stompbox for disabled

[legless]

Hi-

I've been trying to find a wha-wha type apparatus that could be used by a disabled guitarist.-but I've not found any made commercially

My thoughts are something controlled by the mouth - I've been reading about the pressure sensitive resistors on earlier posts, which could be the way forward.

does anyone have experience of this- or any great ideas. thanks

[bluebunny]

I came across these - Quantum Tunnelling Composite "pills" - and was intrigued enough to buy a couple (check out the datasheet).  Haven't got around to doing anything with them yet, but my first thought was to put one on a plectrum: the harder you squeeze the plectrum, the more of your chosen effect you get.  Really must have a play...

[rousejeremy]

Talk box?

[Keppy]

Have you checked out the lightwah? It uses a light-determined resistor (LDR) rather than a pot to create the effect. Anything that moves and casts a shadow can be used in place of a foot. A search on this forum will give you all the info you need.

[petey twofinger]

http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/temp/MM_SoulKiss.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nU9mFkxfUY

a way to seal up the cds cell would be a minimal challenge , and honestly at 25 to 50 cents a piece they are pretty disposable .

i would immediately think some sort of mold with hot glue , or latex ... hmmm .

more complicated , there is something called the hot hand controller .

http://www.sourceaudio.net/products/hothand/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJmKkJqmVs

cool project !

[AdamM]

There was an attempt to produce a mouth operated wah-type of effect in the early to mid 80's - I cannot recall who made it, but I do remember seeing Robbie Mackintosh demo a prototype on a popular science & tech show of the era, called "Tomorrow's World", on BBC TV.

I think it probably used a light dependent resistor, or similar photo-sensitive device, and the guitarist effectively had to chew the mouth part, held between his/her teeth - let's face it, guitarists pull some funny faces anyway, so the expressive action is already going on - the real "discovery" was recognising that these funny faces could be put to use as hands-free or foot-free tonal controllers!

So you could make a standard crybaby, replace the pot with a light dependent resistor, mounted in a tube (ballpoint pen case?) on an appropriately long wire, and stick it in your mouth. Then say (or mouth) "wah wah" while playing & see waht happens (intentional typo )

[R.G.]

Vox sold some guitars that had a wah handle that was spring loaded over the bridge of the guitars. Palm pressure operated.

I worked out a remote control for a switching looper once for a guy who needed the stompswitches on the guitar. I came up with a remote panel with tactile switches that could be velcro-ed to the top of the guitar for cutting effects in and out.

[R.G.]

By the way, it's been my experience that "disabled" is a mental, not a physical condition. The number of functioning legs and arms doesn't have much to do with it.

[J0K3RX]

This is interesting...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zVCyavxfqSE#at=87

[darron]

the pressure sensitive pick idea is very intriguing! there could be a lot of uses for that.

my first thought is though that the attack on the string would put a bit of pressure on every time, might behave like an envelope filter which could be good or bad.


when i was younger i was thinking of making a tilt sensor so that as the guitar would raise up an effect would come on or change value.

i'd robably rather something that you could action with your free fingers or elbow to something sticking into my mouth though! something that you could attach to the instrument seems a little less awkward, and hopefully without offending, more dignified.

[Mark Hammer]

Rather than groping in the dark, perhaps the OP might provide a little more detail about the nature of the disability, and sorts of options available to the player.  Is this simply someone who lacks, or lacks use of, their legs or feet, or do we have some other factors to consider?  The EHX Soul Kiss might be a great idea...if the player doesn't also have to handle vocals!

[aron]

I used to own the Soul Kiss - it worked well. Wish I didn't sell it!
I was using in on keys and it couldn't handle the input. This was before DIY :-(

Aron

[mistahead]

We don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Once we have a clue of what sort of disability we need to overcome with tech we can look towards how it has been overcome in other devices - you know disabled folk have been driving cars, operating machinery, generally doing a bunch of all sorts of different shit for a long time.

Forgive the skeptic in me but I feel like we're being fished for ideas based on an idea like "yeah boutique pedals FOR THE DISABLED is a market that I can corner"... but I'm tired and assume the worst when vague questions are asked.

[psychedelicfish]

The OP's username might be a bit of a clue as to the nature of the disability...

[psychedelicfish]

you might be able to requisition one of the guitar's onboard pots for the wah pot

[mistahead]

Oooooh - ouch - my bad.... sorry OP.

But yeah - still no need to reinvent wheels (and just then noticed my horrible pun and want to apologise for it too).

[Jdansti]

How about an EHX wah with no moving parts attached to something that the user is able to move?

http://www.ehx.com/products/crying-tone

Or a take one of those harmonica holders and attach a pot with a joystick on it that can be moved with his/her mouth.

[mistahead]

I've not had time to look into it myself properly yet - but again cheap digital bathroom scales (Aldi sells "glass" ones is Aus which are the go I reckon), pop that open and whatever is measuring pressure there ought to be somewhat along the right lines/usable.

Assuming Legless is suffering from lower half of his extremities being absent but still has thigh it could be slipped under the leg while seated and controlled with a little rocking or pressing with thigh, actually you could sit on similar and rock to some extent.

In the latter you'd probably want two active pressure thingies, and measure the weight transfer between them...

[Mustachio]

Nice Idea Mista!

I was sort of thinking about an accelerometer and arduino to take place of the wah pot. I think I found some threads about it. I think you may have to map out the voltages to pwm. I'm not to sure but I think I seen some code for it ill look later and post what I can find. I believe I seen a few new commercial pedals that used something like that probably with some other micro controller and an accelerometer. Some how I think it would work faster and more like a wah if you attached it some where you have good control over without loosing agility in your hands that are busy on the fretboard and strings.

Another Idea I haven't totally hashed out in my head is attaching a pot to a tremolo bar. so the same movement you get when you screw the bar in would affect the pot instead of pushing the bar down to get the strings to loosen. If that makes any sense. But I think it would limit the agility in the hands to be picking and moving the bar would at least be harder to get the same effect you get from a wah.

[mistahead]

Also and interesting angle would be neodymium magnets and a theremin like interaction.

The DIY transhumanists (grinders) have some neat tricks that could be adapted, plus they can sense emi, which is cool in my books.