How to Build a Talk Box

A talk box is a guitar effect that makes your guitar sound like its talking, using the power of your mouth.

Steps

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    Get a computer speaker.[1]
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    Remove the casing of the speaker.
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    Cut the wire going to the LED light.
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    Flip the Tupperware container upside down. The lid should be on the ground.
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    Insert the speaker into the Tupperware container.[2] Make sure the circuit board is outside the container, only the wires and the speaker go inside.
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    Make sure the speaker cone is facing the bottom of the Tupperware container, about 2" away from it.
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    Duct Tape the speaker into place. Make sure no Duct Tape touches the speaker cone!
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    Take out a drill with a large bit, a little bit smaller that your tubing width (the tubing should be no more that 1/2"-3/4" wide).
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    Drill a hole in the bottom of the Tupperware. Be sure to avoid cutting into the speaker cone.
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    Insert your tubing in the hole.[3] The tubing should be 1/2" away from the speaker cone at most. The tube must not touch the speaker cone or it won't work.
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    Duct Tape the tube closed.[4] You might want to use some hot glue as well.
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    Stuff some cotton balls behind the speaker until the whole container is full. Make sure the cotton balls do not touch the speaker cone.
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    Close the Tupperware lid.
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    Glue the lid down.
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    Insert the Tupperware into an airtight box. Put old T-shirt and socks around the Tupperware.
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    Close the box.
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    Drill a hole in the side of the box to let the tubing go through.
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    Drill another hole in the box to let the cable go through.
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    Plug the cable into the CD or external speaker jack on your amp.[5]
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    Turn up the volume to 3 o clock. Don't worry, no sound will come out of your amplifier
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    Turn the gain up to 3 o clock.
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    Put the tube next to your ear to check for sound.
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    Put the tube in your mouth.[6] Make lip movements, but no sound. Pretend your lip syncing. You can say whatever you want.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why can't I speak while using a talk-box guitar?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    A talk box changes the way the guitar sounds while you play it - like a mouth-controlled wah-wah pedal. It would be difficult to speak, since you have to have the tube in your mouth. You can vocalize and hum.
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

  • An old computer speaker.
  • an airtight Tupperware container.
  • 6 feet (1.8 m) of clear tubing.
  • Duct Tape
  • Old T-shirts and socks
  • Cotton balls
  • Hot glue gun
  • a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter.
  • A drill.

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLxpHMo4fMs
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cSpjQg_IDQ
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cSpjQg_IDQ
  4. ↑ http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/effects-projects/filters-other/talkbox/building-a-talkbox/
  5. ↑ http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/effects-projects/filters-other/talkbox/building-a-talkbox/
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIqxM-BNp0
  7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EIQxwotn3k

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 22 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 102,529 times.
33 votes - 77%
Co-authors: 22
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 102,529
Categories: Guitar Accessories
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