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Stroh guitar anyone? halp?

Working on a cookie-tin bass that is basically a metal resonator banjo design, but want to also include something like a Stroh / gramaphone type acoustic amplifier ( for the shiggles.. and a bit of reverb )

I think coupling the bridge to an end-cap on the pipe at the base of the neck ( on the bass side ? treble? does this matter ? ) with a spring should work for that portion, but for the return should it end in a horn shape?

if I directed the horn shape towards the back resonator should it work well or would it be better to continue on and have an external horn?

anyone familiar enough with the physics / engineering here to suggest what things might sound like? is likely gonna be a few days before I can get back to work on this, and is baking my noodle trying to grok what the finished product may sound like.

Also - for potentially adding a pickup - I am thinking a piezo should be fine, may just use a clip-on contact mic if I really want to play it through an electric amp though...

I don't even know how to play bass, lol, at 32" length scale this is gonna be interesting for me, so used to playing smaller instruments...

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on December 6, 2017 at 10:03am

click that search . or contact buggy , he's messed with a few .

buggy

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on December 6, 2017 at 10:35am

Maybe you could find a large bowl to use for the back, cut vent holes along the edge of the cookie tin so that the sound goes around to the front like a horn.

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Permalink Reply by JL on December 7, 2017 at 1:25am

Neat idea, couple the bridge to a diaphragm for a victrola-type horn, like a string between 2 soup cans for the phone in the old tree-house. First thought is an end-cap for 1/2 or 3/4 in copper might not have enough flex to act as a diaphragm, might need something bigger...

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Permalink Reply by Br Harold F Stubbs III on December 11, 2017 at 1:21pm

Jeesh I been too busy to even look at that thing much since I posted .. .

You may have a point JL. The pipes are 1/2" ID 5/8" OD, I hadn't considered the flex part of the equation ( I wanted to say Flux Capacitor just then ).

I suppose the original patent depended more/less on a 'drum' type surface, really need to drive that air to make that portion of the build work..

thinking if the other end of the pipe ends in a horn facing up towards but not touching the front of the body it should give a good reverby sound.. going the other way should be a little louder maybe though, less energy kept within the instrument each ... cycle.. ?

is just a weird idea. . I did get strings on the beast but not frets or really a proper bridge or nut, just enough to start working on getting everything lined up right since apparently I can't drill straight without planning first :-p

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Permalink Reply by Kigar on December 8, 2017 at 11:47am

Am I the only one who expected a Stroh's themed guitar? Anyway, I'd suggest to build it and find out. The sound on mine surprise me half the time even with a more traditional build, I have not seen anyone making something totally new with solid predictions of how it will sound.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on December 9, 2017 at 7:34am

I also expected that Kigar.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Dean on December 9, 2017 at 10:51am

being an ex-stroh's drinker, I got all excited at first...then sad lol

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Permalink Reply by Br Harold F Stubbs III on December 11, 2017 at 1:15pm

Sorry.. Not familiar with this beverage..

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Permalink Reply by Br Harold F Stubbs III on December 11, 2017 at 1:28pm

Without paying any attention to the 'Stroh' stuff, so far it has a rumbly resonant sound and likely one shouldn't play loud slap bass on it if their stomach is very sensitive to vibration.. That's what I get so far with quickly-mocked up bridge and nut ( had to rework the tailpiece so the durn thing matched up OK with the strings over the fret board rather than pulled off to a side.. measure twice, cut once, repeat as needed... )

Am hoping the tone just gets better somehow from there - at least currently I have something I can polish into a playable bass for sure.