Log Guitar Uses Tube As A Bridge, Actually Is The Blues

In the never ending quest to replicate the tone of depression-era blues records, [Valve Child] managed to build the most backwoods guitar ever seen.

The body of [Valve Child]’s slide guitar was taken from the limb of a red gum tree felled during a wind storm. After taking a chainsaw, router, and sander to the guitar, [Valve] sealed it with linseed oil.

The real beauty of this build comes from the bridge and electronics: the pickup is made from six stacks of magnets encased in hot glue and wound with enamel wire. The bridge of the guitar is actually made from a 6GM8 dual triode. Not only does this provide the guitar with a wonderful brassy sound, the tube serves as a wonderful low-tech preamp when powered by a 6 volt battery.

The three strings on the guitar are tuned DAD, perfect for the likes of [Robert Johnson], or, for the younger kids, [Jack White]. Surprisingly, [Valve Child]’s guitar actually sounds really good. as heard in the video demo after the break.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FBaVq2WDNE&w=470]

8 thoughts on “Log Guitar Uses Tube As A Bridge, Actually Is The Blues

    1. By Jimmy, I think you are right!
      What an idea, but quite conceivable…
      the vibrations might be enough to vibrate the screen and plates inside the tube, now as to how well that would work, I’m not sure.
      If I had one of those tubes, I would test it…

  1. I have come across 12AX7’s that would work because they were badly microphonic. They usually get thrown out. Are you using a tube as a slide too. I have heard of a blues band called 3/4 or 5/8 some such size Deepwell Socket. Craftsman slides, warranted for life sold at Sears.
    Now hack a sustain system.

  2. I agree with jimmy. I have built a superhet tube radio which has a 6AV6 as detector and it’s way too microphonic, if you drop something, or put a noise producing thing on the table (eg: cellphone on vibration mode) it reproduces the sound on the speaker.

  3. The 6GM8 tube is pretty good to be honest, I really like the sound it adds to the pick-up.

    The worst tube I ever had was a Russian 6J6 tube in a headphone amplifier, any little bump and it sounded like you were shaking a crystal chandelier.

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