Washtub?

[Muddslide]

Maybe I should post this in the BG forum, but i was curious as to whether anyone here has had any experience building or playing a washtub bass (I believe in the UK "tea chest" basses are more common.)

I was in a jug band many years ago that utilized washboard, jug, kazoos and other more "legitimate" instruments, but for awhile we had a guy who played a washtub bass and he could flat get after it with that thing. I played around on it some and it was a lot of fun.

I know it's lowbrow, but I think they are pretty cool for certain types of music.

Anyone? I did a search and didn't find much discussion about them here.

[Silversorcerer]

I have one. It's elaborate for a tub bass, but not too hard to build. The mast is fixed and located close to the center of the tub, instead of at the edge and it is played by stopping the string like on a DB instead of stretching the string. It has about a 2 octave range, is tunable and stays in tune. It is also very loud and has great tone. I use it for events where my DB might get damaged. It's great for outdoor gigs and such. It's also pretty easy on the hands compared to many tub basses. Great tone, but slightly metallic. Total parts cost was about $50, about half of that is the tub. The tub is an Ace hardware Dover-Parkersburg #3.

[JimmyM]

I've built a couple and used them onstage. I used regular nylon twine, though, nothing near as elaborate as Silversorcerer's. Total cost was $35. I could get an octave and a half out of it.

[fingers]

I built one for a project when I was in school. I got a heavy broom handle, a metal washtub (better than plastic), and some nylon clothesline. I put a eyehole screw at the end of the handle and also in the middle of the washtub. I connected the two with the rope. The upside down washtub had a lip around the edge so I just put the handle against the edge, pulled the string to the desired pitch and went to town.

I obviously have no idea how to play it but it was fun to make.

[jrlynch]

what? no five strings?

[EggyToast]

This Bogdon guy seems to get around, with both his cardboard box bass and his washtub bass. Here's his store:
http://geocities.com/washtubbass/cardboardbass.html

The trick to any of these "diy" instruments is practice, of course. Don't expect to sound good as soon as you string the thing up.

[Silversorcerer]

Originally Posted by jrlynch

what? no five strings?

I think you can add as many strings as you want if you go to a transverse construction with a top on the tub and a bridge. One fellow posted a photo and some sound files of one built like this, but it was a far stretch from the normal one string design. One string can do a good bit. I use the braided nylon cord that Home Depot has. Is sounds like crap arco though. Braid steel sounds better but is really hard on the hands. Check out the tub-o-tone design (google). That is similar to the concept of construction of mine, but I think mine is sturdier and easier to make. Also I can remove the mast for easy transport with just one wing-nut. If you want more details, PM me.

[Tejano Bass]

http://www.projectsandhobbies.com/washtubbass.htm

www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/bass.htm

http://www.jugstore.com/washtub.html

http://boston.backpage.com/musician/...%2Finstruments . . . would ya believe a "pick-up" - ha !

http://www.cookephoto.com/kweskin3.html

How to build 'em, play 'em, & listen to 'em, too . . .

[theshadow2001]

Wow $69 for a cardboard bass that some guy knocked up in his shed. It seems a bit pricey. I some how managed to get to a site that was selling them for $119

Still though you have to admire his entrepreneurship.

[Silversorcerer]

Just build your own. But beware of the cheap Chinese washtubs. The metal is thin, the tone is bad, and the seams can come apart. Get a good MIM (made in Mexico) Dover-Parkersburg. Can't find American made galvanized tubs any more. Maybe on the vintage market.

[washtub_bass]

a new metal washtub is better than an old one because the resonance plate gets streached out and rattles. You can get a quality 15 gallon metal washtub at Lowes Hardware Stores for under $20. I prefer 1/4" 100% cotton rope for a warm natural tone, i've tried a brake cable, parachute cord, hemp twine, and actual bass strings, but the cotton sounds the best. I dont like the eye-screw in the center anymore because they stick out too far and eventually cause the resonance plate to dent when using the washtub to move band gear in it. I'm now using a very small U-bolt (not in photo)... make sure the U-bolt is shorter than the outer rim/edge of the tub. as for a broom stick, i use a cool looking thin tree branch that i sprayed with clear coat. The tree branch gives it a down home look. And i carved a bass clef into the side for a sound hole.

[Dave R]

I played one "professionally" at a summer-stock theater in Yellowstone many yeas ago.

Made from a galvanized wash tub. Leather string. Broomstick handle. Notch carved in the broomstick, rested on the lip at the edge of the tub. (That made it very portable for quick stage entrance & exit.) I put a washer between the knot in the leather string and the bottom of the tub to make sure the hole didn't pull out.

I threw a block of 2X4 under the lip of the tub to let the sound out.

Played by a combination of stretching and fretting. Tone and volume were great. I don't think I got more than an octave of range out of it, but that's all I was trying for.

Last yr, my daughter's elementary school music teacher did a project where the kids had to build their own instruments, form groups, and play an original composition. Sample plans were given for cigar box "banjos," crescent wrench "xylophones", etc.

My daughter asked me to help her build a wash tub bass. Oh Joy!

The finished product used a plastic tub, because the metal ones I could find were too much $$. (Thanks for the earlier tip on Lowes.) But the finished tone was quite good. There were other washtub basses built on 5-gal buckets, but they had no tone. We used a BIG plastic tub, and a wood block to allow the sound out.

As a result, my daughter was heavily recruited and was chosen by the "best" group. The finished musical number started a bit like the theme from "Jaws" and finished with a kinda techno-fusion ostinato. And there was a bass solo (4 note transition) in the middle.

She got an "A". I got great vicarious gig pride.

ETA: I consider this proof on the saying a wise man gave me early in my career. "Everything sounds better with a good bass. And a good bass player will always have a job. The world is full of violinists (sub. guitarists) and bad bass players."

[four2oh]

Here's the thread about my two-string washtub:

Washtub Bass by Cable Tub Bass Co.