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Big Sound – Old Box
While figuring out the logistics to record a video for the recent AM Challenge, I felt the backing track sound I was listening to via the JBL Flip 5 Blue Tooth speaker wasn’t giving me all I wanted to hear from the backing track. I came up with a sort of “light bulb” jolted idea!
While living in Arizona, I’d bought this beautiful (to me anyway) old wooden dresser that looked like it could have been used in an old western movie! You know – up in the dimly-lit room of an old western hotel, maybe across the street from the saloon. The blond colored wood with its “Old Americana-like” design is decorated with lovely but simple carvings on the drawer-fronts that remind me of horizontal flowing vines.
Simple but “old-elegant,” I thought. I loved it, I bought it and moved it to Texas when the time came.
Its life in the arid Arizona desert had left the wood very, very dry. I’d carefully applied a coat of an orange-honey-beeswax natural wood treatment and the old wooden chest really seemed to come alive.
I’d left the mirror off of the piece thereby changing the ‘dresser’ into a chest of drawers. It has occupied a prominent spot in my living room as support stand for the TV.
Even with the wood treatment adding some measure of moisture the wood is still quite dry, but the chest has so much old world character, I enjoy just looking at it. The drawers have become simply a place to stash things either temporarily or permanently that have no other specific place to be until I have a specific need for them. Whenever I open a drawer, the old chest speaks to me in tiny little wooden squeaks or groans. I like the sound of it.
Soooooo I thought of placing the JBL speaker inside one of the drawers just for the fun of it! Just to see what it sounds like in there. After all many guitar amps are judged on the tone coming out of the big box or body – as I understand. The “cab” plays a part inthe sound projection.
I actually really like the rich sound that seems to be seeping out through the dry wood or tiny cracks and openings of the construction. I cranked up the JBL as loud as I dared and played around with using different drawers for my rudimentary big box speaker.
Maybe it was just my imagination fueled by my nostalgic admiration for the old wooden chest but the overall sound “felt” bigger, sounded better, gave me what I wanted to hear from the backing track.
I actually turned the volume down during recording, so as not to over power my own lead guitar notes. Because I was working on the Challenge piece sort of last minute and without a lot of time to spare I considered but didn’t have time to empty the drawers – which I think would greatly change the tone. Hopefully I’ll find time to experiment with that in coming days. If you know what it’s like to have a “junk” drawer I think you’ll understand my hesitation to tackle that just yet. LOL!Anyone else ever experiment with putting your amplifier into a piece of furniture or big wooden box to investigate the sound?
I have a sense that since the wood is still in such a dry state, the wood fibers of the chest are free to vibrate as the sound waves pass through rather than the sound being stopped down by wood that had more intrinsic density by virtue of a more moist climate. Or am I just over-thinking the whole nature of sound and vibration??
Hoping for some insightful discussion on this topic. :o)
Ciao for now,
Marie“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau -
When I was a teenager I used to have that good old turntable that I played my vinyl records on. The loudspeaker was actually the top cover of the turntable so when the whole thing was closed it formed a convenient little suitcase that you could easily carry around.
Only problem: the sound coming out of that loudspeaker was lousy!
So I did just like you: I placed the turntable into a big bar-like cabinet.The sound actually doesn’t come “through” the chest and the drawer. What happens is that the energy of the sound waves coming from the JBL speaker hits the sides and the panels of the chest and the drawer, and puts them in motion (or not, if it is too stiff and rigid). Just like the top of a guitar! This vibration will in turn put the surrounding air molecules in synchronous motion, resulting in audible sound.
In doing so, the chest will actually “color” the sound by filtering away some frequencies and adding its own overtones. The result is totally unpredictable but can be quite pleasant!You are right when you assume different results from dry and moist wood, but not exactly in the way you describe it. If the wood is soft it will resonate easily, resulting in a lot of projection. But if you drive it too hard you’ll get an unpleasant over-saturated sound.
If the wood is hard, it will be harder to set in motion and that will result in a more compressed sound, with less bass and less high end frequencies but more mid-tones. You’ll get a more focused sound, and you will be able to drive it much harder.
Again, this is exactly the same as with softwood versus hardwood guitar tops!…I really like that chest! It has a lot of character!
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Jean-Michel,
My mind did conjur-up an image of the little suit-cased turntable you describe! How intriguing!Very interesting to hear your description of how sound acts upon wood of differing moisture levels. I hadn’t considered it as you describe but can certainly comprehend your descriptions here. I’m now planning a day to spend time with my “Big Box” to do some concentrated experiments focused on the sound.
I’m pleased to hear your thoughts that a higher moisture content might produce a more pleasant sound because I do want to increase the moisture level of this chest, primarily for it’s preservation. It’s, to me, a rather unique piece and I’ve recently written to the gentleman from whom I purchased it (Jim of “Jim’s Trading Post” in a tiny little western town of McGuireville, Arizona, USA) on the chance that he might have information about the history of the piece. I love research and history.Ref your note: “… the chest will actually “color” the sound by filtering away some frequencies and adding its own overtones.”
I actually have a song, I’d written some months ago (a bit on the jazzy side) titled “The Color of Music” which is still in development stage. Your comment now encourages me to complete that. :o) Thank you.
You’ve really made my day with this very detailed, informative reply.
It’s just the kind of ‘discussion’ I was hoping for.Cheers,
Marie“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau
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That sounds like an awesome chest Marie. I have a few pieces like that handed down to me from my Grandfather and various aunts. I never thought of placing an amp inside them but now you’ve got me wondering…🤔
Joe
The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge-
G’Morning Joe,
How sweet to have those pieces handed down from family. There is something so special (I think!) about older furniture pieces crafted of various woods. Like a collaboration of nature and the hand of man.Whether it’s guitar/music related or other items I just LOVE wood! I’ve spent a little time in very modest woodworking projects over the years, mainly small pieces – fine art birdhouses or little fine art wall hangings focused on showcasing the woodgrain and character.
I hope you get a chance to check out the “sound” of your own wooden treasures. :o)
Of course depending on what size amp you have it might be a little challenging to fit it inside the wooden chest. However, as I’m sure you know, there are many “mini”s out there these days. I have a Boss Katana Mini – I think it’s a 7 watt amp. When time permits I’m going to use it in the “Big Box” chest to see how it projects from there.Thanks so much for chiming-in on this subject,
Marie“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau
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Jean-Michel,
My mind did conjur-up an image of the little suit-cased turntable you describe! How intriguing!Here’s the guy:
Teppaz is a French manufacturer located in Lyon. I think they still exist today although they don’t produce anything anymore.
Isn’t that vintage? This is the so-called Oscar II model and during the 60’s they literally swamped the market with this portable turntable. Some even had batteries for ultra portability.
It’s got a dual tube amplifier and produces 3 W output.A great thing about these devices is that they are easily repairable (if you are somewhat competent in electronics, that is). This is because there are no integrated circuits: all the individual components are accessible. Great stuff!
Mine still works, but I don’t use it anymore.-
That IS indeed an exquisite little vintage treasure!!
I love the celadon-like color of the armature, and the little wheelie-knobs under the needle head.💕Opposite corner in front indicates it would also play 78-RPM records. Did you ever? Though I realize in the 1960s not too many of us were playing 78s.
“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau-
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Oh! Still a treasure – whatever the 78s are.
Years ago, I had been given about a dozen old 78s.
They were all classical music at a time I was not interested in classical.
My music interests have certainly evolved over the years and I now love classical music, too! I’ve often wished I still had those old 78s just for the nostalgic collection!
We just never know . . .! LOL!“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau
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If it sounds good it is good!
Sound is a wonderful thing as it can get coloured and enriched in such interesting ways from the environment it’s generated in.
Many many years ago I had a friend who had cupboards on alcoves either side of a central chimney breast in his lounge. He converted them into huge speakers by adding Celestion drivers into them. This was the era of bigger is better with the theory that the more air you could get moving inside your speakers the better the sounded would be. They sounded enormous especially if you could sit in the centre of the room with sound bouncing off all the walls! Never did find out what the neighbours thought of our late night listening sessions 😅
I also wonder if I would think the sound was that good now as with modern designs there’s far more definition in speaker’s sound. I imagine these old things would now sound very bass heavy.
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