Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
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Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
For you Shires gurus, what is the nearest bell spec to the 4 stock Bach 42 bells?
Gold brass - Heavyweight (H)
Gold brass - Standard
Gold brass - Lightweight (star)
Yellow brass - Standard
I realise that the Shires will still have differences and play differently. I'd like to know how the relative weights line up as Shires also have 4-5 different weights.
Thanks in advance.
Hamo.
Gold brass - Heavyweight (H)
Gold brass - Standard
Gold brass - Lightweight (star)
Yellow brass - Standard
I realise that the Shires will still have differences and play differently. I'd like to know how the relative weights line up as Shires also have 4-5 different weights.
Thanks in advance.
Hamo.
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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
https://www.seshires.com/trombonebells
First, you want the TII flare shape, which is a copy of a 42 bell. Shires now makes one-piece trombone bells, so to get closest to Bach, that's where you would start. They start with the number 5. They were developed just before I stopped working there, and the line was not quite what it is now, so I'm guessing a little, but:
Gold brass - Heavyweight (H) TII 5G
Gold brass - Standard TII 5GM or maybe 5GVNY (Vintage New York)
Gold brass - Lightweight (star) Chicago model (which might be the same as the 5GVNY, but maybe not quite)
Yellow brass - Standard TII 5YM or maybe 5YVNY
You will almost certainly want to pair one of these bells with an X tuning slide, which is closer to the taper of a 42 tuning slide than the standard Shires tuning slide. I use a Chicago model bell with an X tuning slide when I play tenor.
All that said, getting the feel of a Bach is about more than the bell; it's also about tapers, crook shapes, how the tuning slides are made, etc. etc. etc. None of those (except the X tuning slide) are replicated in the Shires line.
And then finally, I'm pretty sure it's still happening that players who come in thinking they will want one of these one-piece bells walk out with a type 7 bell - a 2-piece bell with the flare shaped in a way that captures some of the response characteristics of one-piece, while keeping desirable aspects of two--piece bells. On bass trombone, I haven't tried a one-piece that I like better than my BII 7YM and 7GM.
First, you want the TII flare shape, which is a copy of a 42 bell. Shires now makes one-piece trombone bells, so to get closest to Bach, that's where you would start. They start with the number 5. They were developed just before I stopped working there, and the line was not quite what it is now, so I'm guessing a little, but:
Gold brass - Heavyweight (H) TII 5G
Gold brass - Standard TII 5GM or maybe 5GVNY (Vintage New York)
Gold brass - Lightweight (star) Chicago model (which might be the same as the 5GVNY, but maybe not quite)
Yellow brass - Standard TII 5YM or maybe 5YVNY
You will almost certainly want to pair one of these bells with an X tuning slide, which is closer to the taper of a 42 tuning slide than the standard Shires tuning slide. I use a Chicago model bell with an X tuning slide when I play tenor.
All that said, getting the feel of a Bach is about more than the bell; it's also about tapers, crook shapes, how the tuning slides are made, etc. etc. etc. None of those (except the X tuning slide) are replicated in the Shires line.
And then finally, I'm pretty sure it's still happening that players who come in thinking they will want one of these one-piece bells walk out with a type 7 bell - a 2-piece bell with the flare shaped in a way that captures some of the response characteristics of one-piece, while keeping desirable aspects of two--piece bells. On bass trombone, I haven't tried a one-piece that I like better than my BII 7YM and 7GM.
Gabe Rice
Stephens Brass Instruments Artist
Faculty
Boston University School of Music
Kinhaven Music School Senior Session
Bass Trombonist
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
Stephens Brass Instruments Artist
Faculty
Boston University School of Music
Kinhaven Music School Senior Session
Bass Trombonist
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
Hi Gabe,
Thanks very much for this. Much more detail than I was expecting or even hoping for!
I'd really like to try a "Bachish" LW gold brass bell so the Chicago or a 7GLW look to be good places to start.
Thanks again!
Thanks very much for this. Much more detail than I was expecting or even hoping for!
I'd really like to try a "Bachish" LW gold brass bell so the Chicago or a 7GLW look to be good places to start.
Thanks again!
- pedrombon
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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
TII-7GLW. T-I taper is quite different from a Bach 42 taper.

Sonas Artist
Granada Brass
Orquesta Ciudad de Almería
Granada Brass
Orquesta Ciudad de Almería
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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
The Chicago bell is great. I don't play tenor often, but I feel immediately comfortable when I pick it up, like I have exactly the right combination of security and freedom.
Gabe Rice
Stephens Brass Instruments Artist
Faculty
Boston University School of Music
Kinhaven Music School Senior Session
Bass Trombonist
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
Stephens Brass Instruments Artist
Faculty
Boston University School of Music
Kinhaven Music School Senior Session
Bass Trombonist
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
Cheers, I'll take a look.ericcheng2005 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:03 pmFound a demo TII7GLW, you might want to look
https://brassgurus.com/collections/teno ... demo-stock
Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
Slidemo wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:39 pmCheers, I'll take a look.ericcheng2005 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:03 pm
Found a demo TII7GLW, you might want to look
https://brassgurus.com/collections/teno ... demo-stock

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Re: Relative Shires equivalents of stock Bach 42 Bells.
Does anyone know if the TII5YVNY is closest to a medium weight or a lightweight bell in the Shires scheme of things?