[Dixielandjazz] Imitation bass

[Mike Durham]

Hi everone: just for completeness on this subject, in the UK when the 
"skiffle" craze started in the fifties, most of us used tea-chest basses - 
same as the washtub as regards the broom-handle and single bass string, but 
using the lovely still-aromatic plywood chest in which the tealeaves had 
come from India. Never made the comparison, but I would guess the tea-chest 
had better resonance than a galvanised tin washtub, but I suppose all the 
American teachests had gone into Boston Barbour, forcing the natives to fall 
back on the washtub. And we Brits used the washtub to store the coal in, 
anyway! Incidentally, I started out my band life on this instrument with the 
Delta City Skiffle Group, before switching to blue-blowing (paraffin funnel 
and cornet mouthpiece), then graduating to cornet and jazz 
proper.......happy days!

Mike D.


>From: Anton Crouch <a.crouch at unsw.edu.au>
>To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Imitation bass
>Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 15:03:36 +1100
>
>
>Hello all
>
>And the winner is - Tom Wiggins, by a country mile. The device is sometimes
>called a "tub bass" and the thought of seeing it working together with a
>washboard player is enough to bring a smile to the face of even the most
>jaded jazz muso.
>
>I suspect that Tom is also very close to the mark with his hypothesis on
>the "bass cano". In Oz, "bush bands" often use a tin-can bass - the same
>set-up as the tub bass but with a 4 gallon oil drum instead of the tub.
>Given that a wash tub is rather large, Elkins may have used a smaller (oil
>can) version for recording purposes and attracted the attention of the
>recording engineer who engaged in a bit of levity with the recording 
>sheets.
>
>Now, who said discography wasn't fun !
>
>Many thanks to Bill Haesler for settling the "vocal bass" matter. Bill,
>what took you so long?  :-)
>
>All the best
>Anton
>
>
>
>
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