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Topic: 'Boo-wah' button |
Lucky Oceans
From:
Fremantle, W Australia, Australia
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Posted 1 Dec 2000 9:43 pm |
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Anyone remember the location of the fellow who was selling electronic buttons to plug into lap steels to make a boo-wah effect?
Anyone buy and try?
thanks,
Lucky |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 1 Dec 2000 11:53 pm
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I'd like to know more about this device too.
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www.dougbsteel.com
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Tim Rowley
From:
Pinconning, MI, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2000 12:09 am
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Hey Lucky! Good to see you on here. That was the notorious Al Petty invented those buttons back in the early 1950's I believe. Magnatone (if I remember right) bought the rights to the idea and installed the buttons on their steels for a few years.
I played one of these steels at Elderly Instruments a number of years ago. It was a console model. The trick was to hit a ringing chord and then repeatedly punch one or the other of those buttons. On this particular guitar, one of the buttons gave you a Speedy West "booh-wah booh-wah" effect, especially if you slid into the chord halfway up the neck and immediately worked the button. Kind of a "dated" sound but I can see where it would be cool on a good crash-and-burn C6th or E13th instrumental, especially if accompanied by an occasional bar slam, wolf-whistle, or 2nd fret "shivver". The other button was a cut-out button which could be used to "chatter" the chord or note.
If you are one of those old-fashioned electronic tinkerers you could easily make up your own set of buttons in a shielded project box with a capacitor to roll off the highs and two push-button switches (one momentary-on, the other momentary-off). The momentary-on button could be used to cut the capacitor into the circuit to make the high frequencies jump out and back into the signal for a "booh-wah" effect. The momentary-off button could be used to cut the entire signal out and back in for the "chatter" effect. A couple of 1/4" female jacks and maybe a couple of broom clips to attach the box to the leg of your steel, and you would be all set. Might take two hours at the most to assemble such a unit.
Hope this is helpful to you Lucky. Happy holidays!
Tim R. |
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Lucky Oceans
From:
Fremantle, W Australia, Australia
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Posted 2 Dec 2000 7:16 am
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Thanks, Tim,
Lucky |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 2 Dec 2000 9:36 am
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Yeah, I got one of these too. A guy here on the forum offered them. I and others send in the money and never heard again from this gentlemen. "Disapeared", for six months. I then started a quite intensive search and finally got the gentleman at his new address and with a new phone number. He finally agreed to send me his creation:
It's a little project box with an input and an output jack (both female) on one side (no way you could just plug it into the guitar and from the other side, go with the cable to the volume pedal, like the ol' LittleIzzy or the FuzzTone). There's a little, red "nail headed" switch on top, like on so many MultiKord guitars (Off/On). Inside, theres (a resistor?) and a cap. That's it... for $30.oo or $40.oo (I don't remember.. as a mater of fact... I don't really want to).
I still don't know if the others got their "high tech" creation, as that gentleman promised me after I found him...
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The future belongs to culture.  jaydee@bellsouth.net |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 2 Dec 2000 11:39 am
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I sent the $30 and never got one from the "gentleman." I did get a generous line of bullsh!t, though.
Then I lost his address. No big whup... Caveat emptor, I always say.
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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 02 December 2000 at 11:42 AM.] |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2000 1:39 pm
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Boo-wha? Anybody have some audio examples of this? If it's something that easy, I'll do a run of them for a few bucks.
Let's see:
2 1/4" phone jacks = $4.00
Resistor = $.05
Cap = $.50
Enclosure = $5.00
Clips for leg mounting = $3.00
Labour = $10.00 MAX
=$25.00 at the absolute limit. Hmmm... anybody want one? I also make custom fuzz tones, these sound real good with steel...
http://surf.to/pharaohamps
Please disregard the bits about the custom amps, I don't have time to make any more of those !
Matt Farrow
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Tele
From:
Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany
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Posted 5 Dec 2000 2:12 pm
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I'd want one ... please go ahead !! I really think that there's a market for one.
Andy |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2000 2:20 pm
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OK, I can make these in my smaller boxes (2x4x2) and can cover them in either Cheetah, Leopard, Red, Black, or White fun fur for $30.00 + shipping. Shipping should be $3.20 to US, more for Germany (Sorry, Tele  )
I hate to charge even that much, but if I don't cover them, they're sure gonna be ugly!! And covering is my #1 expense (well, that and footswitches, but I don't need them for this.)
Who's interested? Also, I NEED the names of songs that use this effect if I'm gonna build it and voice it correctly! Anybody know any tunes with this "Boo-wha" in them?
Thanks
Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps
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Iain
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 2:42 am
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I'd want one (and I have friends in the US it could be shipped to!)
Please e-mail me if/when any are to be made so I can choose a covering (!)
Thanks for the offer |
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Tele
From:
Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 4:38 am
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Count me in , too !!
The price tag is acceptable, at least that's what the other guy was asking for simply "nothing" 
as afar as sound file go, listen to Speedy West and you'll get the picture
Andy |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 5:24 am
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OK, I'm going to make 2 circuits tonight, one's an RC filter, that's the simpler of the two types to make, the other's an LC filter, should make a deeper "notch," maybe a better boo-wah. I'll post sound files tomorrow and you guys tell me which is better.
Incidentally, how would you want to mount this thing? It'll be kinda heavy, less than a pound but still not light...
Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps
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Dana Duplan
From:
Ramona, CA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 7:16 am
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I'd be interested in one as well. I think a floor pedal that is foot activated would be nice. Also concerned that having the pedal might alter the tone--would it be true bypass, or is the circuitry so simple that it will have no affect on the straight through tone? Is it to be two switches--one for boo-wah, and the other for the chatter (machine gun) effect?
Thanks,
DD[This message was edited by Dana Duplan on 06 December 2000 at 07:19 AM.] |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 8:01 am
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OK, floor pedals are REAL easy for me here. If you want floor pedals I can do that better, no hassles about mounting the thing or any of that. You guys thing the Pedal Steel guys would be interested?
Floor pedals don't add anything to the cost of this, but the pedal size will be increased to 4x4x2 so you can get yer foot on there. Left pedal does boo-wah, right does machine-gun. No active circuitry means no noise or hiss, and the design of the circuit is such that with no pedals epressed your signal sees no more resistance or capacitance than a piece of wire.
I will post mp3s tonight of what it sounds like to anybody that's interested.
Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps
I'm going to start a new thread... |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 3:46 pm
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OK, first prototype is done. The real problem here is I can hardly play! Certainly not well enough to win any awards, but here you guys go:
http://www.skybolt6.com/audio/bwdemo.mp3
Some crude sound samples of what you can do with this simple device. The proto used a big ol footswitch like the kind GM used to use for floor dimmers (remember those?) and that "click" you hear in there is from the mic picking that up.
Recording setup:
1962 No-name gold hammertone lap steel -->
"Boo-Wah" button -->
Vox Pathfinder amp (new solid state) with replacement 10" MojoTone speaker -->
Sony V2M mic -->
Creative SBLive! MP3+
No FX or EQ were harmed in the making of this sound clip!
Thanks to all on the forum for their support.
Matt Farrow http://surf.to/pharaohamps
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 4:00 pm
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| I can't tell--I think I'm being distracted by the clicking--is the signal being interrupted by the switching? Is there a momentary cut-off as the circuit switches in and out? |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 4:12 pm
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Sorry, had to re-encode the mp3 to get rid of the nasty encode errors... The high frequencies are rolled off when you hit the button. I'm gonna go get my C6 steel and try to do some Speedy West licks later, ha, ha. I have to learn how to use it, really, before I'm a good demonstrator.
Matt
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Tele
From:
Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 4:44 pm
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hard to tell from that clip...maybe you could make one where you strum a whole chord, slide up one fret releasing the button..guess that would be a better demonstration !
Andy |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 9:04 pm
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Cool coverings on the floor units as well?? 
I'm trying to recall what those old switches are like and seem to recall them being pretty stiff. Any way to make the switch pretty fast? That'll be important in being able to use it easily. I'm a total mechanical moron so I can't really think how to say what I'm thinking here. The closest I can come is to say that I'd like it to feel more like a button than a switch. (Does that make any sense???)
If it is easy to use and gets a good wide sweep, I'll certainly put in my order.
Thanks for all your time in working on this!
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 9:15 pm
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All kinds of cool coverings. I'm working on tweed and two-tone leatherette for you vintage guys out there, too (Tele...)
How's the new sound sample sound? Very easy switch action, BTW.
Matt
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Dana Duplan
From:
Ramona, CA
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Posted 6 Dec 2000 10:21 pm
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My opinion is that the sweep isn't quite right. I think it should go from full bass to the unaffected sound as if playing straight through. Like an emulation of the Fender Stringmaster tone control--very quick taper from full bass to treble--more boo-wah!
DD |
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Tele
From:
Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany
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Posted 7 Dec 2000 12:45 am
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I think Dana is right, from full-bass (muddy, muffled) to the unaffected sound. Plus it have to be a button only, definately not a switch! And add that machine gun button..
If you got it right, I think there'll be a "big" market for that device. I'd take one for sure.
Andy |
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Matt Farrow
From:
Raleigh, NC, USA
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Posted 7 Dec 2000 5:37 am
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OK, one more time. This is what prototyping is all about, so let me know what you think. I've gfound a way to mostly eliminate the clicking, but due to the nature of the circuit, it will never go away completely.
http://www.skybolt6.com/audio/bwdemo3.mp3
This version is VERY muddy, then clean. All along I thought you guys wanted something in the midrange! If I'd known you wanted full bass, then I could have been done hours ago!
Cheers
Matt
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