Stethoscope for Guitar/Bass

[groover]

HC - True North Music Productions Introduces The Dragon Fly Personal Powerless Stethoscope Amp

 

Manufacturer site

 

This could be a handy tool for hearing the "true" sound of your bass. Would be interesting to take one into a music store and audition a few basses.

[jeremy c]

Any doctors or nurses here who can use their own stethoscope and give us a report?

[bspangleyahoo.com]

I'm an idiot for not thinking about this or marketing a similar product. Mechanics also have a version of a stethoscope.

 

You could easily & cheaply fashion a s-scope by buying some tubing & a y-connection from an auto parts store. For the 'transducer' to attach to the bass, you could try a small funnel or a small radio speaker. Though I don't know which product would work best off of the top of my head, I know there are gummy adhesives which would not harm the basses' finishes to attach the funnel. (In the case of my regular gigging axes, I wouldn't care anyway. They're not beauty queens or vintage stuff.)

[butcherNburn]

It may be usefull to hear the differences in the resonant quality of different woods, finishes etc.

[Rowbee]

I have one for my practice bass, I can't stand using it for long as I suffer from an unpleasant feeling like my head is being crushed.

[thanny XIII]

I did that with like a toy stethoscope and really liked it. Although rowbee is right it hurts after a while.

[rdepelteau]

I'm a part time doctor.

[kenfxj]

I just checked out my Jazz and my Ric with my wife's cariology stethoscope. I could definitely hear a difference between the two, though I couldn't say "oh, that's a J" or "that's definitely a Ric".

 

It's similar to pressing your ear down on the upper horn, only louder. Clearly something you could use for unplugged practice. Uncomfortable as hell.

 

I prefer my Pocket Rock-it. Much more comfortable. Plus, I can use the tone controls.

[bspangleyahoo.com]

One of my aunt's was a heart doctor. She recently passed. My uncle loves arcane topics such as this. I'm going to see if he has one of her s-scopes.

 

1) Kenfxj, I would also guess that the timbre would depend on the placement of the scope on an instrument.

 

2) I'm probably blowing some money here, I don't see why a more comfortable, headphone-like earpieces couldn't be used or maybe something similar to earbuds.

 

3) I noodle/practice on occasion with comfortable headphones & a Zoom 708 stompbox. After a bit of time I find myself turning up the volume. I suspect others, using personal practice devices do the same. This isn't great for your hearing. The stethoscope device would prevent the gradual but harmful 'turning-up' syndrome.