How To Build a Makeshift Talk Box (DIY FX Pedal)

[@jugheadjones5458]

I made one in 1976, very similar. I used a cassette tape recorder as the amp. It worked! I learned a lot of ways to make different sounds, one of which was to open my throat and it made a great sound. I like your design and it looks like it would be very inexpensive, and the electronics look simple; I’m not an electronics expert at all. Thanks!

[@musicalmiscellany]

That's great to hear. Thanks for sharing and also for checking out my vid.

[@robertstapleton4394]

That is fun! One other thing that is super easy for those who want to experience a bit of the talk box effect is to simply hold up your cell phone speaker to your mouth.

[@musicalmiscellany]

Yeah. That's a great suggestion to see if you like the idea. Thanks for checking out the vid.

[@alwayslearning8365]

Might be a good project for a Christmas present. 👍👍🎸

[@musicalmiscellany]

It would be a good gift for a guitarist (or even a keyboardist). They are a lot of fun.

[@garydesrosiers5692]

Very impressive,I like simplicity which translates to cheap🤣,thanks Kale👍

[@musicalmiscellany]

Me too! That's why I decided to share. I figured someone else might like it as much as I do.

[@cranstjs]

Thanks. That's a good job. I found the adapter on Ebay for around $8 with shipping. One thing I know with Frampton, he actually drove the speaker from a guitar amp output (50W Marshall) which outputted to the talk box jack and the speaker driver inside. Possibly with a capacitor. Which means he probably pumped a lot of wattage to the driver. I remember him saying it would chatter his teeth. Ritchie Sambora reportedly used a Fender Showman head to power his Framptone talk box.

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate you watching and commenting. Have fun with the build.

[@cranstjs]

@@musicalmiscellany Honestly, at 69 yo, and no longer playing out, I had to smack down that young person inside me since to me, other than fooling around, the TB is something for playing out and making that impression. So, doesn't really apply to me anymore. Of course I wasted a couple of hours of time sketching up what I would do to simplify it even more with a $20 4 ohm 250 watt compression drivers available for $20 off Amazon, and some vinyl tube available for $8 at home depot, and the adapter, for $8, with a jack, capacitor I already have. So $36 total. And I have a Galien Krueger amp 100W from the 70s that has a second series speaker output jack (which would make 8 ohms) and a switch to change it to 8 ohms. Where I would simply leave the TB coil plugged in all the time and active. In that way, you want to use it, just put your mouth on the tube. You don't, then don't. And in that way, my multi effects pedal tones through the amp input would feed the TB. So I could apply any OD or fuzz I wanted. Of course I wouldn't crank it up to full power to pump 100 watts into it or it would probably shatter my teeth. lol. That's "if" I planned to do it, which now I don't. But it was a fun little journey down fantasy lane for me. :) I also thought you don't really even need a box as long as you can prevent the leads near the speaker and at the jack from shorting.

[@bearshield7138]

I never knew How a Talk Box worked. You are right mind blowing. I got to put this information on the back self, But I am going to do this some day.

[@musicalmiscellany]

Yeah. I was in awe for a minute but I'm glad I figured it out.

[@bearshield7138]

I'm glad you figured it out. And I'm glad you explained it to me. Of course I have my contrabass canjo singing Baa Baa Black Sheep through my not yet built Talk Box playing in my head. @@musicalmiscellany

[@musicalmiscellany]

@@bearshield7138 The fact that somebody learns something from my videos makes it all worth it. Thanks for all the support.

[@bearshield7138]

your are welcome!

[@edwinrincon4266]

WOW, It's working is really mind blowing!

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking out the video.

[@davidglynnguitars8119]

Great Video. I built mine from a Horn speaker that I removed the horn from. The tube fit inside perfectly. I drive mine with a EH 22-Caliber amp. Switching is through an A/B foot switch. It's a fun thing to play with.

[@musicalmiscellany]

That sounds like a really good way to do it. I actually thought about using one of those pedal amps. I thought it might be easier to have a small amp in the box, but I'm starting think running power for a traditional guitar head might be better.

[@davidglynnguitars8119]

@@musicalmiscellany You could build it all in an ammo can. Put a 12V battery in the ammo can to power the amplifier.

[@musicalmiscellany]

@@davidglynnguitars8119 That is a great idea.

[@bombergers]

This is great video. Thanks for posting this. May have to try and make one.

[@musicalmiscellany]

Cool. Thanks for checking it out. It was a random idea but it worked.

[@stevesstrings5243]

That’s pretty cool!

[@musicalmiscellany]

It kinda blew my mind. I never realized the effect was coming from your head. Trippy.

[@midi_in]

awesome - that's so effective!

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking it out. I'm still kinda blown away that your head is the resonator. It's basically like a filter you control with your mouth. Wild.

[@besenkopf77]

Nice work!

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking it out.

[@carlosavalos9937]

Get the cu -40 driver from 5 core goes down to 160 hz great for talk box 16 ohm 40 watt driver

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for the suggestion, and for checking out the video.

[@ryankaul8620]

Upside down strat jack; henter sportscaster jack

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking out the vid.

[@Jack-fs2im]

Is this like Show me the way Peter Frampton.Yr very curious about tech and thats to be admired .

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking out the vid. It was a fun thing to figure out.

[@jfrankcarr]

Neat project. I have a Danelectro Free Speech talk box pedal I got as a gift years ago. I can't use it because the mic picks up my honking sinuses.

[@musicalmiscellany]

Oh jeez. I suppose you need to fine tune the mic a bit to figure out how to do it best. I'm still learning. Thanks for watching though.

[@DetroitMicroSound]

I bet an old cassette recorder with built-in speaker, and mic input, would also work. Drill a large hole in the side of the recorder, positioned behind, but next to the speaker cone, then cover over, and seal up the speakers original opening, then hot glue the tube into the hole, from inside. Think cheap 1980's Realistic cassette recorder, with a tube sticking out the side...😁

[@musicalmiscellany]

I'm pretty sure that would work. It's always fun to experiment though.

[@laubachdaniel1618]

Any tips or links for finding that adapter, having a hard time finding it for some reason. Nice vid and thanks

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking out the video. Go to eBay and search for DIY talk box adapter. There's a few of them there. Good luck with your build.

[@laubachdaniel1618]

@@musicalmiscellany well wow there certainly is a bunch of them if you look them up that way, I was looking in the universal sense, 1 3/8 to 1/2 plastic reducer, etc. Hey thanks for getting back.

[@theworstgeneration4406]

Digging the shirt

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks man. I always appreciate it when someone comments on my shirts.

[@stevedulong]

Hi , it is a cool project . The only horn driver I could find near me is a 500W . Is it too loud or it could work ? Thank you and have a nice day .

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for checking out the video. A 500W horn driver should work as long as you don't underpowered it. Instead of a 10W amp you might want to look for a 20 or 30W mono block amp, but theoretically it should work.

[@stevedulong]

@@musicalmiscellany Hi again , thank you for your answer . I have another one for you .. The only capacitor I could find similar to you are 50V 47UF . Can't find a 50UF . Will it work ? What can happen if I don't use a capacitor ? Thank you and have a nice day .

[@musicalmiscellany]

@@stevedulong Is it an 8 ohm horn driver? If so, there's not going to be much difference between 50 uf and 47 uf. The lower value with actually block just a bit more of the low frequencies. The idea is to block out any bass frequencies that could harm the driver. with no capacitor, it would send all frequencies to the driver.

[@stevedulong]

@@musicalmiscellany Thank you very much . Love your channel . Also made a electric lyre harp . It was much simpler . Have a nice day . 🙂

[@stevedulong]

@@musicalmiscellany Hi again . I'm a bit confuse . Can't find a 30w mono amp board and I already a the 10W . What can happen using the 10W with the 500w horn which is on the way from amazon canada . Am I better off searching for lower W horn ? Once again thank you and have a nice day .

[@stevedulong]

Hi , I can't find the pipe reducer , where did you get yours ?

[@musicalmiscellany]

Do a Google Products search for "talk box tube adapter". There are a few different sellers out there. I got mine from eBay.

[@gibson_az]

Could you try demo it using Bon Jovi Livin' On A Prayer? It would be great if the sound is similar to Richie Sambora's talkbox

[@musicalmiscellany]

Thanks for the idea. I'll put it on my list of videos to make in 2024.

[@lsmap86]

Could you attached these items link? It's difficult find them.

[@musicalmiscellany]

I got almost everything from eBay. There's a website called thetalkstar.com/shop/ that specializes in talkbox parts. You could start there but they're going to be a little bit more expensive than eBay or Amazon.

[@lsmap86]

​@@musicalmiscellanyThanks 😊

[@tonystanton9223]

Would have been nice if you actually showed us how you made it

[@musicalmiscellany]

I appreciate the comment but I'm a little confused by it. I went over the exact parts I used to build it @ 1:31 and showed a diagram of how they fit together @ 3:51. I also included actual footage of me building it. I'm not really sure what else I could've added to the video.