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Electric Porch?

So I was practicing some songs the other night with a tin guitar and my electric soda crate stomp box (with license plate stomping area), and while I like the sound of the stomper through a bass amp, keeping a foot on it puts me in a weird, unstable playing position. I'd rather be

So I'm kicking around the idea of building a section of electric porch, about the size of a shipping pallet, only sturdier and with slightly nicer boards. Then I'll put a piezo or two in strategic locations and wire 'em directly to an output jack. Then, when needed, I can stand on my little section of porch and stomp away.

I think somebody had something similar posted here back in 2012 or so, but I don't remember who.

Any and all suggestions are welcome, whether for making it sound decent or for making it sillier than it already will be. License plate(s) again? Multiple "hot" areas on it, or just one?

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on May 6, 2014 at 2:05am

How did I miss this Goldbergian post? What a great set of ideas here. I think the screen around porch just needs a bit of chain link fence reinforcement in the front for the beer bottles. Bug screen for the skeeters. Needs a little hot sauce too.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on May 4, 2014 at 5:55am

From Electric Lady Land to Electric Porch. Guess times are really getten rough. :) Be a great way to scare the %*$# out of the next salesman that walks up to your door!

You might run into problems using piezos. No matter where you stomp they will all pick up the vibrations.

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Permalink Reply by L. W. Carlson on May 4, 2014 at 7:09am

Oh dear. With all of the suggestions and abundant enthusiasm for this project I have a feeling it is going to end up being an experiment in quantum physics. This entire forum could possibly be transported 25 years into the future.

That is a bit worrisome, although kind of really cool at the same time.

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Permalink Reply by Better Trees on May 4, 2014 at 7:15am

I just wanted to say that I am putting a piezo in my deck today because that is the best idea ever.

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Permalink Reply by Cigar Box Gus on May 4, 2014 at 10:06am

So today I bought materials...just a 2' x 4' hunk of birch plywood and some cheap 2x4s to build the little platform out of.

I think I was unclear at first...I was never gonna climb under my actual house's porch and wire that. I was talking about a portable section of wood built sorta like a porch, but due to weight concerns I ended up going with plywood instead of actual deck boards. I'd like to keep this sucker under 500 lbs.

Now I just gotta build the silly thing. And paint it up all wacky.

So it won't look that cool, but it'll allow me to bring my electrified soda crate stomper sound anywhere and use either foot...hop up on it when I need it, jump off when I don't.

None of this is to say I don't think somebody should wire up their real, actual front porch. Especially if any of you live in a really quiet neighborhood, gated community, or somewhere with a really strict HOA.

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Permalink Reply by Better Trees on May 5, 2014 at 3:46am

Post pictures when you finish. It sounds cool; like an appropriate little stage for wherever you're gonna be playing.

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Permalink Reply by Cigar Box Gus on May 5, 2014 at 11:46am

I'm fixin' to wire 'er up this evening.

Now, about that "wherever [I'm] gonna be playing part"...I probably need to work on hooking that up next, eh?

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on May 5, 2014 at 11:55am

rolled up newspaper for song list ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Better Trees on May 5, 2014 at 12:02pm

Lol. I guess so. If you don't have anywhere else to bring it, why not just wire your real porch?

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on May 5, 2014 at 8:14am

Stone patios don't resonate too well. I hurt my heel.

Can't wait to see the portable porch Uncle Gus. Snare on one side and bass on the other? I bet you could figure out the isolation and wires for that. High hat in the corner? This could get really good really, really fast.