By
Cree Vicar Dave - SASS Life #49907
The Cowboy Action Shooting™ club at the Sault in the Upper Peninsular of Michigan puts on a great two day shoot every year. The yoopers really know how to combine good shooting stages with a social event. On Saturday after the first day of shooting the supper table is set up along with grills where steaks are prepared to satisfaction.
After a satisfying meal a local band is brought in to entertain. They play and sing country music with a few gospel songs. As I was watching the musicians setting up to play they brought out a banjo, guitars, violins, mandolin, etc. Then I noticed a homemade stand up bass. I play electric bass at our Church so this novelty intrigued me.
After asking a few questions I found out that the leader of the band made the 4 string wash tub bass from plans he got off the internet. He asked me if I played bass, I answered in the positive. He then invited me to play with them as their regular bass player was unable to make it that evening. I had never played a standup bass before so it took a couple of songs to find out where the frets were supposed to be. The sound could be related to a bass drum playing to scale. I enjoyed immensely joining their band for the night.
Upon returning home I couldn’t wait to do a Google search (havlena) to find the website so I could make my own wash tub bass. It is fairly easy to make for anyone with wood working skills. It turned out to be a great looking instrument. I had to make a few adjustments and move the sound post a little closer to the center of the tub but it works fine now. The secret to having a good sounding wash tub bass is quality bass strings and good tuners. Before Church on Sunday morning The Vicar’s Wife and I play songs as the congregation enters. She plays the keyboard and I join her on my home made bass. It says in Isaiah 38:20 “The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of the Lord.”
The web sight where I found the plans for the washtub bass is: www.ehhs.cmich.edu
They also have many other instrument plans on hand. As for me there is nothing more entertaining than live music with singers playing their own instruments.
God Bless,