Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 18:32:24 -0600
From: jim
Subject: [CB] interesting trombone
I don't know a fool thing about trombones,
Would someone educate me about this critter?
Jim
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Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 01:52:42 +0100
Subject: Re: [CB] interesting trombone
From: Klaus Bjerre
This is a plain Bb tenor valve trombone out of the
Moravian-Bohemian-Saxonian tradition. The embellishments indicate, that
it was intended for the upscale market segment.
If you wonder why the Eastern Countries, old European slang for
the Warsaw pact members, had this widespread usage of valve trombones,
in the jazz area more often bass trumpets, then you should have tried
one of their slide trombones. Not really suitable for making music, but
all fine for bodybuilding exercises.
And the slide technology of that area wasn't any better in the
pre-WWI era, from when this sample very likely origins.
Klaus
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Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 17:00:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Andrew Phillips
Subject: [CB] Instrument construction
I know many of you are great at building instruments, so I had a
question concerning construction. What are requrements to make a
flared bell such that it won't add sounding length to the
instrument? I have kind of an interesting project I'm working on
and I was wondering if any of you knew offhand, or know someone who
does.
--Andrew Phillips
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From: "Sung Hwang Wang"
Subject: [CB] Contra Stands
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 17:47:30 -0800
Thank you everybody for your vigorous and informative reply.
I take it that Robert James Weightlifter is an instrument stand,
where can I get more info about buying it? Does anyone have a
website address? I searched the web but found nothing.
Many of you mentioned the peg; I really have a dislike for the
peg assembly. On my Leblanc 352, it continues to slip. It
annoyed me to no end. I somewhat fixed the problem, albeit
unaesthetically, by wrapping the peg with some electrician's tape so it
acts as a stop. It works but in an unappealing way. So
whenever I can, I sit on a low chair so I can play the horn without
using the peg. I always use the neck strap for added security as
many of you have mentioned.
I think the Robert James weight lifter idea is a good way to
go. I can rest the bottom curve of the contra on there
directly. I think an adjustable drummer's stool would work
equally well. I should look into it.
Doing this way, I won't have to use the peg at all. It
would also allow me to rest the horn onto the K & M stand directly
without having to retract the peg first and every time.
So neck strap + weight lifter/drummer's stool = good way to go
while playing sitting down.
The above might also work if the weight lifter/drummer's stool
can be raised high enough for my 5'7" height. Does anyone know
for sure?
Just thinking about the peg assembly design. I think a
better design would be for manufacturers to use a thicker peg with
multiple holes drilled into it, and provides a pin. Players would
insert the thick metal peg into the receiver as always, adjust it to an
desirable height, and insert the pin into the receiver and the drilled
hole, much like the stack of weight on the lat pulldown machine or
bicep curl machine that you would find at the gym.
This way, no slippage, easy to maintain, and stronger support.
What do you all think?
Willy
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Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 04:05:50 +0200
Subject: Re: [CB] Instrument construction
From: Klaus Bjerre
> From: Andrew Phillips
> I know many of you are great at building instruments,
> so I had a question concerning construction. What are
> requrements to make a flared bell such that it won't
> add sounding length to the instrument? I have kind of
> an interesting project I'm working on and I was
> wondering if any of you knew offhand, or know someone
> who does.
Common wisdom, at least from within the brass area, tells that
your request cannot be satisfied.
Actually it is so, that flared bells add more to the "sounding
length" than their actual length would let one suppose. The wider the
bell, the more additions to the virtual length.
F tubas and single F horns in "theory" should have the same
lengths of their main bugles. But the tuba has to be shorter to
stay in pitch with the horn.
Bell volume and general bore also appears to be part of
the overall equation.
Acoustics aren't that easy to grasp!
One of my fields of interest is recorders, where I tend to find
carefully selected high end production recorders giving me the best
bang for the buck.
Currently I have a batch of recorders with me, from where I am
supposed to select a sample for a young Swede living close to the
Finnish border, where the selection options within the recorder field
aren't that great. Certainly not because of any lack of wood!
I abused the situation by having the Danish importer also
putting a couple of Moeck Ehlert altos in the box, while they were at
it.
These emphasise an experience I already had from the tenor
recorder area. For decades my only tenor recorder was a Moeck
Rottenburgh maple. It is so short, that it comfortably can be played
without any keys. The sound is really great. A lot of warmth and
projection at the same time. But the upper range is treacherous.
One never really knows, what one gets.
Oddly enough that acoustic instability of the upper range is a
derivative of the short bore.
In 1999 I acquired two long-bore tenors. Both with keys for the
right pinkie. The Moeck Hotteterre replica is a master instrument with
a majestic sound. The Yamaha is lousy in that context, but I got it at
a rock bottom price, when a sound studio ridded itself of surplus
equipment.
The funny thing is that both of these long-bore tenors easily
operate in the upper range.
The Moeck Ehlert altos are long-bore altos. They have low roof
baroque style curved windways, very wide to the boot. Their bore is
huge and not very conical, renaissance style. Their sound is huge and
there are no bad notes at all. Even the problematic high F# known from
Brandenburg#4 is there due to the long bore.
The price point is a bit spicy, so I am not yet sure whether I
will spring for it. My main reservation is, whether this wooden cannon
will become a close soul mate of mine (singularis used, as I am more
attracted to the blackwood sample than the boxwood one). But then this
is a tough question to put.
My two main altos after all have been with me for over 30 years,
so we are fairly acquainted with each others' quirks. Hence newcomers
ain't getting no easy inroad.
Just another stray of thoughts from
Klaus
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Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 21:32:01 -0800
From: "Grant Green"
Subject: Re: [CB] Contrabass Peg
>This in turn is difficult due to the poor design of the peg,
holder and
>tightening screw. The holder is cylindrical, as is the
peg, and both are nickel
>coated, which makes them slide unless the screw is extremely
tight. The screw
>(at least on my 1965 instrument) has a small wingnut head
that is difficult
>(and painful) to hold.
The cure for slippery pegs is to remove the screw, place a drop
of solder at the tip, and replace it. The solder is soft enough to make
a tight fit against the peg. Rufus did this for my contra a few years
ago, and it hasn't given me a problem since.
Enjoy!
Grant
--
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Grant Green Contrabass.com
Sarrusophones & contrabass winds
================================
--
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From: "Bradley Stevens"
Subject: Re: [CB] Contra Stands
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 08:36:39 -0800
Hi Willy,
I think I got mine at Frederic H. Weiner, but that was some
years ago and I didn't see it listed in their online catalog, Woodwind
& Brasswind didn't list it either, but that doesn't mean they can't
get it. I did find this with a Google search:
and also here:
but I haven't personally dealt with these suppliers, so who
knows.
The difference between sitting and standing (in terms of height)
is the distance from your knees to your hips and I originally ordered
the bass clarinet stand so I could stand up and play in a recital, but
the bass stand was made to replace a missing peg for sit down
use. I remember returning it and getting the saxophone stand
which is identical except for more height extensions for the instrument
base.
Good luck,
Brad Stevens
***End of Contrabass Digest***