Bell Length and Tuning

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FullPedalTrombonist
Posts: 152
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:28 pm

Bell Length and Tuning

Post by FullPedalTrombonist »

I’ve collected a few trashed trombones to practice soldering joints and while looking at two of them I’ve formed a curiosity. The upper tuning slide legs on two of these instruments are exactly the same length and diameter. The bells are much different lengths. I haven’t yet done this, but if I swapped the bells should I expect a noticeable difference in how in tune they play? The dimensions of the bells otherwise are also much different. Assuming I can get the slides in playable order with just a makeshift jig and a surprisingly level table.
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BGuttman
Posts: 5897
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
Location: Cow Hampshire

Re: Bell Length and Tuning

Post by BGuttman »

There is no standard length for a slide section or a bell section. If you swap the slides to different bells you may find a big tuning difference. Measuring the overall length of the slide with a tape measure (i.e. right along all the tubing) can help you predict the combination.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
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