| Author |
Comment |
Todd
French 
Moderator
Posts: 213
(7/10/01 9:34:16 am)
Reply
 |
Harmonie
tailpieces
Well, 'oldmancello' brought it up, so I wanted to see how many of
you own a Harmonie (Bois d' Harmonie) tailpiece. The design is
spectacular, and I've heard nothing but praise about them, so I am
considering one for my own cello. Any further comments from other
Harmonie owners?
By the way, I'm looking forward to a similar
tailpiece by David Bice once he finishes the design - his will also
have a 'tuneable' tailpiece hanger, a first in the industry...
|
TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 456
(7/10/01 10:11:59
am)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I have installed the Harmonie tailpiece on both of my cellos and I
am very happy with the results. The smooth working Harmonie tuners
make it worth the change alone.
I like the idea of a
"tuneable" tailpiece hanger, but I would like to go one step further
and have a tailpiece that you can alter the weight of, as well. I
have noticed with one of my cellos that by adding a bit of weight to
the Harmonie tailpiece, using "blue tack" material. the bass
response of the cello is improved. I first noticed this when I would
play an open string and then touch the tuner to tune the string. The
bass would immediately increase. I took a small quantity of this
blue tack material and put it on the underside of the Harmonie
tailpiece and the bass response improved.
My guess is that
the tailpiece can be too light as well as too heavy and that there
exists an ideal mass that will give the best response for each
instrument. A luthier friend of mine has been experimenting with
measuring the actual resonance frequency of the tailpieces and
adding or subtracting mass as needed to bring the frequency in line
with other body resonances. He claims that this gives the best
overall response for his instruments when he takes this tailpiece
tuning into account.
Terry
|
 Steve
Drake
Registered
User
Posts: 382
(7/10/01 11:55:40
am)
Reply
Community Supporter
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I've got one on my Frirsz cello. I love it. I'm going to put them
on my other 2 cellos when I get around to it.
My MP3's
My Cello
Homepage |
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 351
(7/10/01 12:02:34
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I have them on two cellos. I bought the Hill design im boxwood,
since I thought that should be the lightest. The Hill has less
material and boxwood has the lowest density of any of the materials
used.
When I installed them, I found significant tonal
improvements on both cellos. But, of course by now I am used to them
- along with New Harmony endpins - Liebenzeller Gold-IV rosin - and
careful selection of strings* and of bows and hair tension for each
instrument. And as of this morning, a new New Harmony Wolf Note
Suppressor.
I too look forward to what David Bice will do
with tailpieces. He seems to invent "really good stuff."
Andy
* By the way I seem to be getting excellent
tone, power and response using Obligato A and D strings with
Spirocore Tungsten G and C on this cello. (I have not found a cello
[of mine] for which the Obligato G and C are a good match.) I have
removed the Belcanto Golds from this cello for now, the excellant
responsiveness not withstanding, I wanted a little more sound. I
keep my old strings and often find that I use them again, perhaps in
other combinations.
|
MaryK
Registered
User
Posts: 658
(7/10/01 1:00:29
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I've got one on my cello. It opened up the instrument's sound, and
the tuners move quite easily. Plus, it looks good, IMO. Get yours
today!!
MaryK
|
Manolian
Registered User
Posts: 30
(7/11/01 6:29:30 am)
Reply
|
RE:Harmonie
Tailpieces
I installed a Harmonie Tailpiece (Rosewood)on my Cello
along
with David Bice's Carbon Fiber Rod.
and there was a noticeable
difference in the sound
right away. The Carbon Fiber tuners on
the Harmonie are excellent.
|
JanJan2
Registered User
Posts: 188
(7/11/01 1:14:39 pm)
Reply
|
Just ordered one
5 minutes ago . . .
after all the rave reviews here, I finally could not resist any
longer. Can't wait for it to arrive and get that puppy installed!
Janet |
GlenC
Registered User
Posts: 11
(7/11/01 7:34:17 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I think it's important to know from what kind of tailpiece everyone
switched from, too. Did anyone switch from a Wittner metal
tailpiece? What did you think?
|
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 353
(7/12/01 9:16:34
am)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
Glen,
I removed my old ebony tailpieces, heavy laden with four
steel fine tuners and replaced them with metal Wittners. I replaced
them with a composite "Ferwerda" and I replaced two of them with
Bois d'Harmonie.
I found no improvement in the Ferwerda over
the Wittner. I found devinite improvement in the Harmonie over the
Ferwerda - on the two cellos I tried the change on.
I would
not extrapolate this to all cellos, and I'm still open to trying
David Bice's (New Harmony) tailpiece if and when he completes
development and testing and distributes it.
Andy
|
lblake
Registered
User
Posts: 403
(7/12/01 10:35:35
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Harmonie
tailpieces
I have a rosewood, Hill style Harmonie tailpiece. I noticed a
distinct improvement in the upper registers - more open. They were
really dead before. Still kinda dead (one major weakness on my
cello), but definitely improved.
I am pretty sure my old
tailpiece was a Pusch, also rosewood, also Hill style. Both of these
rosewood tailpieces look like ebony, except they have a little bit
more red in them than ebony does, under light. Odd that both are the
darkest rosewood I've ever seen.... hmm. go figure. 
Beautiful, just the same.
|
Internet Cello
Society Forums
Email
This To a Friend
Topic Commands (Moderator
only)