TromboneChat

Asking 'musically', more than literally, ...

Let's say you had a 10" (or larger) bass bell that tended towards the stereotypical flaws (core reduced, perhaps sounds good to the player esp played quietly, but gets lost/diffused sideways before it gets to the audience).

For those with enough experience of conversions, do you think of a screw ring's added 'weight/control/holding together at volume/narrowing of sound' as being in any way analogous to 'a reduction in bell diameter/the inverse of what a big bell does',

or not (it's just Heavy doing what Heavy usually does, the radiating behavior remains similar, and now you're stuck with a too heavy, too wide bell with the same projection characteristics but harder to get going and even worse on your wrist )

?

(inb4 https://youtu.be/jIYoyvW3J9Q)

How heavy is your bell already? I recently switched from a Bollinger bell to older shires bell that uses a horn ring. Still about as light as the bollinger when comparing the two with my hands but now breaks up and blows out way less. Granted, I did switch to a smaller leadpipe too, so, ymmw but everyone who has played my horn also agrees the problem is virtually gone

BigBadandBass wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:08 pm How heavy is your bell already?

Glad your new setup is working out. I'm asking with two things in mind.

Mainly, I'm wondering aloud whether cutting might be a viable means of rehabilitating, say, Bach L bells, or other out-of-favor satellite dishes.

The other background thought is that I've been playing a Benge 290 for a while and basically agree with everything said in this thread - https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15638 - especially Aidan's remarks. It plays very well and easily, but the tone sounds like a good sound that has had the lower frequencies rolled off, or played back on good but too-small speakers, and that lack of weight in the sound also translates to limited projection. In this case, though, I don't think the bell diameter is a major factor; I suspect it's an issue of resistance and harmonic development, and that the balance of design elements that make it so easy and efficient feeling (tight-ish leadpipe, single radius wide crook, open TS and bell throat) just don't promote that color and weight. Anyway, I've had the opportunity to compare it to various other instruments recently and the Benge holds up *extremely* well in terms of feel and feedback, but there are some vastly worse instruments out there that seem to do a better job of giving all four corners of the room something to think about.

Much of the effect of a screwbell is just the mass way out there on the bell. Obviously there's a change having the bell in two pieces, of course, but I think most if it just having a bunch of brass way out there. It may be worth trying some weights to see if that makes a positive difference.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 11:17 pm It may be worth trying some weights to see if that makes a positive difference.

Maybe see if a leather strap like Lindberg uses will suffice

I have two screw bells of different weights, one 21 gauge and the other 22 gauge. I've mixed them for fun but found it simpler to just stay with the same parts on each.