Adding nickel silver kranz (garland) to a bell

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sirisobhakya
Posts: 445
Joined: Jun 11, 2018

by sirisobhakya »

Just curious. Is it possible to install nickel silver kranz/bell garland to an existing bell? And what would be the effect of it on sound, feel, etc.?
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Kbiggs
Posts: 1768
Joined: Mar 24, 2018

by Kbiggs »

With enough money, anything is possible! However, I’m thinking that you would probably need to trim the existing rim/bead in order to attach the kranz, which would leave the bell slightly smaller than when you began. You would also need to have the taper of the kranz match the taper of the existing bell exactly, which (I should think) would be difficult. Overall, I’m guessing that the results would not be very satisfactory as the bell would be quite heavy. German instruments with a kranz have very thin bells compared to most other instruments. The kranz adds strength to the bell, and lends German instruments their unique sound and response.
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hornbuilder
Posts: 1384
Joined: May 02, 2018

by hornbuilder »

What is it you're wanting to achieve by adding a Kranz? That alone will not make the horn "German".
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sirisobhakya
Posts: 445
Joined: Jun 11, 2018

by sirisobhakya »

[quote="hornbuilder"]What is it you're wanting to achieve by adding a Kranz? That alone will not make the horn "German".[/quote]

I am just curious on what would the kranz does to the sound of a bell, especially a bell that does not built with a kranz in mind.
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hornbuilder
Posts: 1384
Joined: May 02, 2018

by hornbuilder »

It would make the bell heavier, less responsive, and feel "smaller" in regards how "spread" the sound is.