[Bell Historians] Tuning forks/Vibrators

[David Cawley]

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Stephen's line is surely the key both to the worthwhile discussion on the u=
se of tuning forks and other electronic aids, and also to the 'inane prattl=
e' as to which is or is not the best/worst.

Personal preferences will be based on a number of factors to which Jim H h=
as alluded, which will include not only the harmonic statistics of the bell=
s, the acoustic properties of the structures in which they are housed, wher=
e they are in relation to the sound openings and to the ringing chamber and=
the consequent tonal quality as heard and as perceived.

Interesting that the excellent Taylor rings mentioned, Inveraray (based on =
a tenor 5' 0.1/2", 41-2-8, C [518]), Maidstone (of which more in a minute)=
, Lichfield (4' 6", 31-2-9, D [580]), Abergavenny (4' 4", 25-0-18, D [581])=
and Chewton Mendip (4' 3.1/2", 24-1-1, Eb [610]) are each vastly different=
rings in very different towers.
For twin rings if based on exactly the same tenor as regards diameter and p=
itch, Inveraray has Leeds, Buckfast and Adelaide in chronological order - P=
ierhead are a little sharper {524} slightly later. Lichfield is one of two=
4' 6" D rings, the other being Burton {580}. Abergavenny is "twinned" by =
Leicester Cathedral, Blackburn and Luton. The moderator will rejoice that =
Chewton are unique - the other Eb tenors of the same diameter all being muc=
h sharper.

I was interested in the mention of The Town Church in Guernsey, with the pl=
ans for the replacement of whose bells I had much to do. We originally tho=
ught we should go for a 3' 11" tenor, the same size as the old, the heavie=
st ring we thought we could get in the essential wooden frame. Had Whitech=
apel's estimate been chosen, we would have settled for a tenor in E. Taylo=
r's indicated that they had cast Eb tenors of 3' 11" of which Dodderhill an=
d Far Headingley were considered excellent examples, and 4' 0.1/2" rings (=
Steeple Ashton, Evercreech, Mt St Alphonsus, Broadclyst, Solihull - and of =
course the former ring of eight at St Dunstan-in-the-East). Such a ring of=
eight could go in the Town Church tower in a wood frame. The characterist=
ics of the tower at St Peter Port could really not be less different - incl=
uding stability : - ( - between St Peter Port and St Dunstan's. In the tu=
ning shop they are twin rings - except St Dunstan's were checked by forks a=
nd The Town Church electronically. I've not been to Steeple Ashton or Broa=
dclyst, but feel that these eight bells as hung at The Town Church stand up=
well beside the back eights at Evercreech and Solihull, hold their own wi=
th St Alphonsus: but neither the volume nor (? consequent in this case) qua=
lity of sound is as fully satisfying as St Dunstan's. Apart from layout, S=
t Dunstan's windows are quite twice the size, it has a concrete roof far ab=
ove the bells, which when up hung with their lips well below the openings o=
f the windows; the Town Church windows are blocked up to the spring, are mu=
ch narrower, the bells hang right behind them and the tower is surmounted =
by a dense wooden spire; moreover (and I think this is important, no one t=
ook me up on it last May) the building materials are Portland Stone and Lo=
ndon stock brick. Note that the towers of Bow, Strand, Jewry, Holborn and =
Foster Lane - all classed excellent modern Whitechapel rings, are of the sa=
me material, whereas similar rings, for example Cripplegate and Hart Street=
. are not heard to the same advantage in medieval ragstone towers. Note to=
o that none of us realised quite how good Bow are until the walls had remov=
ed from them the cement-and-asbestos coating which had invested them since =
before the present bells were installed.

Getting briefly to Maidstone, there are only two 4' 8" tens, Maidstone and =
Grantham. Both were tuned "with forks" and within ten years of each other. =
The towers couldn't be different, and I think I know what the voting would=
be for the best! Maidstone are the flattest C# ring of any diameter cast =
at Loughborough.
=20
As Stephen says, "Ears also help", although like what you listen to in conv=
ersation may not always be what you really hear!

DLC

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----- Original Message -----=20
From: s.ivin at n...=20
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com=20
Cc: s.ivin at n...=20
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Tuning forks/Vibrators


David Kelly:

> The moral of this story is that unless you really know what you are=20
> doing you can get incorrect results unless you use techniques that
> examine the SOUND of the bell. Bill Hibbert's Waveanal program does=20
> this superbly;=20

Ears also help!

Steve


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