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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Stephen's line is surely the key both to t=
he=20
worthwhile discussion on the use of tuning forks and other electronic aids,=
and=20
also to the 'inane prattle' as to which is or is not the=20
best/worst.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Personal preferences will be based on a nu=
mber of=20
factors to which Jim H has alluded, which will include not only=
=20
the harmonic statistics of the bells, the acoustic properties of the=20
structures in which they are housed, where they are in relation to the soun=
d=20
openings and to the ringing chamber and the consequent tonal quality <EM>as=
=20
heard </EM>and <EM>as perceived.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Interesting that the excellent Taylor ring=
s=20
mentioned, Inveraray (based on a tenor 5' 0.1/2", 41-2-8, C [518]),=20
Maidstone (of which more in a minute), Lichfield (4' 6", 31-2-9, D [580]),=
=20
Abergavenny (4' 4", 25-0-18, D [581]) and Chewton Mendip (4' 3.1/2",=20
24-1-1, Eb [610]) are each vastly different rings in very different=20
towers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For twin rings if based on exactly the sam=
e tenor=20
as regards diameter and pitch, Inveraray has Leeds, Buckfast=
and=20
Adelaide in chronological order - Pierhead are a little sharper {524}=
=20
slightly later. Lichfield is one of two 4' 6" D rings, the other=
=20
being Burton {580}. Abergavenny is "twinned" by Leicester Cathedral,=
=20
Blackburn and Luton. The moderator will rejoice that Chewton are uniq=
ue -=20
the other Eb tenors of the same diameter all being much sharper.</FONT></DI=
V>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I was interested in the mention of The Tow=
n Church=20
in Guernsey, with the plans for the replacement of whose bells I =
had=20
much to do. We originally thought we should go for a 3'=20
11" tenor, the same size as the old, the heaviest ring we though=
t we=20
could get in the essential wooden frame. Had Whitechapel's estim=
ate=20
been chosen, we would have settled for a tenor in E. Taylor's=20
indicated that they had cast Eb tenors of 3' 11" of which Dodderhill and Fa=
r=20
Headingley were considered excellent examples, and 4' 0.1/2" rings=20
(Steeple Ashton, Evercreech, Mt St Alphonsus, Broadclyst, Solihull - and of=
=20
course the former ring of eight at St Dunstan-in-the-East). Such a ri=
ng of=20
eight could go in the Town Church tower in a wood frame. The=20
characteristics of the tower at St Peter Port could really not be less diff=
erent=20
- including stability : - ( - between St Peter Port and St=20
Dunstan's. In the tuning shop they are twin rings - except St Dunstan=
's=20
were checked by forks and The Town Church electronically. I've n=
ot=20
been to Steeple Ashton or Broadclyst, but feel that these eight bells =
as=20
hung at The Town Church stand up well beside the back eights at Everc=
reech=20
and Solihull, hold their own with St Alphonsus: but neither the volume nor =
(?=20
consequent in this case) quality of sound is as fully satisfying=
=20
as St Dunstan's. Apart from layout, St Dunstan's windows are qui=
te=20
twice the size, it has a concrete roof far above the bells, which when up h=
ung=20
with their lips well below the openings of the windows; the Town Churc=
h=20
windows are blocked up to the spring, are much narrower, the bells hang rig=
ht=20
behind them and the tower is surmounted by a dense wooden=20
spire; moreover (and I think this is important, no one took me u=
p on=20
it last May) the building materials are Portland Stone and=20
London stock brick. Note that the towers of Bow, Strand, Jewry,=
=20
Holborn and Foster Lane - all classed excellent modern Whitechapel=20
rings, are of the same material, whereas similar rings, for example=20
Cripplegate and Hart Street. are not heard to the same advantage in medieva=
l=20
ragstone towers. Note too that none of us realised quite how goo=
d Bow=20
are until the walls had removed from them the cement-and-asbestos coat=
ing=20
which had invested them since before the present bells were=20
installed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Getting briefly to Maidstone, there are on=
ly two 4'=20
8" tens, Maidstone and Grantham. Both were tuned "with forks" and=
=20
within ten years of each other. The towers couldn't be different=
, and=20
I think I know what the voting would be for the best! Maidstone are t=
he=20
flattest C# ring of any diameter cast at Loughborough.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As Stephen says, "Ears also help", al=
though=20
like what you listen to in conversation may not always be what you rea=
lly=20
hear!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> =
=20
</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0p=
x; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>Fro=
m:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:s.ivin@n..."=20
title=3Ds.ivin@n...>s.ivin@n...</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com"=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com>bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A href=3D"mailto:s.ivin@ntlwo=
rld.com"=20
title=3Ds.ivin@n...>s.ivin@n...</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 30, 2003 7=
:31=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Tun=
ing=20
forks/Vibrators</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><TT>David Kelly:<BR><BR>> The moral of this story is th=
at=20
unless you really know what you are <BR>> doing you can get incorrect=
=20
results unless you use techniques that<BR>> examine the SOUND of the b=
ell.=20
Bill Hibbert's Waveanal program does <BR>> this superbly; <BR><BR>Ears=
also=20
help!<BR><BR>Steve<BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>This=20
message was sent to you via the Bell Historians' Mailing List. To unsubsc=
ribe=20
from the list send an email to=20
bellhistorians-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com<BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>Your u=
se of=20
Yahoo! Groups is subject to the <A=20
href=3D"http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/">Yahoo! Terms of Service</A>.</=
TT>=20
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