There's a guy up here in Boston, been playing a long time, calls himself Washtub Robbie, he plays a bass made with a bass drum too. Sounds similar to the one you describe Reggie. He played a lot with a slide player named Kenny who was pretty popular here and has since moved to New Orleans himself. Robbie now plays in a great old time string/rock and roll band called Twang (most of the members were in the bands "The Chicken Chokers" and "The Primitive Characters")