Klarinet Archive - Posting 000716.txt from 2002/06

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] How a bell works, from Benade (also: Modern Basset Horn designs)
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 13:16:50 -0400

It is interesting how few "modern" instruments have a bulbous
bell. Those instruments that I know of that have this end
modifier are: Oboe deamoura (sp?), English horn, Heckelphone
and a saxophone made by Conn (maybe in the '20s) called a
Conn-O-Sax. I don't know about the oboe de cautchia (again
spelling? and I'm too lazy to look these spellings up).

Somebody definitely had something in mind when coming up with
these configurations. What did they know that we're trying to
figure out?

William Wright wrote:

> <><> Benade wrote:
> The bulbous or pear-shaped extension at the foot of an English horn does
> not fit in with my explanation.
>
>
>
> I suppose he means that a bulbous shape does NOT allow the bell to
> replace open holes further down the instrument, and therefore a bulbous
> bell does NOT have the efficient mode of radiation for higher
> frequencies, and therefore my statement that my bulbous bell suppresses
> the higher partials, which are normally heard in a clarinet, is a
> reasonable statement ??? (until the air column becomes so short that
> the bell truly has no effect)
>
>
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