Rust on Bells - Rust on Bells

[pini]

Hi there timbales Masters

long time since i posted here..
I see in many place that the bells on the timbales have rust on them...
Is it done intentionally ?
I think it make the sound more crispy (like brass for cascara)...
comments anyone ?

regards

[Raymond]

The rust in the cowbells, for timbales and bongo players, is an inevitable problem. (Unless you get chromed bells and they get rust too)!

Some people prefer it because it helps the "break in" of the sound. When I was a beginner, I used to "clean them up" with water sand paper and of course water. Then I use to throw a little of WD 40 or some of spray with some "finish." However, the rust will always comeback. (Just the fact that you hold the bell with your hands and sweat gets into them will be something that will give them rust).

About this you could find different opinions. Some people say that cleaning them, the way I did, will take away the sound eventually. (Remember you are taking little by little the metal every time you clean and makes the bell more prone to break)!
Others believe just leaving them the way they "mature" (with rust and everything.

Is up to you. There is people paranoid that they want their instruments clean because gives an impression of somebody who is clean.

Other opinions might follow!

Saludos!

[Isaac]

I took my old bells into the JCR workshop to get rid of a lot
of rust on them. I used to store my instruments in the garage
and the humidity one summer really created more rust than
usual. I had a bongo bell cleaned and left the other (Timbale Half-Moon) alone after Pete suggested I leave it that way.
Pete, who works polishing and making bells there, told
me a lot of the hardest working guys in salsa, actually prefer
leaving the rust as it helps the sound.
The one he cleaned, the rust started coming back again quicker,
so I guess that's inevitable.
I was watching the video from Seattle of Joe Santiago,
Giovanni Hidalgo, and Pablito Rosario can be seen playing
a very, very rusty and old JCR bongo bell. It sounded perfect.
The sound is what's important.

Isaac

[tito]

hey there....i was wondering if someone could help me out...i believe i have the first set of lp tito puente model timbales.....they still have the old green lp logo on them..and they were given to me as a gift from and old retired timbale player...with the original 40+year old case..i curious to see what they are worth?

[JohnnyConga]

Hi Tito on the label does it say Palisades Park or Garfield NJ on it? If it says Palisades Park it is an original model, before Martin Cohen moved the biz to Garfield NJ>>...."JC" Johnny Conga.... :;):

[tito]

hey johnny, i just checked the label on them and they do say pal. park ....pretty cool....i wonder how old they go back...and how much they are worth...any clue?

[Raymond]

Tito,

That "first generation" LP Tito Puente timbales if they are i in good shape are probably worth about $300. (Best way to find out what is the "market price" for them is, is to check E-Bay and see if they have some there being auction. I've seen them about that price and even more).

Keep them...They'll be worth more...

Saludos!

[Raymond]

By the way, I do not clean my cowbells anymore. The timbales ones, I do not even bother. The handheld ones, use when I play bongos, if there is a lot of rust or "rust dust", that happens often, and that is when you pick up the bell and your hands get full of all that "rust dust", I wipe them off with a rag.

I played with a guy that used to get his new cowbells and put them on the roof of his house to leave them to "rust, get rain, etc., After a week, he "wipe them off" with a rag, play them while practicing, and eventually, when he thought they were broken in, he played them at gigs. Weird method but he said the bells sounded like he want them!

Saludos!

[pini]

thanks.

this topic had a little shift but eventually got back on track
kidding....

I think of using the "weird" method , i think it adds some crisp to the sound ...
nice topic , ah

[Ivan]

One more addition, if I may...

When I purchased my first bell - with steal whool, paint thinner, grease remover (referred to car painters as "wax&grease" remover) and steal whool again... In that sequence...

I purchased some rust resistant paint in a spray can... You can choose your own color - I chose metalic grey - almost the color of the bell brand new and it's working fine... To avoid chipping of the paint - I let the bell sit for 1 hour at a time and sprayed another coat on it in total I sprayed three coats...

Still using it to this day and I don't get any rust on my hands or my nice digs... :;):

I agree with most of the posts here - some guys like the rust and worn and torn sound...

Have a good one.