TromboneChat

I’ve got a 3B from the early 70’s.
On all D’s and B’s throughout the horn’s range
the bell continues to ring after I’ve stopped
the tone. It lasts for couple seconds like
a gong effect. I actually don’t mind it all that much
but I’m curious. Has anyone else had this on a horn?
Someone suggested that there might be an issue
with the bell bead but I don’t see anything
that looks unusual.

Thanks

Not me. I'd you like it, it's probably okay, right?

I have a Corporation bell that rings after I play certain notes. I've never thought of it as a bad thing. To me, I enjoy hearing the sound of the ring, it just tells me that the bell is really resonant.

A lot of Elkhart 88hs ring at high F#. It bothers some people, I'm just glad to have a horn that resonates. If you don't like it, you can put a headband around the throat of the bell, or any sort of stretchy vibration killing stuff. Even tape might work, or a wrist wrap.

My straight 3b vibrates on B's and C's, especially up high. I've always loved that about my horn. It doesn't last a couple seconds though.

I think in a previous thread some time ago, some one pointed out that it could be that the bell stem has a flat spot somewhere that you'd have to desolder the bell to access.

my conn 88HN rings especially in Bb just above the staff. In the higher notes, it stops and rings a bit lower but stops furtther down the range. I like to think of it as evidence that the bell resonates. not sure if mine is from significantly increased stiffness from solid nickel bell but I doubt it. but I have evidence from the ringing that the bell is alive and singing.

My 2B bell does the same thing with Eb. Never really bothered me ! The vocabell sings on B and F#...

Windmill wrote: Sat May 03, 2025 3:56 pm My 2B bell does the same thing with Eb. Never really bothered me ! The vocabell sings on B and F#...

I’ve grown to like it. I’m stripping the deep gold
lacquer off tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see if it has any
effect on the ringing tones.

I don't think that will affect anything about the ringing... But the best way to know is to try

I've encountered this phenomena only on rather thick bells. When you tap them with your fingernail, the thin flares tend to produce a deadish sound, just metal like. The thick flares would ring around a specific tone or harmonic bank.

Windmill wrote: Sun May 04, 2025 2:43 am I don't think that will affect anything about the ringing... But the best way to know is to try

I've encountered this phenomena only on rather thick bells. When you tap them with your fingernail, the thin flares tend to produce a deadish sound, just metal like. The thick flares would ring around a specific tone or harmonic bank.

Interesting. Any idea how thick? I'm going to tap all the bells I have and see.

A bell meant to ring (handbell, church bell, reindeer bell) is usually modeled as a flat plate. But a trombone bell has a big hole in the center.

I measured quasi 1mm on the edge of the Vocabell flare, which is thiiiick !

timothy42b wrote: Sun May 04, 2025 6:26 am A bell meant to ring (handbell, church bell, reindeer bell) is usually modeled as a flat plate. But a trombone bell has a big hole in the center.

Not sure I follow you; surely handbells, church bells, reindeer bells are all bell-shaped - just like the 'bell' of a brass instrument! (which is why that part of the instrument is called the 'bell'). And they all have a big hole in the centre.

The only instrument I know of that could be described as 'modelled as a flat plate' is a cymbal.

With best regards,
Jack

Yes, exactly, a bell is a circular flat plate just like a cymbal.

Interestingly enough, a handbell (I direct a choir) rings mostly at the fundamental and the 12th. But not a church bell. It has about 5 main frequencies, and the lowest ones are not the perceived pitch.

https://campaners.com/pdf/pdf1839.pdf

https://www.hibberts.co.uk/wp-content/u ... t_1982.pdf

My 42bo rings on some notes. I cant hear it so much as feel it. I didnt think it was odd until I played someone else's horn and didnt feel that familiar ring.

My first bass trombone was a Bach 50B3 that would ring and vibrate around G/Ab4.

My Getzen 3062 rings and vibrates on all Ab's. It's subtle and doesn't bother me. Only had teachers notice it during lessons in a quiet room.

A student had a 3B that would ring after playing a middle C. A loud ring. It would also vibrate in my hands. Was not annoying, just neat.