Sadler Telling Stories 70 | The Boombass (One Man Band) Instrument Manufactured in the 1950s

Summary

The video script narrates the history of a vintage boom base, a multi-percussion instrument from the 1950s, cherished by the Sadler family. Passed down from Grandpa Joe, it became a source of joy and noise for the narrator and their sister during childhood. The boom base, with its tambourine, wood block, and cowbell, symbolizes fun and nostalgia, despite its wear from years of use. The narrator reflects on its journey through family events and ponders its future, considering whether to preserve it as a family heirloom or introduce it to the next generation.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The prop is a vintage 'boom base', an all-in-one percussion instrument from the 1950s.
• 🏭 Originally produced in Chicago by the Boom Base Company, which had a patent on the design.
• 📍 Manufacturing later shifted to Philadelphia, but the prop is one of the original Chicago-made ones.
• 🔖 The boom base is sometimes referred to as an 'Onan band' and has various names online.
• 🎵 It features multiple percussion elements including symbols, a wood block, a cowbell, and a tambourine.
• 👦 The speaker and their sister used the boom base to make music and noise as kids.
• 👴 The boom base came from the speaker's grandfather, referred to as 'Grandpa Sadler' or 'Granda Joe'.
• 🇸🇮 Grandpa Sadler was Slovenian, changed his name from Skua to Sadler due to anti-Slav prejudice.
• 🍻 He was a successful businessman but struggled with alcoholism after his wife's death.
• 🎁 The boom base was passed down to the speaker without much backstory, and became a cherished childhood item.
• 📉 The boom base's popularity declined in the 1960s due to the rise of rock and roll and folk music.
• 🏠 The speaker discovered the boom base again while sorting through their mother's belongings after her passing in 2000.
• 👪 It has been considered a family heirloom and was brought out for family reunions and musical moments.
• 🔍 The speaker did some research on the boom base but found it difficult due to the name being used by other musicians.
• 👀 The boom base, despite showing signs of age and wear, remains a significant and fun artifact in the family's history.

Q & A

What is the prop mentioned in the script?

The prop mentioned is a 'boom base,' an old percussion instrument that has been in the speaker's family since the 1950s.

What is the origin of the boom base?

The boom base was originally produced in Chicago by the Boom Base Company, which had filed for a patent on it. Later, manufacturing shifted to Philadelphia.

What is the address mentioned on the boom base plaque?

The address on the plaque is 1800 Bell Plane Avenue, Chicago 13, Illinois.

Why is the boom base sometimes called an 'Onan band'?

The exact reason is not provided in the script, but it is suggested that there are various names for the instrument, and 'Onan band' is one of them.

What are the different percussion instruments included in the boom base?

The boom base includes symbols that can be clacked, a wood block, a cowbell, and a tambourine.

How did the boom base come into the speaker's family?

The boom base came from the speaker's grandfather, Sadler, who was also known as Granda Joe. He brought it when he moved in with the speaker's family after his wife's death.

Why did the speaker's grandfather change his name from Skua to Sadler?

He changed his name due to the prejudice against Slavs, particularly Southern Slavs, at the time when he went into business in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

What happened to the market for boom bases in the 1960s?

The market for boom bases dried up in the 1960s because rock and roll became popular, and people wanted to play their own instruments in bands, making the boom base seem old-fashioned and low class.

How did the boom base affect the speaker's childhood?

The boom base was a source of fun and noise for the speaker and his sister. They and their neighborhood friends enjoyed making various sounds with it.

What did the speaker decide to do with the boom base after rediscovering it?

The speaker decided to keep the boom base, possibly to pass it down to his own children, despite the fact that they did not show much interest in it initially.

How old might the boom base be, based on the script?

The boom base could be as old as 70 years, as it is from the 1950s, and is certainly no less than 60 years old.