Rocker440
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There are some guitar players that use a very unique piece of equipment in conjunction with playing their instrument known as a Talk Box. It makes for some very cool, special sounds in addition to their guitars usual sounds.
Some information on the Talk Box from Wikipedia.
A talk box is an effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of their mouth. The effect can be used to shape the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto a musical instrument, typically a guitar (its non-guitar use is often confused with the vocoder) and keyboards.
The Talk Box
Some further info also from Wikipedia.
The first high powered Talk Box was developed by Bob Heil but there is clearly prior art in the form of the Kustom Electronics device, "The Bag", which is the same concept housed in a decorative bag slung over the shoulder like a wine bottle using only a 30 watt driver and sold in 1969, two years before Heil's High Powered Talk Box. The Bag is claimed to have been designed by Doug Forbes, who states that the exact same concept (horn driver attached to a plastic tube and inserted into the mouth) had previously been patented as an artificial larynx. But it was Heil that came up with the first HIGH POWERED Talk Box that could be reliable when used on high level rock stages. His first Heil Talk Box was built for Joe Walsh's Barnstorm tour. Heil, Walsh and Walsh's guitar tech "Krinkle" used a 250 watt JBL driver and suitable low pass filter that was used for 'Rocky Mountain Way'. Yes, there were several other devices prior but it was Heil that brought the Talk Box to the loud Rock stages for Walsh and in 1973, Peter Frampton. Richie Sambora used the Heil Talk box on "Living On A Prayer'. Alice in Chains, Adam Jones of TOOL, Slash, the Eagles plus dozens of groups continue to keep the Heil Talk Box in their song sets.The band Iron Butterfly used a talk box in 1970 on the song "Butterfly Bleu".In 1973, Heil gave one of his high powered talk box to Peter Frampton as a Christmas present. This was a hand built Talk Box in a fiberglass box using a 100 watt high powered driver. This was the Heil Talk Box used for the Frampton Comes Alive tour and album. Frampton first heard the talk box when Stevie Wonder was using it for his upcoming album Music of My Mind. Then when he was playing guitar on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, he saw Pete Drake using it with a pedal steel guitar. Frampton used it on his album Frampton Comes Alive! Due to the success of the album, and particularly the hit singles "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Show Me the Way", Frampton has become somewhat synonymous with the talk box. In an interview with Nuno Bettencourt, Brian May was questioned about whether the song "Delilah" was recorded using a talk box on Queen's "Innuendo" record. May answered: "Yes, I finally succumbed and used one ... I suppose there’s no other way to make the meow sounds, meow, meow, meow". In 1988, Heil sold the manufacturing rights to Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. who currently builds the Heil Talk Box to the exact standards that Bob Heil designed in 1973. Peter Frampton also now sells his own line of custom designed "Framptone" products, including a talk box.
Who are some of your favorite guiratists that both utilize the Talk Box and what are some of your favorite songs that they play using this equipment?
Some of my favorites.
Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way (also with an excellent slide intro part, too)
Joe Perry
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Matthias Jabs
Scorpions - The Zoo
One more.
Richie Sambora
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
Some information on the Talk Box from Wikipedia.
A talk box is an effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of their mouth. The effect can be used to shape the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto a musical instrument, typically a guitar (its non-guitar use is often confused with the vocoder) and keyboards.
The Talk Box
Some further info also from Wikipedia.
The first high powered Talk Box was developed by Bob Heil but there is clearly prior art in the form of the Kustom Electronics device, "The Bag", which is the same concept housed in a decorative bag slung over the shoulder like a wine bottle using only a 30 watt driver and sold in 1969, two years before Heil's High Powered Talk Box. The Bag is claimed to have been designed by Doug Forbes, who states that the exact same concept (horn driver attached to a plastic tube and inserted into the mouth) had previously been patented as an artificial larynx. But it was Heil that came up with the first HIGH POWERED Talk Box that could be reliable when used on high level rock stages. His first Heil Talk Box was built for Joe Walsh's Barnstorm tour. Heil, Walsh and Walsh's guitar tech "Krinkle" used a 250 watt JBL driver and suitable low pass filter that was used for 'Rocky Mountain Way'. Yes, there were several other devices prior but it was Heil that brought the Talk Box to the loud Rock stages for Walsh and in 1973, Peter Frampton. Richie Sambora used the Heil Talk box on "Living On A Prayer'. Alice in Chains, Adam Jones of TOOL, Slash, the Eagles plus dozens of groups continue to keep the Heil Talk Box in their song sets.The band Iron Butterfly used a talk box in 1970 on the song "Butterfly Bleu".In 1973, Heil gave one of his high powered talk box to Peter Frampton as a Christmas present. This was a hand built Talk Box in a fiberglass box using a 100 watt high powered driver. This was the Heil Talk Box used for the Frampton Comes Alive tour and album. Frampton first heard the talk box when Stevie Wonder was using it for his upcoming album Music of My Mind. Then when he was playing guitar on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, he saw Pete Drake using it with a pedal steel guitar. Frampton used it on his album Frampton Comes Alive! Due to the success of the album, and particularly the hit singles "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Show Me the Way", Frampton has become somewhat synonymous with the talk box. In an interview with Nuno Bettencourt, Brian May was questioned about whether the song "Delilah" was recorded using a talk box on Queen's "Innuendo" record. May answered: "Yes, I finally succumbed and used one ... I suppose there’s no other way to make the meow sounds, meow, meow, meow". In 1988, Heil sold the manufacturing rights to Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. who currently builds the Heil Talk Box to the exact standards that Bob Heil designed in 1973. Peter Frampton also now sells his own line of custom designed "Framptone" products, including a talk box.
Who are some of your favorite guiratists that both utilize the Talk Box and what are some of your favorite songs that they play using this equipment?
Some of my favorites.
Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way (also with an excellent slide intro part, too)
Joe Perry
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Matthias Jabs
Scorpions - The Zoo
One more.
Richie Sambora
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
