Click on the photo to see the entire picture and check out my video if you're interested in hearing it!

youtu.be/h0CJryezpio

Make sure you play the sound through speakers that can pick up low bass frequencies before judging the quality of the instrument. Most washtub bass videos will not sound good through built in computer speakers. Trust me! It really makes a difference!

You can also hear me playing an early version of my washtub bass on the tracks "Plow Boy Hop" and "Bill Morgan's Gal".

During the recording process for Finding America I realized that, although I had a lot of different instruments to draw from for the recording, I didn't really have a bass or bass player to include on the album. Necessity is the mother of invention, so I went down to the hardware store and bought a washtub, a rake handle, and some clothesline and began fooling around.

My first few washtub basses flopped, so I scoured the internet for some guidance on the subject. Somewhere I found the pump-handle model, which has much better pitch accuracy than the traditional stick-with-a-string-on-a-bucket method.

And now I'm building pump-handle washtub basses. Here's the breakdown of what it costs to build one:

Neck.............................................................................$15-$20
Hardware (carriage bolts, various washers, wingnuts, and eyelets)
.....................................................................................$15-$20
Used Washtub (a beat up used tub sounds better)......$20-$30
String (weed-whacker line)..........................................$2
Optional gut string........................................................$40-$50

It costs me at least $50-$70 to build each bass. For the work of finding parts and putting them together, I'm willing to sell each one for $100. If I need to spend more for the gut string, add another $60 to the price.

I was required to estimate the shipping cost in order to complete this webpage form, but as of yet, that amount is not really accurate. I will consider the shipping cost of each order individually, and I will not ship out of country.

If you would rather talk on the phone about it, call 1-419-615-6094 or email me at keelermatt77@gmail.com We can work out the specifics from there.