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Re: Elnlighten me

Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-05-30 16:22

Many newer cors have a low B bell vent and Marigaux have been fitting them for several decades, although those older cors have it on the lower joint and made considerably smaller to compensate. Howarth started fitting the bell vent to their XL cors when they were first launched in the late '90s. It not only raises the low B but makes it less 'blary' as the bell vent equalises or softens the tone quality of the low B.

As with oboes, shortening the bell to raise the low Bb up to pitch (calibrated to 440Hz) was done, but it caused trouble with the upper register E which is why most oboes have a low Bb bell vent which only opens for low Bb (or low B as well on others since Marigaux introduced that feature in the '80s).

Cor bells are infinitely variable in their capacity as some which may seem large aren't as hollowed out on the inside as others (Ward&Winterbourn cor bells don't have much chambering at all), even though they may be the same height and diameter. There was a time in the '80s where Howarth made some incredibly skinny cor bells, although before and since then, they have some of the largest.

But like most things, it's all trial and error as opposed to being based on mathematical calculations and what works, works and what doesn't work, doesn't work.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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Author

Date

Elnlighten me new

EaubeauHorn

2024-05-29 23:11

Re: Elnlighten me new

Chris P

2024-05-30 16:22