alvino himself in order to keep things, "looking nice".
Still, the cat was WAY ahead of his time. And not just because of the talkbox, either.
--Mac
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I built one once by screwing a funnel onto the face of a small practice amp and glued in a windshield washer fluid fitting to reduce the size of the tubing. It worked okay kinda sorta but the Danelectro I have now works much better. I don't use it much, but it works great when I do.
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Journeyman
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Thanks Don! When I watched the video it got me thinking of the diversity of the concept. After hearing it so often used in a Rock genre, to see someone using it in a ballad truly floored me. And it was tastefully done in my opinion.
I truly have been blown away by the discovery that the Talk Box has been around so long and has been used in a variety of genres I never would have conceived.
Thanks guys for sharing the names of these artists.
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You're welcome. Pete has a full album on YT. Here is side 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90bZu1If7xU&feature=relatedSide 2 is available on YT also. Actually, Pete has a lot of tunes on YT. It was nostalgic to listen again. As Bob Hope might say: "Thanks for the memories!"
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Journeyman
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Cool, Thanks Don. I put it in my Favorites.
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