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Tutmarc audiovox model 736: where are they?
- Thread starter beebassdude
- Start date
Cool! I'm loving the swinging sound of 1936!
Can you tell us the bridge dimensions and specs for the pickup please?
Also total weight, and weight of the pickup?
Thanks
Thanks Bflat, i would like to make one, it's a long term plan. I've just tonight completed a basic woodwork course: made a toolbox! Never made anything before. Probably make a simple table next, or a P-bass. One step at a time. Gradually learning more.
I suspect that Paul was scavanging banjo's for the necks. The headstock looks vaguely like a Harmony banjo with the guitar tuning machines. Bud said that they used lots of scavanged parts from other instruments. I think some banjos were made with 28 inch scales and maybe some were closer to 30". It would be alot easier than buying lots of fretting equipment and trying to work out the scale. To me the 1 and half inch nut is in line with banjo nut sizes. At least he may have used a banjo neck as a template.
Somebody was trying to sell a Tutmarc Budelectro Bass on Craigslist a while back. It was missing the PU and the guard. I tried to contact the seller, but no return emails.
Wow! Fascinatin' stuff. I've known about the Tutmarc from the press it received back in the late nineties, but this thread . . . I discovered it only an hour ago and read it straight through.
Bflat, great work! I too think you have something publishable that is of great benefit to the bass community, but I would not submit to Bassplayer. I would offer my work to the Guild of American Luthiers to publish in their journal. That is the primary audience who could make the most of your pioneering work, particularly if you include plans.
Being aware of the contortions Leo Fender had to go though in 1951 to get strings to even bench test his 1951 Precision, and having looked at and read descriptions of the 1936 Tutmarc pickup, I would like to offer the hypothesis that the Tutmarc is not an electromagnetic pickup at all. It is electrostatic; the sound is generated by direct string vibration on the bridge itself, which is then transferred to the electromagnets, rather than by string vibrations exciting an electromagnetic field as with contemporary pickups. Think of the pickup of the first generation Ampeg AEB and AUB basses or the Supro "Silver-sound" under-bridge pickup in the 1960s. Or even the original Aurora Model Motoring alternating current HO slot cars. The same principle applies across the board.
If this hypotheses is credible, then me, I would try to learn as much as I could what pickup Loyd Loar used in the 1920s for his Vivitone line.
Bflat, great work! I too think you have something publishable that is of great benefit to the bass community, but I would not submit to Bassplayer. I would offer my work to the Guild of American Luthiers to publish in their journal. That is the primary audience who could make the most of your pioneering work, particularly if you include plans.
Being aware of the contortions Leo Fender had to go though in 1951 to get strings to even bench test his 1951 Precision, and having looked at and read descriptions of the 1936 Tutmarc pickup, I would like to offer the hypothesis that the Tutmarc is not an electromagnetic pickup at all. It is electrostatic; the sound is generated by direct string vibration on the bridge itself, which is then transferred to the electromagnets, rather than by string vibrations exciting an electromagnetic field as with contemporary pickups. Think of the pickup of the first generation Ampeg AEB and AUB basses or the Supro "Silver-sound" under-bridge pickup in the 1960s. Or even the original Aurora Model Motoring alternating current HO slot cars. The same principle applies across the board.
If this hypotheses is credible, then me, I would try to learn as much as I could what pickup Loyd Loar used in the 1920s for his Vivitone line.
According to EMP the one in their collection is carved from a single piece of walnut.
Wow. The G string isn't really up to too much, but the lower strings are booming out here! Not what I was expecting at all.
Last edited by a moderator:
- Jan 28, 2009
- 2,929
- 4,152
- Disclosures
- Owner: Moonshine Custom Guitars
- Jan 28, 2009
- 2,929
- 4,152
- Disclosures
- Owner: Moonshine Custom Guitars
I've been following this thread for awhile now. The Tutmarc/Audiovox bass has held my interest even before I was fortunate enough to be able to examine one in person.
I had the chance recently to speak with someone who I respect greatly as an authority on the history of string instruments in general and we had an interesting discussion about Paul Tutmarc and the Audiovox bass in particular.
It was mentioned to me that Tutmarc eventually sold some of his pickups (or possibly the design) to the National company, who used the design in their electric lap steel guitars.
I'm not sure if this is one, but it could be possible.
Further research turned a couple of interesting articles related to the Tutmarc/Audiovox bass;
First is an article published in Vintage Guitar's March 1999 issue:
Invalid Link Removed
Second is an article posted again in Vintage Guitar Magazine (June 2008):
Invalid Link Removed
Interesting stuff.
My source also mentioned that (in his opinion) the pickup design was somewhat crude and not that efficient, though there is no denying the historical significance of Paul Tutmarc's design.
Moonshine
I had the chance recently to speak with someone who I respect greatly as an authority on the history of string instruments in general and we had an interesting discussion about Paul Tutmarc and the Audiovox bass in particular.
It was mentioned to me that Tutmarc eventually sold some of his pickups (or possibly the design) to the National company, who used the design in their electric lap steel guitars.
I'm not sure if this is one, but it could be possible.
Further research turned a couple of interesting articles related to the Tutmarc/Audiovox bass;
First is an article published in Vintage Guitar's March 1999 issue:
Invalid Link Removed
Second is an article posted again in Vintage Guitar Magazine (June 2008):
Invalid Link Removed
Interesting stuff.
My source also mentioned that (in his opinion) the pickup design was somewhat crude and not that efficient, though there is no denying the historical significance of Paul Tutmarc's design.
Moonshine
I've been following this thread for awhile now. The Tutmarc/Audiovox bass has held my interest even before I was fortunate enough to be able to examine one in person.
I had the chance recently to speak with someone who I respect greatly as an authority on the history of string instruments in general and we had an interesting discussion about Paul Tutmarc and the Audiovox bass in particular.
It was mentioned to me that Tutmarc eventually sold some of his pickups (or possibly the design) to the National company, who used the design in their electric lap steel guitars.
I'm not sure if this is one, but it could be possible.
My gig partner uses a National like that regularly and I've cleaned the pots on it but I never inspected the pickup close enough to notice if it matches the Tutmarc design.
Kohn.....,
When I recorded that it was through a 1950 pro and I turned the treble down, my mistake, I also used a crummy computer mic. Withthe treble up it has plenty of highs, also it was hard to play at first. I've gotten better at it and will put up another recording as soon as I can so you can hear how well it really sounds.
I only know of three of them 736 and they are all different, it seems he made them one at a time in his basement, his son said that he/bud got an order for 100 of his bass the serenader in the 1940's I know his son has the one in the pics that are floating around on the internet.
I have another being made that is walnut and made from 3 pieces and is identical to moonshine's pictures.
The pickup is really simple and I am making some exact copies for the few more basses I make. It is magnetic and not acoustic although I can see your logic, youcan tap on the bass and it doesn't reproduce any of the vibrations, it has two pole pieces and two coils in series, kind of like having two screws in a fender pickup, there is lead between them to make it look and act like one blade but in the magnetic world it is two distinct poles since lead is not magnetic.
theonly drawback to the bass is you can't tune it perfectly since the bridge is not aligned properly, I thought about slanting it to fix that but decided to build it historically correct
maybe one of the copies I will fix that. building an audiovox 236 amp also to go with it, another project. stay tuned
Dave
When I recorded that it was through a 1950 pro and I turned the treble down, my mistake, I also used a crummy computer mic. Withthe treble up it has plenty of highs, also it was hard to play at first. I've gotten better at it and will put up another recording as soon as I can so you can hear how well it really sounds.
I only know of three of them 736 and they are all different, it seems he made them one at a time in his basement, his son said that he/bud got an order for 100 of his bass the serenader in the 1940's I know his son has the one in the pics that are floating around on the internet.
I have another being made that is walnut and made from 3 pieces and is identical to moonshine's pictures.
The pickup is really simple and I am making some exact copies for the few more basses I make. It is magnetic and not acoustic although I can see your logic, youcan tap on the bass and it doesn't reproduce any of the vibrations, it has two pole pieces and two coils in series, kind of like having two screws in a fender pickup, there is lead between them to make it look and act like one blade but in the magnetic world it is two distinct poles since lead is not magnetic.
theonly drawback to the bass is you can't tune it perfectly since the bridge is not aligned properly, I thought about slanting it to fix that but decided to build it historically correct
maybe one of the copies I will fix that. building an audiovox 236 amp also to go with it, another project. stay tuned
Dave
I've always liked mandobasses and believe they have gotten a bum rap because they are not "loud" enough. If they had been given an overstand like the fingerboard ends on uprights and bassoguitars, I wonder how much louder they could have been.
Your mando: pre-WWI. Envy. <grin>
Your mando: pre-WWI. Envy. <grin>
- Jan 28, 2009
- 2,929
- 4,152
- Disclosures
- Owner: Moonshine Custom Guitars
Very nice, I have always wanted one.
Did you get it from Gruhn's? I saw that they had one there recently.
Moonshine
