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Vintage threads from the first ten years

talkbox

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5/12/1999 9:18 AM
jered	talkbox I am wanting to add an amp to my talkbox ie.[Rocktron Banshee,EH Golden Throat Deluxe].Where can I find an amp small enough and how do I wire it up? I have already built the talkbox. I used a 150 watt 4 ohm horn driver. Any info, ideas, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

5/12/1999 10:26 AM

Most people use their regular amp. The talkbox should have a switch to switch between your amp's speaker and the talkbox driver. If you want to use a seperate amp almost anything from your garden variety practice amp to a 50 watt combo/head. With a 4 ohm driver you will need to know if the amp can run into a 4 ohm load. (Some practice amps can only drive 8 ohm loads.) What ever amp you use you probably want something with overdrive or distortion.

5/15/1999 8:50 AM

Hey all;

Ummm....what Steve said!! (ha, ha) He's pretty much on the money here. I use a talk box and it really doesn't matter what kind of amp you use.

As far as how to hook it up?

1.) The plastic tube goes to the talk box and the other end goes get's straped to your mic that you sing out of.
2.) you run out of the amp's speaker jack into your talk box.
3.) Out of your talkbox to your speaker cabinet.
4.) when you step on the talk box's "stomp swith" it will shut the speaker off and the sound comes through the plastic tube. Stick that there tube in your mouth. you use your mouth as a variable filter and you can stick the tube between your teeth.

The sound depends on how much your mouth is open and how you bite down on the tube as well as how you move your lips. (sounds complex huh)

It takes a couple of hours to get to where you can say words with it. NOW...if you're going to actually try and speak phrases or words with it you need to play the notes on the guitar at the same time!! (wwwhhhooo weeeee)

It's a trip;
Trace

5/15/1999 12:13 PM

Trace:

I'm sure that you already know that it was none other than Les Paul who invented the Talk Box, but other people may not. He had made 3 prototypes, one of which was used by Pete Drake, the c&w steel guitarist. There was a singer backstage who was doing the mouth thing while everybody in the audience was amazed that it sounded just like a person talking. (The vocalist in question was possibly Chet Atkins' brother- or maybe it was Les Paul's brother- I forget which.) "Pete Drake and His Talking Steel Guitar" was one of my favorite finds from the cut-out bins 30 years ago; Fat's Domino's "I'm Walking" really cooks, but I can't say the same about Connie Francis' "I'm Sorry"...

I believe that another one of three original prototypes ended up with Peter Frampton (or was that Joe Walsh?) In any case, once they became used on recordings in the 70's the idea took off so they went into mass production...

Steve Ahola

5/18/1999 2:26 PM
Steve Dallman	I am going from memory here (so consider the source), but I believe the first recording of a talk box was a tune called, "Sparky the Magic Piano" recorded in appx. 1946. I believe this info came from a Guitar Player sometime in the mid 70's.

5/18/1999 4:16 PM
Steve A.	Steve: Interesting! I guess Les Paul "borrowed" ideas just like the Randalls of today! Steve Ahola P.S. BTW do you remember what came first: Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mt. Way" or Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel..."?

5/19/1999 9:54 AM
Trace	Steve; I did not know Les Paul came up with the talk box!! WOW...this guy is my favorite inventor! He's truly something. Trace PS: I'm not sure which camr first...I want to say Frampton's tune was first but I can't factually say for sure.

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