TromboneChat

Hi all.

Has anyone had any experiences with cutting or trying a cut bell Shires Q36 bass?

I have a Q36YR and literally just for case convenience was wondering if anyone had gone down the path of cutting theirs, or trying one that had been cut? And possibly there are some playing side benefits? Or not…

Thanks

The same as usual... don't do if it's a heavier bell (regular weight Shires bells don't respond well to cutting IMO). The balance of the horn will change, for the worse. You will get less feedback. It's annoying to add a step to putting the horn together or taking it apart.

Upsides: it'll fit in a cut bell case.

I do have a Shires BII7YM that's cut that is a VERY good bell- as good as any I can remember. But all it makes me wonder is how it would play without being cut.

I also have a cut Bach Corp 50 bell. It's good, but my other... 4(!) 50 bells all play better to my taste. I use it when I travel but otherwise it stays in the cut bell case in the corner.

Here’s the Shires blurb on the QBY bell, suggests lightweight? But is a gamble for sure.

QBY bell: 91⁄2-inch, two-piece, hand-hammered “QII” taper in lightweight yellow brass with soldered bead

Bleek wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 2:29 pm Here’s the Shires blurb on the QBY bell, suggests lightweight? But is a gamble for sure.

QBY bell: 91⁄2-inch, two-piece, hand-hammered “QII” taper in lightweight yellow brass with soldered bead

Yeah I'd ask the Shires people if it lines up with the "real" LW weight. In that case I'd feel better about cutting it.

Depending on the vintage the weight can change. I have an older model bell that was cut and it is a monster. Way too heavy, dense sound, not shires sounding at all. Plays great though, according to Alexis its weight now is similar to that of a heavyweight bell. I wish it wasn’t cut because I’m sure it would be a miracle bell. Pretty sure my bell and Aidan’s are the edge cases. Better IMO to buy a bell that was always designed to be cut