Woogie Board Brings New Sound to Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The birthplace of the blues, and rock and roll, and even Stax Soul Music -- Memphis can lay claim to a lot of music firsts. One new music instrument made here, may soon have the worldwide music scene "awash" in a new sound.

St. Blues guitars-the outside of the building gives a rough hint of the heavy metal instruments being produced inside which are known for their custom guitars. This company is now awash in a different instrument, the creation of which is a dream fulfilled for musician Cody Dickinson.

"You have a jack to plug it in and a control and a three way pickup like a guitar," said Dickinson. "I don't think anyone expected it to do what it's done."

Dickinson of North Mississippi All Stars fame first picked up the washboard as a child at the urging of his father, legendary Memphis musician Jim Dickinson.

"Little did I know that it would catch on and turn in the creative direction it did and turn into this monster of an instrument for me."

Now with the help of St. Blues, Dickinson has taken the washboard to a whole new electrifying level.

"Yeah I get a kick out of it every time I plug it in, and put on the woogie board," said Dickinson. "This is the custom high end model it's strictly hand made here in Memphis."

With Cody's help, St. Blues has created the woogie board- an electrified washboard, run through effects. Cody's late father once described the electric woogie boards sound as something like Jimi Hendrix meets 1970's Wah-Wah pedal porno music.

"Yeah, exactly (laughter) it's very seductive and entertaining, and very rhythmic," said Dickinson. "It sounds so psychedelic and interesting; it's something new that people haven't seen before."

"The way it catches the wah and the delay it's just really trippy."

"But when you plug it into the electric washboard, it's completely different, in my opinion, it's like these pedals have more to offer than the guitar has to offer, the washboard gets it."

"Man these base frequencies are just killer"

The electric washboards are cut by carpenter Will Magowan and assembled at St. Blues. The woogie board is music's first full production electric washboard.

"The electric washboard, let's do it," said Dickinson. "It speaks like a guitar, but it has the capability of being so rhythmic almost like a drum kit, it's just a real way to express myself musically."

Some thirty woogie boards have already been sold, and one was even delivered by Cody to legendary Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant as a gift.

"But when I gave him the woogie board, he jumped up man, he was so happy."

"It's a magic combination of something old and something totally new and with a twist, that's the magic of the woogie board," said Dickinson. "The woogie board is a Memphis creation through and through."