 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rc.prestige
Date: 2021-08-07 06:56
Has anyone had any experience in tampering with Buffet bells? I actually prefer the look, aesthetically, of bells without the ring at the bottom. It has left me wondering 1) after removing it, would the edges of the wood need to be sanded/smoothed out at all? and 2) is this likely to be detrimental to the sound at all?
Your thoughts and experiences are welcomed
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Author: Hurstfarm
Date: 2021-08-07 10:32
Sounds like a bad idea to me. The bells are designed as an integral unit. You’d be left with a horrible notch and a weakened bell rim, and it would probably be acoustically compromised as you’d have changed the weight and density of the bell. It could also make the instrument more difficult to sell.
If you like the ringless look, just get a Buffet Icon bell that’s designed to match your clarinet and to look that way.
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Author: rc.prestige
Date: 2021-08-07 14:24
Yeah fair point. I had considered that, it's just I know the RC bells are designed slightly differently and wanted to stick with it.
Is there any point of difference in the Icon bells?
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2021-08-07 16:12
I'm trying to remember the last time I saw a Buffet bell with the ring off. I don't think that the shape of the wood matches the metal. I believe it was squared off at the end. The Buffet E12F bells are ringless and I've seen a few that have gotten cracked, chipped, or worse - probably from being dropped.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Hurstfarm
Date: 2021-08-07 18:07
RC.Prestige wrote:
>Is there any point of difference…?
The Icon bells are thinner and lighter than a standard RC bell, and nicely made. They’re meant to be compatible with Buffet’s range of clarinets, so should be fine on an RC, but as ever, you’d have to try one to gauge how it works for you.
Buffet’s technical blurb says this:
“Technical Characteristics
Developed by Buffet Crampon, the shape of the ICON bell is narrowed at the midpoint and the base is ringless. The flare has been specifically redesigned to optimize projection of airflow. Beautifully produced with a choice three of finishes –gold, silver or black nickel – for the top ring, the ICON bell will help enrich your sound palette.
Acoustic Characteristics
The ICON bell offers a highly centered sound which facilitates tone production. The upper register is particularly fluid and the low tones are rich and powerful.
With its slender lines it weighs some 30% less than a traditional bell.“
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-08-08 00:58
If you like the look of ringless bells and enjoy their fragility, you will have to saw through the bell ring with a jeweller's saw or piercing saw and prise it open to remove it, then fill in the saw cut in the wood. You'll not only be left with a significantly weakened bell which will probably crack the first time you slam it down on a peg, but you'll also be left with an unsightly groove running around the bell flare. If that's the look you're going for, then knock yourself out and don't start crying when it cracks as you've only got yourself to blame.
If you still want a ringless bell and you don't like the fact it's been weakened now the protective metal ring has been removed, you could always carbon fibre band the slot left from the removal of the metal bell ring, then fill over the carbon fibres with superglue and wood dust, then reshape and finish the bell flare to your liking or to make it less conspicuous. Or if you like the look of the carbon fibres showing like some repairers do and is also a feature of Buffet Divine (and Elite) clarinet sockets, then you can do that as well.
Or just don't do it and leave it as it was if it's not causing you any problems. If it is loose and rattling, you can always get some superglue to wick into the gap, but only do that when the bell is at its driest.
I have a set of Selmer St.Louis clarinets where the bell rings were removed and the bell flares were reshaped, but not to a pleasing shape. I reshaped them so they're more like oboe bell flares or resembling Peter Eaton clarinet bells as well as carbon fibre banded them for strength as ringless bells are significantly weaker compared to their counterparts with metal bell rings fitted.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2021-08-08 19:23)
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2021-08-08 03:34
You could replace the ring with pvc, hard rubber, or even black acrylic - but that wouldn't be quite the same.
If you are going to go that far though, you could have someone copy the stock bell, and make a new one without a ring.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-08-08 04:15
My wife had the ring removed on her Buffet R13 bells about 20 years ago, no ill effects. I had the ring removed on my Bb Festival in 2016 and my A clarinet in 2018, so far no ill effects (bell breaking etc). I'll take photographs later today so you can judge if it's unsightly or not (neither of us every bothered to have cracks filled in etc). My 1963 R13 Bb sounds better with the original bell (than with various aftermarket or newer stock bells) and I'd never bother to take the ring off as it is great how it is and I don't want to risk any change being irreversible.
Does it make them sound any better? The short answer is I think so, but any change is very slight- this is a topic for when I've got more time, but it definitely makes the clarinet feel lighter which is advantageous to both of us.
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-08-08 04:22
Ps Mike Lomax had this done to his Buffet clarinets many years ago too.
PPS the Tosca Bells work ok on Buffet clarinets if you're looking for a sound with less "ring", they free up the sound for the right hand clarion (clarion D tends to be much less stuffy) but also take away some core in the rest of the instrument. Some player like this, I know a couple of international level pro players who used Tosca bells on their Buffet Festivals for quite some time, one eventually returning to the stock bell on R13 Prestige, the other ended up buying Toscas...
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-08-08 07:09
OK "I must supply a message"
Post Edited (2021-08-08 12:02)
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-08-08 12:02
Ok I give up
(after many attempts to attach some photos I have given up...
To the OP- email me if you want to see photographs. Marie took her bell rings off around around the year 2000 and has had no issues. I THOUGHT it had made a mark on the wooden rim, but looking now can barely find a scratch (well, on my A clarinet I found an unrelated scratch which I'd never noticed...)
Post Edited (2021-08-08 17:20)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2021-08-10 10:33
Matt74 wrote:
"You could replace the ring with pvc, hard rubber, or even black acrylic - but that wouldn't be quite the same.
If you are going to go that far though, you could have someone copy the stock bell, and make a new one without a ring."
Maybe just paint the ring black with some kind of enamel?
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Author: rc.prestige
Date: 2021-08-10 13:10
Yes they are said to be compatible with any Buffet model, but you'd have to test it out.
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Author: Jimis4klar
Date: 2021-08-11 00:22
For sure!! All new things should get tried first, then keep or return.. 65mm of icon barrel is equivalent to 65mm festival's stock barrel in tuning or It may vary a bit cause of different material and structure?
Post Edited (2021-08-11 00:23)
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