'Boo-wah' button

Bill Crook · From: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance

After listing to this device (all 3 files) I don't think it does what it is suppose to emulate.....

A sudden change of tone with a obivious click and a 10ms dead sound isn't a do-waa sound.

This device did exactly what I thought it would do. There ain't NO way this thing can be used in a fill or even a turnaround.

The change has got to be a analog change, not a sharp cut of one freq to another.

A true do-waa pedal (or what-ever) will have to be a POT type device.

A well noted example is Buddy Emmon's number "Witches Brew"

There ain't NO way that sound could have been done with this device.

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

Buddy Emmons recorded Witches Brew with a wah-wah pedal on the Black Album. On live shows and on the ISGC live album he used an envelope filter. They are both completely different sounds than the "Boo-wah".

Weren't the original "Boo-wah" switches doorbell switches? They are "non-clicking".

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

http://members.aol.com/Altec639/wave1.mp3
http://members.aol.com/Altec639/wave2.mp3

okay here are two sound files, I think these clarify what we are talking about...I suppose you all know the steeler

Andy

[This message was edited by Tele on 07 December 2000 at 12:01 PM.]

Matt Farrow · From: Raleigh, NC, USA

Well, from the Speedy West samples Tele provided, I hear either bar slaps or "machine gun" / "chatter" output switching. I don't actually hear any "boo-wah," maybe I'm going deaf? Anyway, I did a search in the archives for the guy who made the previous device, and it's advertised as being like the buttons on Fender steels that do the "chatter." So what do you guys want?

Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

I'm with you, Matt--confused. I remember the guy and his project and it was just a momentary contact button to break the circuit. When I think of BooWah or whatever, I think of a finger on the tone control or a swivel pedal.
What threw me in this discussion was the mention of the capacitor in the circuit--I figured this was a whole nother thing.

Just so you don't throw up your hands and walk away, I dig what you are trying to offer and I hope you get some better communication going with the folks who know what they want (or think they do

). I think you would come up with some stuff that would make some people happy once everyone's on the same page.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 07 December 2000 at 03:12 PM.]

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

okay, here's what I thought it would be:
- a tone roll like the volume pot or the old Bigsby pedal ( but like said before I think it needs to be done with a pot)
- something to cut a short into the circuit to make that chatter

sorry for any confusion, I thought I'd hear some boo-wah effects on the Speedy West sound-files

Matt, the effect you already have is nice but I think what I'd prefer would be smoother change from mudddy to clean.

If you eliminate the click, put both functions in the unit - here's your customer !

Andy

Dana Duplan · From: Ramona, CA

You might check with Herb Remington. I think he used to offer a boo-wah button on his Steelmasters? Don't know if he would give up the secret, or how well they worked.
DD

Johnne Lee Ables · From: Minnesota, USA

Hey Guys,

Its been years since I played a steel, but...

Why would anyone want the sound your looking for?

Johnne

Billy Jones · From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

There's no secret to this. I've used one back in the fifties. The biggest problem was that everyone who tried it used a simple cutoff button and all they got was ststic. You have to use a micro switch. You can tie it in with your tone control or use it separately with a good capacitor. I used a .05 mf. You must also realize that there is a difference in capacitors (wafer, mylar etc.) I like the old style paper types because they load better. I think I still have mine laying around here somewhere.
They give a real good brassey sound at the end of a slide in western swing.
.. Billy

Matt Farrow · From: Raleigh, NC, USA

Right! I worked on this all weekend and I have found some heavy-duty switches that actuate quickly and easily enough to suit me. After listening to several Speedy West tunes, I have come to the conclusion that Ol Speedy may have been using the tone knob / little finger trick. So here's your choices -

1. Simple box with "chatter" and "boo-wah" footswitches, amount of "boo-wah" is adjustable, signal is not affected when switches are not pressed. $30.00 plus shipping

2. Complicated box with voltage-controlled bandpass filter, adjustable "Q" (bandwidth) on filter, filter is swept down when switch is depressed, then sweeps back up automatically when switch is released. Adjustable sweep time for "wah-wah" effects. True bypass footswitch. $105 plus shipping.

I will post mp3s of the simple box tonight, and mp3s of the complicated box by Wednesday.

Thanks, everyone for your input.

Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

Great !!

can't wait to hear your results....

Andy

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

any sound files yet?

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

Matt.......I think you are correct that Speedy used his little finger on the tone knob for that sound. Back around the time that he was recording with Tennessee Ernie, Kay Starr, etc, he used that a lot on his unique fast "rides", and I was able to duplicate it with the "little finger on the knob"....of course the knob has to be in the right place...I was playing a Fender.

As a matter of fact, I knew a pedal steel player by the name of Lou Houston who didn't use a foot volume control, and he played by picking a string with the tone control off and twisting the knob with his little finger to (gut) the notes.

Adam · From: Seattle,WA

I don't think Speedy used his little finger on the knob.I've seen him in videos slapping a switch on the right end of his steel.I've seen Lee Jeffries and Jeremy Wakefield do it right in front of my eyes on their Bigsbys.Speedy used a Bigsby pedal to get doo wahs and the capicitor button on the end of his steel to get the chatter.End of story.What are you all debating about?This Bigsby button has already been discussed at technical length on the Forum by folks who have actually used them.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

The easiest,cleanest and most ergonomic way to do this trick is to get a Yamaha push-push pot/switch like what guys use for coil tap switching on standard electric guitars(any guitar tech can get you one).It's like a push-pull pot/switch except you push it once and it stays down-you push it again and it unlatches and comes back up.I took one apart and removed the latching hook - so when you push it down,it doesn't stay down-it just springs back up when you take your hand off of it.Since it's also a pot,I replaced the tone pot in my Stringmaster with it.I just wired up the switch section to cut the output of the guitar when the tone knob is held down or tapped stacatto style w/the heel of your picking hand....AND - just wrap your finger around it,give it a spin and you've got the so-called boo-wah effect. It couldn't be easier to reach while playing,no holes to drill,no defacing a classic guitar,no box hanging on the side of the guitar,no extra footpedals and cables and only one part to buy.It's the only way to fly.
BTW,I also don't believe the boo-wah effect can be done with a button-you'd lose the "wah" in boo-wah.It needs to be a pot sweeping thru the tone spectrum.But if someone wanted to try it w/a button,you could put a second push/push rig in the volume knob position and use it as a momentary capacitor insert.A lot of work for a rather annoying effect...ain't it? -MJ-

Chris DeBarge · From: Boston, Mass

Adam · From: Seattle,WA

Thanks Chris,I stand corrected.Doesn't anybody remember the thread on the Bigsby chatter button?I seem to recall a Bigsby owner describing the wiring of the button on their instrument.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

OK!!!!!

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 16 December 2000 at 11:58 AM.]

Joe Delaronde · From: Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada

This ia an email I recieved from

Speedy;Subject: Chatter
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 10:35:44 -0700
From: "Speedy West"
Organization: MailExcite (http://www.mailexcite.com:80)
To: "Joe Delaronde"

Hi again, Joe. I finally figured out what you were referring to about a switch at the end of my end plate. That's my treble and bass tone control. It has to be on treble to get the chatter. All my guitars. since 1948, have had the tone control installed in that location, because I can work it faster and besides it makes a good show.

I have another email, if I can find it, with Speedy explaining how he does the bar chatter and how he discovered it.....Joe

Billy Jones · From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Speedy's tone control was at the end of his guitar. It was free enough that you could spin it. The fender custom guitars also had a very free tone control. You just had to flick them from bass to treble or back. As far as the bar chatter goes, Speedy would stiffen his left arm and let the nerves take over .. try it.
How do I know this? He told me.
The boo-wah switch has to be a micro switch button or you get a lot of contact noise. It is just a capacitor from switch to ground. you can also wire it through your tone control to give you variable depth. No matter how fast or slow you push this switch it always switches at the same speed.(fast)
This is a fact. Hope this solves the problem.
.. Billy

Matt Farrow · From: Raleigh, NC, USA

Straight from the horses mouth, as it were. The great thing about this forum is that you can learn just about anything you want to if you ask the right questions.

I've got some prototype boxes built, passive and active, and I was hoping to have sound samples posted by last weekend, unfortunately I've run into all kinds of problems here at work and also with my family and wasn't able to get the time to do it. I am going to have some sound samples of the passive box posted tonight and the active box (it's sort of a semi-automatic wah-wah) posted by Wednesday, I hope.

Thanks to everybody on this thread for all their insight.

Matt Farrow

------------------
Matt Farrow
'74 Emmons GS10 / '72 Kustom Sidewinder JBL
http://surf.to/pharaohamps

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals	Goto page Previous 1, 2	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic