Washtub Bass Survey

Subject: Washtub Bass Survey
From:
Date: 21 Oct 04 - 11:02 PM

If you play the washtub bass (or the tea-chest bass, or other variant of the wtb) you might like to participate in the Washtub Bassist Survey, on-line at http://tubotonia.freehomepage.com/WTBQuest.html.

Plunk in Peace,

LFMiller

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 07:37 AM

How about some more background on BY WHOM and WHY this information is requested? Are the "surveyors" associated with some organization?

It looks fairly legit, but asks for quite a lot of information, some rather personal. I don't give my name, address, and email address to people I don't know - even if they can spell.

More info?

John

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GUEST,Mingulay
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 08:16 AM

Wow, didn't know there was so much to this. When I played tea chest bass back in the 60's, that's all it was. A tea chest with a bit of 2"x1" screwed on the back and a piece of sash cord. Stability was acheived with a foot on top and sound variation by tension. Note I did not say "note".

It's all too technical for me.

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: PoppaGator
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 01:25 PM

I ain't a-skeered of submitting my name & e-address (*without* street address, social security number, etc.). Even though I'm not a currently-active tub-thumper, I've played plenty in the past and think I could still do it on a moment's notice -- so I answered the questionnaire, and also requested a copy of the results (as offered).

Any music played by an ensemble including the washtub is almost automatically LOTS OF FUN, especially for the participants. Including, of course, everyone involved, not only the washtub player.

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 01:59 PM

I'm only suspicious for the benefit of others. We have had what appeared to be a few "phishing" for email addresses here recently. I do feel much better if someone actually engages in some conversation before dropping a blind request for info.

My mommy told me not to talk to strangers....

I'm in the same category with Mingulay, sort of. I do have the world's greatest tub, and it goes to all the festivals we visit (going on about 14 years now); but I found I don't have that great an ear for playing it so it usually gets "borrowed." Being a little unconventional, it would take considerable thought to fit anything meaningful into the questionaire.

For mudcat friends, mine's the one on the right here. The guy playing grabbed it when he broke a banjo string - and was much better than I could have been. The "somewhat inferior" (with a grin) other tub was a brand new one - of more conventional design, but the 3 basses were pretty evenly matched - and quite "musical."

John

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 01:07 AM

Wow John that's one nice tub bass. I've been interested in your design ever since you posted it some time ago on the Washtub Bass site, or was it here, I get confused. I would love to take a shot at playing it some time. What's all this with the wheels? It looks like they are about to start a drag race :-)

It's interesting to see other cross brace tubs show up here and there too. I came up with the cross brace idea sometine ago and first posted it in a thread here, then on the Washtub Bass site.

I'm pretty sure that the survey is legit. Posting a direct link like they did skips the main page with the explanation.

Gutbuceteer

Jim Bunch

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 06:36 AM

Jim -

I built that one to try out an idea about making the tub actually "resonate." I may have commented previously that there's a masonite "plate" between the two tubs, with a small (1.12?) hole in the plate, so that you have two essentially closed air volumes loosely coupled through the hole. The air in each tube has a "resonant frequency" that's pretty distinct. Since the two tubs have frequencies about a fifth apart, loosely coupled, you get a fairly flat response over about an octave and a half.

Over the resonant response range, you get a pretty good tonal simulation of a standard "stand up" bass - at least before a few parts started to loosen up from standing in the rain for 14 years.

Broken down for transport, the smaller tub nests in the bigger one, so it's not much bigger to haul around than a single tub. Since the "anticipated use" was the Winfield street jams - as in the photo - the wheels seemed like a good idea. The other guy copied that from mine. He's been coming around looking for about 3 years, but claimed he "invented and built" his while waiting in line to get his camping spot at the festival this year.

The two guys on the jugs in the photo were both mostly playing "slap bass" style. They were both pretty good. Had a lot of fun having the old jug wrung out for about an hour.

John

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 12:25 PM

And a moment of respectful silence in memory of those tub-thumpers who've gone to glory ahead of us.

The only tub player I have been personal friends with is now deceased. Not only did he share music, he was a carrier of the wow-ain't-life-almost-too-much-fun-bacteria. I miss Glenn Schultze -- the spirit with which he tugged that string, and (when he'd noticed a friend in his audience) the way he could send a wicked we're-all-in-this-together grin. You'ld laugh out loud from the sparkle in his eyes.

Keep slappin' them tubs, folks. ",,,I'm finished now and here's my thesis: Peace in the world, or the world in pieces."* You're making more than music.   Tw
(*Woody? Pete? Talking A-Bomb)

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 08:22 PM

My brother lives in Atcheson Kansas, and has been trying to get me to Winfield for sometime. Someday. It sure would be nice to see some other tub players that really try to play it like a real instrument.

JAB

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 11:47 PM

GutBucketeer--

Do come to Winfield! It's addictive, and there are definitely other tub players there that take them seriously, including my SO. He's too modest, BTW. The guy with the "real" bass in the photo laid his down in the road a little later with a grin and the comment: "Damn, you mean I coulda saved myself $800?" From all reports, the three "slappers" and their audience had a great time. (I'm sorry I missed it, having collapsed for a couple hours' sleep at the time...)

Lin

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: PoppaGator
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 04:00 PM

One more reason not to worry about responding to the survey:

If I were a spammer looking for unsuspecting victims, washtub bass players, as a group, would NOT be the most promising demographic group to pursue -- No?

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 10:31 PM

A friend built the tubotone bass according to specifications and with the "correct" brand of tub. He has experimented with different strings. Heavy weedeater line, clothsline, and a kind of thin braided cable. The thing sounds pretty good!

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 25 Oct 04 - 11:06 PM

One problem with the survey -

It looks like they are reasonably knowledgeable about the common ways of building tubs, but people don't build them to be "common." Every one is different, and a "check list" of how you built yours just doesn't give you a place to do justice to your own "special gutbucket."

Half the fun is the braggin' and there's no real place for "...except mine is ..." in the survey.

(The other half of the fun is tellin' the other guy how he can "fix what's wrong with his" of course, but you have to be face-to-face to tell how much fun you're havin'.)

John

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GUEST,Lauren Miller
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 09:47 AM

JohnInKansas is right-- people are entitled to know who's doing the Washtub Bassist Survey and for what, although it's incredible to me that anyone who considers the thought and effort put into the questionnaire could suppose that it's just someone trolling for email addresses.

The survey is a feature of the Washtub Bass Page, whose purpose is to organize information about the washtub bass and make it available to the whole wide world. At that site you can find pix of 50 or more wtbs or variants thereof, dozens of suggestions about the best strings or the best way to mike a wtb, links to many wtb-related websites, and lots of building and playing tips.

The survey results will be published on the Page and sent to the participants. I also plan to share the data with Jim Uticone, who's writing a book about the wtb and its plunkers. No personal information of any sort will be used without permission.

The survey does ask for names and e-mail addresses, but believe it or not it's not by way of tapping into the affluent wtbassist demographic and its vast discretionary income. It's to encourage responders to own up to their data, so the survey results aren't muddled with a bunch of facetious and factitious responses. And it provides a way of following up on particularly interesting responses. These, by the way, are the only two pieces of required information (and people can even leave them out too, if they want-- we just won't include their material in the summary.)

Every topic with a checklist also has a box for comments, where folks can embellish on the stock answers.

I hope all you plunkers will participate.

Lauren Miller

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GUEST,Lauren Miller
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 01:04 PM

Corrected links:
Washtub Bassist Survey
Washtub Bass Page

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Oct 04 - 01:09 PM

And it worked - the mild (I hope) question got us some participation from the originators.

Welcome to the 'cat.

John

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 06:43 AM

who invented when where did they create the washtub bass???



Nik

Subject: RE: Washtub Bass Survey
From: Rasener
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 07:03 AM

Well we got an all Lincolnshire UK line up at Faldingworth in January 2008. Very popular they is and they have a washtub.

Jet Skiffle & Blues

Better get enough beer in, to encourage the singing and dancing and generally having a good time.