RE: [Harp-L] Re: What's it called?



"M. N." wrote:
> Rik Williger asked:
> "I remember reading about this device that looks like a block of wood; it
> gets plugged into an amp, and when you tap your foot on it, it generates
> something between a bass drum and bass guitar-type tone."
>
> ================================
>
> You're thinking of the Porch Board Bass. I used to play in an acoustic
trio
> and the guitar player used one. Pretty damn cool. I seem to remember he
paid
> around $300 for his, which seemed kind of excessive to me. But like I
said,
> it really added something in that setting. Check 'em out at
> www.porchboard.com.
> MN

The PorchBoard Bass is a neat way to go for what I've heard called a "stomp
box", not to be confused with a guitar effects pedal.  It has some
electronics inside it that trigger a tone generator to output a burst of a
single bass frequency.  You plug it into a bass amp.  Sounds very cool.  I
sent for the information kit earlier this year.  It took 6 months to get to
me, but it is very well done and nicely descriptive.  It is even fun for me
because it has a digital video that you watch on your computer.  I like to
watch it because Delaney Bramlett is one of the endorsers featured
prominently on the promotional video.  Delaney is one of my favorite old
rockers (an amazing figure in rock history if you look into him; see
http://delaneybramlett.com/).  He did Eric Clapton a big favor at a low
point in his life by allowing him to play in his band.    :)    Delaney and
his guitar player do a terrific acoustic version of "Never-ending Love" on
this commercial video.  That's one of my most treasured (g)oldies.

Back to the topic, unfortunately, the PorchBoard costs a lot.  Nearly $300
according to the information packet, and apparently down to around $200
according to the Elderly Music link given earlier.  Here's something that I
think works even better than the PorchBoard, and it's cheap because you make
it yourself.  The host of one of the open mic's I play at is a professional
acoustic guitarist/singer.  He has a homemade stomp box that is just great.
It is about 2 feet square and consists of a 2x2 frame onto which 1/4 plywood
surfaces are attached with some wood screws.  There's a 2"-2" section taken
out of one side of the 2x2 frame into which he puts a standard SM-58 mic
that he runs into his PA.  The box has a piece of rope nailed to one edge of
the frame that makes a nice carrying handle.  He stores and transports the
mic and cable in a case with the rest of his sound equipment.

It seems a bit scary to stand on as the 1/4 inch plywood flexes when you do.
I am a ~big~ girl but the wood has never cracked or moaned anything like
that, even when I "stomp" on it.  The thing has ~many~ miles and many gigs
on it, for sure.  There are a number of "features" that I really like about
the homemade model.  One cool thing is that you can do anything you want to
amplify or modify (eq/effect) the mic signal.  Another cool thing in
comparison to the PorchBoard is that you can achieve a variety of sounds
with it by varying how hard you stomp (or tap your foot) and where you are
doing it on the 2' square surface.  You get the greatest effect in the
center and the sound gets more and more muffled as you get near an edge or
corner of the surface.  You can kick harder or softer to get adjust the
loudness "on the fly".  You can "scuff" your shoe and experiment with other
ways of make the surface board thump.  My friend sets a tambourine on it
that makes a nice rattle with each beat (he performs solo most of the time
and the combination of he stomp box beat and tambourine rattle combine to
put a backbone on his solo paying and singing).  The PorchBoard Bass emits
only a single, electronically generated tone which doesn't vary no matter
how or where you tap your foot.  It's sort of a percussive "drone".  The
homemade stomp box works whether you are sitting or standing, whereas the
PorchBoard Bass is designed to by used only while sitting.  If you look at a
picture of it, you rest your heel on the edge and tap your foot on a wooden
ridge that runs along the top of the "sound box".  You ~couldn't~ stand on
it.

Somebody make a homemade one and let us know how you like it.  I'd have one
myself but I don't have the tools to make it.

Happy stomping,

Michelle







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