Wewus432 Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 What is the allure of a great cowbell? Is it the metal it's made of, the object it's struck with, or the exact point where it's struck that lends such an exquisite air to any music it's played in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I'll assume for the sake of discussion that you're not being facetious Most cowbells are made from the same stuff. It's the combo of size and shape, along with care in manufacture, which makes one sound great while another sounds like cowdung. Plus, one which sounds great in salsa music might sound terrible in a rock setting - so context and technique also matter. I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmieWannaB Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I heard a great piece on NPR about a year ago on a small family business in NY that specializes cowbells. According to the story, the hand made cowbells were vastly superior to the ones stamped out the larger manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshananigan Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Originally posted by TheWewus: What is the allure of a great cowbell? It signals the libido of lonely cowboys. That's why they call'em "cowpokes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 If I'm not mistaken that would be JCR in the Bronx. Great bells, though ya gotta be picky with them. Originally posted by JimmieWannaB: I heard a great piece on NPR about a year ago on a small family business in NY that specializes cowbells. According to the story, the hand made cowbells were vastly superior to the ones stamped out the larger manufacturers. I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I think they sound OK, but they're a little light on bass. Does anyone make a cowbell subwoofer? I'm sure that if it's in standard (non-proprietary) format that the market will accept it with open arms. I'm thinking that it would be a good idea if the manufacturer of said cowbell subwoofer packed in some Peanut M&Ms and a case of beer. Then these things would fly out the door! Of course, if concert ticket sales are down then drummers can't afford many of the larger cowbell subwoofers. They certainly would be purchasing only ONE cowbell subwoofer instead of TWO, which makes placement in the room kind of challenging. Can you give a bit more description of the various cowbells one has to choose from, Mr. Wewus? Post a picture of yourself and a cowbell please! Is There Gas In The Car? "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Wilburn Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Do you have a fever that can only be cured with more cowbell? This guy can help. Four String Riot the myspaces, we hates it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Originally posted by Hanshananigan: Originally posted by TheWewus: What is the allure of a great cowbell? It signals the libido of lonely cowboys. That's why they call'em "cowpokes." Just FYI, "Cowpoke" is a slang term for the ranch hands that heard the cows into the pens using cattle prods, NOT cowboys. Cowboys take offense at that term, because they're skilled workers, unlike the unskilled cowpoke. I've got one of the LP ridge-riders on my Ludwigs. That's a great sounding cowbell. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Gas... who has the best cowbell plug-in? Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Or do you mean this cowbell http://img21.photobucket.com/albums/v63/cowbellallen/time.jpg Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I've got two smaller cowbell subwoofers hooked up to the Blaupunkt in my Saab; because its a convertible I had to go with the smaller ones... Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Does anyone know the best way to retrofit a Floyd Rose onto a vintage 1967 Pasture Prattler with minimal change in tone? Also, if i add Dimarzios to replace the Horsehoe pickups, will the value of my bookmatched brass BigBell be lost forever? I need a response ASAP!!! Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Fwiw, at the studio I managed before going independent, we had about a dozen different sounding cow bells. The wrong cow bell played wrong can be the most annoying sound in the world and the right one played right on a particular song can be a match made in heaven... Same with tambourine, we had all sorts & sizes available - everything from tiny toys to vintage and space age models. Big difference when you get it right. Simple instrument's aren't always easy to apprehend. http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Seriously, I think the allure of the cowbell has everything to do with the fact that it barely rings at all and lacks sustain. It's the contrast of that to most bells and chimes that sustain for a considerable time, making it more difficult to use repeated hits without the sound ending up garbled. Just my opinion. (Oh, yeah... you can beat the living daylights out of most cowbells and not hurt 'em! ) It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I can hear it in the back of my head.... cla cloooong clong clong cla cloooong clong clong "I met a ----gin salt barroom queen........... Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Not to wander off topic much more than we already have... I cannot STAND for someone who doesn't know how to play a tamborine TRY to play it. I have had people get their hands on these and RUIN a perfectly good song! I know of very few people who grab a tamborine and can actually ADD to the music instead of detracting from it. Cowbells aren't found quite as often just lying around. Somehow, when the lights are low, tamborines find a way to reproduce. And then, some fool walks in, turns on the light, and FINDS IT and has the GALL to try to play it! So the next time you're in a jam session and somebody's Mama comes in off the street, walks in the room, turns on the light, and picks up a tamborine... JUST SHOOT HER!!! Ummmm, kidding guys. Don't shoot her. Just rough her up a bit so she'll remember not to do it the next time! "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george costanza Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 Coyote's & Mat's comments about individual timbral quality are right on. As far as the original query, "Why do cowbells sound so good?" The simplest answer is the same as for mountain climbing: because they're there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 If you only have one cowbell and it doesn't quite "fit", try to record it at a different speed. http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshananigan Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 Originally posted by bluestrat: Originally posted by Hanshananigan: Originally posted by TheWewus: What is the allure of a great cowbell? It signals the libido of lonely cowboys. That's why they call'em "cowpokes." Just FYI, "Cowpoke" is a slang term for the ranch hands that heard the cows into the pens using cattle prods, NOT cowboys. ...Thanks, strat. That's what I love about this place- always something new to learn! BTW- what "sounds" do various percussion instruments make, starting with the cowbell? does a cowbell clong? does a gong gong? does a snare thwap? Does a chime chime? I suppose a crash cymbal crashes, a splash cymbal splashes, but what does a ride cymbal do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tele Kinesis Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 What are the more famous songs that use a cowbell? I immediately think of Mississippi Queen. And how many people have had a cowbell in a rap recording...I wonder... Tele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Sound Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 NPR has a story about everything: Cowbells: http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1138384 Valky Valkyrie Sound: http://www.vsoundinc.com Now at TSUTAYA USA: http://www.tsutayausa.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Valky, I can't get that link to work. It opens my RA player but it doesn't start playing. Intresting program concept! http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysb3 Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Prior to the age of amplification, many methods to enhance the cowbell experience. Mere acoustic cowbells could not cut above the cannons during the "1812 Overture", so the Cowpera brothers set about improving the projection qualities of the standard stamped instrument. If you find a tri-cone chrome engraved cowbell on a curve-back stand in your grandpa's attic, man, you are set up for life. You may decide to test the market with this baby. Do not use eBay to handle this transaction. Allow me to be your agent. Performance rights negotiable. Henry He not busy being born Is busy dyin'. ...Bob Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Sound Posted July 3, 2004 Share Posted July 3, 2004 Try this page? http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/newyorkworks/newyorkworks.html Valkyrie Sound: http://www.vsoundinc.com Now at TSUTAYA USA: http://www.tsutayausa.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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