Hi all, I'm new to the forum though I've been reading it for a while now. I haven't started playing the guitar yet, but I've got one waiting for me when I get home from the dessert. On to the question. How does Peter Frampton make his guitar "talk" in Do You Feel Like I Do? I know I'm a long way from being able to play that, but I'm interested to know how he does it.
He uses a device called a TalkBox, from Heil Sound in CA.
Without getting too complicated, instead of using an amp through speakers... the guitar sound goes into a closed box with a tube coming out of it. You put the tube in your mouth, and you can control the sound (which then gets picked up by the mike and sent to the speakers).
I remember seeing plans for a build-it-yourself version in a book or magazine about 20 years ago... you might find some plans on the web.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
but I've got one waiting for me when I get home from the dessert.
Hurry home soon, and be safe.
Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down.
Welcome to the musical madhouse!
Personally, the talk box lost its novelty for me back in the 70s when I heard Frampton Comes Alive tor the 40 quadrazillionth time! :D I think that's got to the most overplayed album in history. Having said that, Frampton is a very skillful guitarist, no doubt about it.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Don't forget Joe Perry's intro to "Sweet Emotion"...
Others...
Nobody remembers Alvino Rey? He was the pedal steel player who was one of the pioneers of this trick. I remember seeing him play his "talking steel guitar" on some mid 60's music variety show -- probably the King Sisters. Apparently, he has already been doing this for many years and made a lot of novelty albums using the technique, which involved attaching a couple small speakers to the throat of a backstage person. Steel guitar signal was routed to this artificial larynx and the "prepared" person would mouth the words into a microphone. Basically, it's the same principle as the Heil TalkBox.
Danelectro currently makes a so-so version that comes with its own microphones.
-Greg
-=tension & release=-
I remember reading that Frampton got the idea from a pedal steel player, but I don't recall seeing his name. It was probably Alvino!
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
