who has made a fotdella?

Subject: who has made a fotdella?
From: JohnnyBGoode
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 09:17 PM

I'm going to make an attempt, and want to see what not to do, etc...

The fotdella is Jesse Fuller's toe tapping 6 string bass contraption, allowing him to accompany himself on bass while playing guitar, cymbal, singing, harmonica, kazoo.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 09:50 PM

Actually, the last fotdella Jesse had was an 8-string, I believe.
It was a rectangular box standing upright. He would take his shoe off and wear a slipper to depress the pedals. I guess the shoe was a touch too wide. Not sure how he tuned it though.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: reggie miles
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:05 PM

JohnnyBG, I think you're refering his "foot diller". This invention's name has been miss quoted so many times that it's almost comical, but that's another thread. To answer your question, Robert Oneman Johnson. He pesently hails from Iowa City, when he can be found in the U.S. Unfortunately he spends much of his time these days abroad. He is the only person I know of who set out to take up where Jesse left off by creating a similar bass instrument played in the same fashion, with his feet. He calls his version of Jesse's foot diller his twelve string foot piano. (Jesse's only had five strings.) Over the years Oneman has rebuilt his many times. Each time he canibalizes the former to create the new one. Though I've pleaded with him, he's never kept photo record of each generation of this very unique instrument. What a great loss to those of us who delight in these curious endeavors.

By all means attempt away. There are no rules of right and wrong really. Just take your best shot and hope for the best. I've often thought about building something similar to my friend Oneman's twelve string foot piano. I've found some pedals and components which I think may work but have other more pressing projects waiting for my attention at the moment. Good luck and have fun!

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: reggie miles
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:06 PM

I guess I should have said the only one I've seen him use had five strings.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: khandu
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:07 PM

Picture here

It surely is an odd looking thing.

k

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Oct 02 - 10:21 PM

His playing can be seen on Elizabeth Cotten & Jesse Fuller (Yazoo 503; Video).

~Masato

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: Abby Sale
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 06:27 PM

In the interview it gets pronounced ad spelled both ways.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: Bert
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 06:32 PM

Thanks for the picture. They sure do look like piano mechanisms.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: JohnnyBGoode
Date: 10 Oct 02 - 07:00 PM

thanks for the posts.   reggie, i read online about him saying that his wife called the device a "foot diller", but it's fotdella now, for better or worse.   

i've got that video mentioned.   it's great to see jesse playing!

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: Max
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 01:35 AM

Johnny, you still out there? I think I'm gonna have a crack at this. I'm wondering if you got anywhere with it.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: GUEST,Billy
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 02:16 AM

Time and technology have advanced the mechanical to electric.
I have two electic foot pedals which probably do the same thing as the Fotdella.
The first one I acquired was like a one-octave (12-note) pedal keyboard (like a church organ pedal system) which plays through its own (tube) amp and speaker box.
I later found a similar one-octave Roland Bass Pedal board that simply sends a MIDI signal to a synthesizer whereby you can produce all kinds of sounds, including bass.

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: open mike
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 03:42 AM

the band LLan De Cubel, a celtic group from Asturias, has a foot pedal bass instrumenht...looks like the foot part of an elctric organ...
like a keyboard on the floor.
there is also another bass accompaniment instrument
i think it is called a boom box or bass box that is like a giant
kalimba--thumb piano...only you can sit on it...

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: open mike
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 03:47 AM

baby grand thumb piano
bass box

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: harvey andrews
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 06:08 AM

I saw Jesse at the jug of punch folk club in Birmingham England in the early 60's. I've never forgotten what a wonderful experience it was. Is there anyone can help me get a frameable copy of the photo featured above?

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 09:29 AM

Have seen/heard the bass box played-- wonderful, you'd swear there's a standup bass somewhere behind you, wherever you or the box player may be positioned. Hard on the player tho-- need to protect the fingers.

The lady I saw played it while sitting on it, reaching down between her knees, and this was not comfy for long periods. I offered my tilted autoharp stand, laying the box on its back, front facing out. She played it from behind, the box tilted down and away from her, reaching over top of it to access the keys. Seemed to work better. It helped that the stand's surface was resonant wood. Less resonant but more portable would be a speaker stand.

~Susan

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 09:33 AM

You also could rig up that thing from a drum set with the foot pedal-- it brings one horizontal cymbal clapping down onto a fixed cymbal... is that a high-hat? It could be modified to do a number of interesting things.

~S~

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: GUEST,reggie miles
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 10:35 AM

My friend OneMan Johnson has photos of his foot piano at his site, but I don't think he has anything but general details about it's actual construction. As fascinating as 'I' think it is, I guess he just didn't think anyone else would find much interest in it, or the details of how his desgns have transformed over the years. He has built several foot pianos, almost always canabalizing one to make the next and no actual pictoral record tracing to metamorphose form one generation to the next. Nevertheless, he's been playing his for 35 years along with his very compact highhat cymbal, just like Jesse did it. If you want to hear or see what can be done with that kind of a configuration, look no further than Robert OneMan Johnson's website

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: GUEST,Rock a billy boy
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 12:34 PM

I was wondering if you could make a rockabilly "slap" sound on a fotdella?

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 06:46 PM

Great site - thanks!

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: GUEST,DaveHarrisonemanband
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 01:27 AM

Hi, I've got two fotdellas both made for me by Glenn Orr, a fellow busker. I believe I'm the third guy after Jesse and Robert One Man. By the way, I'm writing a book on One man bands. You can see mine at my youtube site. http://www.youtube.com/DslimHarris

Subject: RE: who has made a fotdella?
From: DHonemanband
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 01:34 AM

I've got two fotdellas, made for me by a fellow busker, Glenn Orr. I'm busy busking and writing a book on one man bands. I'm researching Jesse Fuller and came across this forum. Check my fotdellas on youtube at   http://www.youtube.com/DslimHarris