Make a Talkbox
Have you ever listen to Peter Frampton's guitar solos and asked yourself, "How does he do that?"
Well, he uses something called a talkbox. Basically it runs the sound from your guitar into an amplifier, out a speaker, and into a tube where you can manipulate it by changing the shape of you mouth and depth of you throat. They run about a hundred dollars but you can build one for less.
These sites help me link1 link2 link 3
Well, he uses something called a talkbox. Basically it runs the sound from your guitar into an amplifier, out a speaker, and into a tube where you can manipulate it by changing the shape of you mouth and depth of you throat. They run about a hundred dollars but you can build one for less.
These sites help me link1 link2 link 3
Supplies
You will need-
1 Horn Driver Here is the one I got (I might change it out for a better one soon)
* The impedance of the speaker needs to be the same as the one in your amp. I used these links to figure out what I needed.
Speaker Impedance
My Amps Manual
1- practice amp (mine is a Marshal MG10 I got with my first guitar. Don't do this to your best rig.)
1- piece of 1" flex PVC pipe
3- hose clamp (got it in the plumbing department it had 1/2" threads and fits the 3/8" hose)
1- 1 PVC Coupling
1- PVC Reducer 1"x 1/2"
1- 1/2" PVC Female Adapter 1/2
1- some length of 3/8" black vinyl tubing
1 - piece of 4" wide PVC
2- 4" PVC Caps
1- 2PDT switch (I wanted a stomp switch. You could use 2 spdt switched for cheap)
3- adjustable metal bands (one small and 2 big)
1- liquid silicone (optional)
1- flat black spray paint (optional)
1- pocket full of dreams *A MUST*
1 Horn Driver Here is the one I got (I might change it out for a better one soon)
* The impedance of the speaker needs to be the same as the one in your amp. I used these links to figure out what I needed.
Speaker Impedance
My Amps Manual
1- practice amp (mine is a Marshal MG10 I got with my first guitar. Don't do this to your best rig.)
1- piece of 1" flex PVC pipe
3- hose clamp (got it in the plumbing department it had 1/2" threads and fits the 3/8" hose)
1- 1 PVC Coupling
1- PVC Reducer 1"x 1/2"
1- 1/2" PVC Female Adapter 1/2
1- some length of 3/8" black vinyl tubing
1 - piece of 4" wide PVC
2- 4" PVC Caps
1- 2PDT switch (I wanted a stomp switch. You could use 2 spdt switched for cheap)
3- adjustable metal bands (one small and 2 big)
1- liquid silicone (optional)
1- flat black spray paint (optional)
1- pocket full of dreams *A MUST*
Tools
I did this entire project with a hand crank drill!! The 1/2" bit didnt fit it so i wrapped a piece of scrap leather around it and drill it by hand!
you will need-
a soldering iron
a chisel (maybe)
solder
wire
drill
drill bits
saw (hack saw worked fine)
helping hands (optional)
you will need-
a soldering iron
a chisel (maybe)
solder
wire
drill
drill bits
saw (hack saw worked fine)
helping hands (optional)
Adding the Switch
First, find where you want to put your switch, drill your hole and test fit it. Take it off and start soldering.
Ok, so inside the amp you have the preamp and two wires going to the speaker. I cut those lines and put a switch on the top of my amp. One set went to the speaker and the other to the horn driver.
Remember to tin the leads on both the wires and the switch before soldering. Pull all four wired through the hole in the preamp assembly. You can use the same wires that were there for the speaker and make the wire for the horn driver 2 feet (you'll see why later).
Ok, so inside the amp you have the preamp and two wires going to the speaker. I cut those lines and put a switch on the top of my amp. One set went to the speaker and the other to the horn driver.
Remember to tin the leads on both the wires and the switch before soldering. Pull all four wired through the hole in the preamp assembly. You can use the same wires that were there for the speaker and make the wire for the horn driver 2 feet (you'll see why later).
Pod Paining(optional)
At first I was gonna take out the speaker all together and just have the tube busting out of the front screen. Instead I make a little pod for it. I drilled a hole in the side for the wires to enter, pulled them up connected them to the driver, plopped it down in there and marked the excess and cut it off. Leave enough room for the top end cap.
I then drilled a 1/2" hole for the hose to exit in the top end cap. The inner diameter of the hose is 3/8" but the out diameter is approx. 1/2".
I painted mine flat black :]
give 24 hour to dry or you'll be sorry
I then drilled a 1/2" hole for the hose to exit in the top end cap. The inner diameter of the hose is 3/8" but the out diameter is approx. 1/2".
I painted mine flat black :]
give 24 hour to dry or you'll be sorry
Pod Mounting
I drilled holes through my metal band (WITH A FREAKING HAND DRILL!!) and screwed them to the amp. I made sure they went around the end caps to look cleaner.
Final Assembly
so attach your short leads to the speaker, attach your pod, pull the wires through, connect them to the horn driver, pull some hose through the top of the end cap, attach it to the driver, and cap that sh!t.
YOU ARE DONE!!
Last Thoughts
Soft plastic absorbs and changes the sound of your guitar. The shorter length of hose you use the better. I recently cut 4 feet off of mine and it sounds a lot fuller and less nasally.
YOU ARE DONE!!
Last Thoughts
Soft plastic absorbs and changes the sound of your guitar. The shorter length of hose you use the better. I recently cut 4 feet off of mine and it sounds a lot fuller and less nasally.