For a while, I've been thinking about making a stompbox and today I finally did it.
Parts: Piezo Buzzer from Radio Shack $2 Kids pull toy cart from ikea $8 Spare computer microphone
Carefully broke away the plastic buzzer cover to reveal the element inside.
Took the blocks out of the small cart, untied the rope and took off the wheels.
Took a left over computer microphone and cut off the microphone, stripped the wires and attached them to the element.
Right now the element is held in place with packing tape and the wires are held in place with gaffer's tape.
I'll probably solder it eventually, but it works pretty well as-is. Either plugged into the aux in port or using an adaptor into the input on the amp.
Most of my DIY projects take longer than expected and cost more than originally projected, so I'm celebrating a success that so far has done neither. :)
Cool! I've made about a dozen iterations of a stompbox trying to find "that sound" that I want to get outta one... They are very addictive little projects! Be prepared to get the bug! :)
PS. Sorry I didn't reply to your last e-mail... I was busy with lot's of holiday traveling, and it slipped my mind until now!
If you have an old speaker around--about a 6 or 8 inch stereo speaker will work, you might try screwing it to the underside of that same box--then just wire it in the same as the piezo.
To my ears, I think using the speaker as a mic gives a less edgy sound--and a little less of the ambient noise--a little more bass drum like.
I've used a lot of these piezos for foot rigs and for CBG guitars, and they seem a little too hot and quacky for me, especially when you set them down on a floor in a bar and somebody across the room scootches a chair over the floor--(putting little rubber stick-on feet under it will avoid a lot of that noise).
Just an idea to play with--the sound you are getting will work just great--especially with the Farmer unit.
Here's an old video I posted a long time ago showing one of the incarnations of my foot-drums--in case it's interesting to somebody:
A practice video of the whole thing put together with harp, guitar, and foot drums--
Yeah, I agree with Ray. That's a pretty darn good sound you are getting! I've tried several different materials for the box. I've tried plywood, laminate, pine boards, chipboard, etc., I've also tried all kinds of transducers from several types of piezo discs to dynamic mics, to condenser mics, to old speakers (as Ray mentions). But no matter what I do, I can't get it to make the right kind of foot-tapping sound that I want it too... You know, kind of boomy, and deep. It always sounds too tinny or too muffled. But that little IKEA toy pull cart seems to make a pretty good sound! I think the main problem I have is that I need to make better box structures, and work to try to get the resonance right. I have an idea to follow some plans for DIY Cajon drums, but to make the box shallower. Also, I think I need to just break down and go buy some good hardwood ply. I'm told that the local woodworkers source has baltic birch plywood, which is supposed to have really good acoustic qualities. It's not cheap, which is why I've been dragging my heels on it, but I finally have every other element of my street rig in place, and really need to have a good stomp box at my disposal to round it out. ---------- == I S A A C ==
Getting in the mood to try my hand at a stomp box. I found a local guy here east TN that builds stomp boxes and guitars from cigar boxes ..pretty cool.
I just built a Kick Drum / Stomp Box similar to Deak Harps. The snare drum stands on end, with the kick pedal using a drummers brush rather than a bass drum mallet. The stomp box is a pepsi crate with a masonite lay over top. the opening for handles allow the mic cord into the bottom of the box and allows the box to be amped. Working on some of Adams songs off his Kick and Stomp CD. ---------- And I Thank You !! K.C. castlehomes69@yahoo.com
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2012 9:15 AM
stomp box is easy. properly damped piezo, a guitar pickup with work with a license plate on top. ive been making one from a canadian cratewood slats that have tounge and groove. i want to get that john lee hooker front porch rattle.
My stomp box is even simpler. Modeled after larger one a friend makes, it has a 2"x2" frame sandwiched by 2 15"x18" pieces of 7/16" birch plywood. I've added some plastic feet to allow the bottom piece of plywood to resonate more. I made a simple handle on one side from a loop of nylon webbing.
One of the frame members has a 2" gap in it to allow you to place a mic' inside the box. You just slide the mic' inside the hole in the frame and you're good to go. I've found that cheaper mic's actually sound better than more expensive ones. I use a high impedance mic' so I can plug it onto a PA or a tube guitar amp.
You can adjust the tone of the box by "stomping" or tapping in different spots on its 15" x 18" surface. I made it oblong to permit the use of both feet when I really get carried away. Works pretty darn good, especially compared to the commercially available $300 "Porchboard Bass."
I just built up a box using birch ply as well. It too is rectangular and large enough to get both feet on (2' x 1'). The bottom is detachable as I am planning on making this a combo pedalboard/stompbox. That is, the bottom will be the pedal board, and the top will lift off and be a stand alone stomp platform. I'm waiting on some hardware (draw latches) in order to finish it, but the basic box is done (I glued it up a few days back). I'll experiment with diferent mics/pickups tonight and report back... ---------- == I S A A C ==
radio shack piezos are very thin and feedback. you wanna go with a thicker piezo. i cant find the pic and vid now but i saw a guy had a piezo in his heel and a phone jack on the side. he played cbg and stomped his foot no box. ive been thinkin a small asprin tin with a properly damped piezo filled with BBs in a stacy adams shoe.
