Hello from Maryland

[AceFrehleyFan]

Hello all,
I'm not sure if this is the right place for this or not but I like to build my own guitar and bass effects and thought I'd join the forum and introduce myself.
I'm Shawn and am from Southern Maryland. I have been playing guitar for over 30 years and bass for over 20 years. I have always been into building or modifying electronic gadgets.
I am a stage lighting tech and computer nerd by profession and I build talk boxes on the side. Here are some pics.
I call my talk box the "Trash Talker"
Here are some pics of the first prototype

And here is the final product. This one is a "Road Worn" version complete with a simulated cigarette burn to give it that vintage look.

I'll post more pics soon.

Shawn

[Jdansti]

Welcome to the forum, Shawn!  I'm sure your talk box works better than the one I tried when I was a kid.  I just plugged a mono earphone into an amp and stuck it into my mouth.  Fortunately I didn't suffer any serious injuries when it got really hot and started smoking!

Any gut shots?

[rutabaga bob]

Hey Shawn!
  Welcome aboard!  You'll meet a lot of nice folks on here...(even if some DO wear a cat on their head!)   

Larry

[Jdansti]

^ 

[bluebunny]

even if some DO wear a cat on their head!   

It worked for Davy Crockett...   

Welcome, Shawn!

[AceFrehleyFan]

Thanks for the welcome. I'm sure I will enjoy the forum.

Shawn

[AceFrehleyFan]

Welcome to the forum, Shawn!  I'm sure your talk box works better than the one I tried when I was a kid.  I just plugged a mono earphone into an amp and stuck it into my mouth.  Fortunately I didn't suffer any serious injuries when it got really hot and started smoking!

Any gut shots?

Hi and Thanks for the welcome.
When I was a youngster, I duct taped a really short tube to the front of one of those little Marshall pocket amps and turned everything up to full and tried play the Scorpions - the Zoo but the frequencies and volume about rattled my teeth out!   Needless to say, I learned very quickly what not to do!
As far as the gut shots go, I might have a pic of the inside of the prototype. I'll look for it and post it. But it's built similar to the vintage HEIL's but without the indicator light and the need for a battery. I'm also working on one with an LM386 based on-board amp so that it can be run directly into any effects chain instead of having to run it between the amp and speaker cab as well as eliminate the need for an optional A/B switch.

Shawn

[whatdoudo]

Greetings. I'm no longer in the area, but up until 3 years ago, I had worked for PRS Guitars for about 5 years. I don't know how far away you are from Stevensville (on Kent Island inQueen Anne's County) but I know for a fact that a few of my colleagues did quite a bit of DIY stuff. If you take a tour (which are free and available to anyone) around lunch time or on a Friday afternoon, you'll see a bunch of guys working on their own stuff-- its really a sight to see 3 or 4 guys who, day after day, build (arguably) the world's finest guitars gathered around a workbench when a guy pulls out a beat up old Teisco or something and starts to re-shape the neck! While i was still working there i started building A/B/Y boxes and simple Distortions-- there's no end to the curiosity of these guys! We got jaded pretty quickly-- i was one of the few who got to work on the 25th Anniversary Dragon guitars (google it if youre not familiar) and i can attest that you CAN and DO become jaded by working on  $20,000 guitars daily, but then perk up when someone breaks out a weird fuzz box they made over the weekend. They're a very passionate and incredibly friendly group of cats. Enough rambling-- If you're interested, I can get you in touch with a few PRSers who might be able to lend a hand.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Hey Shawn... sent you a PM 

[jimilee]

Gutshots,bosrds and or instructions?

[pinkjimiphoton]

ummmm.... you don't usually need a board for a speaker.
a talkbox is a driver, two jacks, a switch, a box and a tube usually. 
that said..


welcome shawn!!