Question for Tama BELL BRASS owners

DangerousDave

DangerousDave

Senior Member
Hello! Guys can you please post pictures of the bearing edges? I'm dying to see them. Are they really sharp as I heard once? How do the edges look on the snare beds?
Thanks :)
 
I had a Bell Brass in the early 80's and yes those bearing edges were sharp. I always thought it would cut the reso head. Of course it never did but TTTT I didn't really think the drum was all that. I was much less enlightened at that time than I am now, but I still didn't think it was worth the 500 I paid. Heavy as a mother too. The bearing edges were not my cup of tea. Wish I never sold that, I could get 20 or 30 Franklins for it now. The bearing edges didn't have a rounded or flattened top. It was like a really thick but super dull knife. I'd say that at the top edge, where the head sat, (a double 45 if memory serves) the edge was as wide as this: I

I felt that if I ran my fingertip around the edge, and pressed down, that I would break skin. Of course I never did that. It was just too sharp for my liking.
 
I had one as well and except regretting selling it, my impressions of the drum were very different than Larryace's.
The bearing edges were quite narrow, but I'd have to have dropped that sucker on my bare foot to break the skin. I'd say it was about as sharp as the back side of a butter knife.
There's no way I could have cut the skin rubbing it along the bearing edge.
That being said, it was very possible the machining from drum to drum could vary.
I believe ,if memory serves me, that the bearing edge at the snare bed was consistent - I'm pretty sure...

And I still say it's one of the best snares I've ever heard. I played it at a Tama booth (a NAMM type show in Montreal) next to Tama's other snares as well as the Ludwig's, Pearl's etc. Nothing compared - hands down best snare at the show.
So I bought one.

Are you looking at getting one?
 
larryace said:
I had a Bell Brass in the early 80's and yes those bearing edges were sharp. I always thought it would cut the reso head. Of course it never did but TTTT I didn't really think the drum was all that. I was much less enlightened at that time than I am now, but I still didn't think it was worth the 500 I paid. Heavy as a mother too. The bearing edges were not my cup of tea. Wish I never sold that, I could get 20 or 30 Franklins for it now. The bearing edges didn't have a rounded or flattened top. It was like a really thick but super dull knife. I'd say that at the top edge, where the head sat, (a double 45 if memory serves) the edge was as wide as this: I

I felt that if I ran my fingertip around the edge, and pressed down, that I would break skin. Of course I never did that. It was just too sharp for my liking.
Click to expand...

So the edges were that sharp? Geeeez. Did you ever break a drumhead?
 
Big Foot said:
I had one as well and except regretting selling it, my impressions of the drum were very different than Larryace's.
The bearing edges were quite narrow, but I'd have to have dropped that sucker on my bare foot to break the skin. I'd say it was about as sharp as the back side of a butter knife.
There's no way I could have cut the skin rubbing it along the bearing edge.
That being said, it was very possible the machining from drum to drum could vary.
I believe ,if memory serves me, that the bearing edge at the snare bed was consistent - I'm pretty sure...

And I still say it's one of the best snares I've ever heard. I played it at a Tama booth (a NAMM type show in Montreal) next to Tama's other snares as well as the Ludwig's, Pearl's etc. Nothing compared - hands down best snare at the show.
So I bought one.

Are you looking at getting one?
Click to expand...

Would it be a problem for you to post some pictures? I'm doing an experiment and since I have no room for error I have to know what the edges look like. Particulary on the snare side where the snare goes.
 
DangerousDave said:
Would it be a problem for you to post some pictures? I'm doing an experiment and since I have no room for error I have to know what the edges look like. Particulary on the snare side where the snare goes.
Click to expand...
I wish I could get you those pictures but like I said, I sold it.
This is the best I can do...
 
How do you guys charactarize the sound of the drum?
 
Otto said:
How do you guys charactarize the sound of the drum?
Click to expand...
I'm really not that good at describing sounds but I'd say somewere between a Ludwig Black Beauty a maple ply snare. But potentially louder and more sensitive than both. But I think depending on your tuning skills and what skins and wires you use you could pull a lot of good snare sounds out of it.
I told ya I'm no good at describing drum sounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top