congaplace.com

JCR bells are sold by Isaac Gutwilik on ebay under the seller name of
funkytradition. He is an official representative for JCR...

but then again everyone probably knew that,

those guys at Frederico Percussion are also selling bells at
over $70, they say they are good, and for that price they better
be..........!



Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1185730106

Fredrico Percussion is also supposed to have bells, but I have not heard any of them.



Regarding the comment about no two bells being exactly alike in sound.... HOW TRUE THAT IS! I have two LP Rock Ridge Rider cowbells, and they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT in sound...

I have about 8 different cowbells so far, and the one I use most often is the large LP Mambo bell.

I should make a note that I use the various bells in various music, and that what I use may or may not apply to the music that you are doing. It is a matter of selecting your own sounds for your own music.

Can't wait to get my hands on some of the higher-end stuff.



Edited By Whopbamboom on 1185836138

This is really the bottom line on Cowbells...We all have different tastes, yes..even with cowbells. The best thing to do is to go over to a large music store that has a good selection of bells in their percussion section and try out the different bells yourself. For instance, Toca, LP, Gon Bops, Meinl, etc... You should come away with a bell suitable to your liking. I have a nice large white cowbell made by Toca that to me sounds just right for the salsa type songs, and a nice LP Cha cha bell . No one said that your bells have to be hand made. I also use another bell that a friend of mine had and it sounded so nice to me( no overtones at all ) that I had to get one and I got it at Guitar Center. It did not even have a popular name brand(I think it was produced by lp since the built in tightening bolt had the LP logo on it but it was sold under another brand name). It was very reasonably priced and very well made). I have about 4 handmade cowbells in my posession made by the same maker ( I won't mention the brand ), and the only one that I like is the small Bongo hand held cowbell. The other three just have too much overtones and to me sound too tinny. So if you are someone out there looking to find a nice cowbell that you will like for sure, don't order one on a recommendation just to get it and realize you are not happy with it.( That is how lots of cowbell collections are formed by the way ). Rather, go yourself and try them out to be sure you like it. Chances are that you just might end up with a bell that is not hand made.

Even if I am in danger of being called old-fashioned or outdated:
I still dig LP Cowbells, for I have recently bought the timbale cowbell (LP205) which complements the black beauty (LP 204A) perfectly.
Those two are a perfect match to me.

I am totally aware of the fact that there are loads of other quality bells around though.

Some of the hand made timbales bells are made because of their "uniqueness" in sound and also because of the overtones.. Is a personal thing..You might not get the same sound as the next guy.....

It is Is a reality....I know for a fact that JCR bells are used by most "salseros" because they get the volume they want...they get the "unique tones" they want. Also, the bells tend to "break in" and their sound even better...

The mass produced bells provide great sound but are not good for live situations and some people tend to like the "special tones" you get from some hand made bells.... Their sound is generic and some people like it and some don't...

Again, is a matter of liking...

Saludos!

Hi Raymond.

I like your fresh and open perspective.

During the time when I was playing timbales a lot in live situations, I played JCR bells almost throughout. I still play a JCR campana when I play bongos, but the next time I go to Cuba, I'll try to get me one of those funky Cuban hand bells with that deep dry sound. Just to check it out.

With bells it's the same thing like with cymbals. As you can't change the sound too much, you have to acquire a few of them to adapt to a given situation or your temporary preference in sound. Unfortunately, it is an expensive endeavour - with cymbals even more than with bells. I just dug out an old Zildjian cowbell that was originally designed for use on the drum set. It is chrome-plated, a bigger model, probably pictured with Tito Puente's original Leedy & Ludwig's. His early Mambo recordings had that bell sound. I still have to test them on stage, my JCR in reserve ...

I have some LP bells, too. They were the first bells I played with bongos and timbales. I still like the old black "Timbale Cowbell" (Mike!), although it often wasn't loud enough. I never really tried their Prestige Line model.

Thomas

The LP Prestige brass model has a completely uncontrollable sound. I played it once and didn´t like it at all.
Quite different is the LP Salsa series. I like the Timbales downtown bell , it cuts through with a deep tone,
has enough overtones but not too many.
As you say, Thomas, it depends on the occasion: The black LP timbale bell is good for a session in smaller
rooms, whereas in live situations on a larger stage the whole setup would need to be miked anyway.

The JCR hand bell I own is fantastic, it gets many looks, everybody in my band wants to play it!
After breaking in, it has developed a beautiful sharp but round sound (not too much ringing).

Mike,,

Regarding my open perspective...well, I've learned it through experience....In some way, what you want to get in regards to any instrument or accesory is by watching others or following the crowd. Although, some people like to be original or want to be different. What sounds good to you might not sound good to me, you might get a sound I don't get and so forth...

When I came back to Puerto Rico, after years in the US, I befriended a bongo player that made fun of me because of my LP bells...He told me JCR was the "standard" in recording and playing in salsa, at least in PR. After noticing everybody who is who, it was true...However, is not always true in everything....People like to get their colors in their playing and tend to differ...I've done the same throughout the years...

I own, and still have bells from LPs, JCRs, El Piernas, Osiris, Meinl, Pearl and other brands..I've tried them all...Yes, is expensive when you want to experiment..

I like to have the variety so I could adapt to playing situations, sounds I like to play at that moment, and even "break in" a bell once in a while...Trial and error...I've noticed that bells I've hate to play after I bought them, I played them at home with my practice set up and they start to sound "sweet" to be played out there...I always keep in my bongo case or bag and in my timbale case a couple of bells to experiement or have the alternative..(Also in case of any contingent situation like breaking of bracket or whatever...It has happened to me and is an uncomfortable situation when I don't have a spare).

Raymond have you tried the Pearl Negro Hernandez bells?
I have one mounted on my timbal not a bad bell to add colors
but not as the main bell. Mine has that half moon shape.
I preferred JCR as my main timbal bell. Bongo bells I
like LP Salsa or JCR's. One more thing the beater or stick
(thickness/hardness) has a big input on how a bell sounds.
Saludos

I hope I'm not going too far off topic here with my inquiry about beaters for cowbells. I've often wondered what experienced players and pros prefer for cowbell beaters. I have 2 LP sticks, one of them - which was in a package clearly marked as a cowbell beater, is just a clave stick and I can't stand using it as a cowbell beater. The other is shaped like a miniature baseball bat and is not too bad but it is pretty loud even when I strike the bell with the thin end.
If I were to make some sticks out of domestic wood species which type of wood would be preferable?
If this is too broad a topic I'll open a new thread on it.

f I were to make some sticks out of domestic wood species which type of wood would be preferable?

I made myself some cowbell beaters of beech (about 2cm in diameter).

I think hardwood should be ideal for a beater. this link should give you a pretty good idea.
http://woodcraft.com/depts.aspx?DeptID=2123