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For a while I have been wanting to get a handheld bongos cowbell. I am still pondering which one to select regarding tone, resonance, overtones, etc.
Awaiting to decide between 3-4 bell models, I got this today, the LP231B Agogo bells:

Ah Yes, you’re about to embark on a sweet journey. Playing indoor or outdoor comes into play as well when choosing a bell. I have a few Bongo Hand Bells, but only one or two that I would use In every situation. JCRs (Cali Rivera - Bronx NY) are one of Bongoceros favorite bells. No longer made so their pricy and hard to find. I have 3 JCRs, the pitch is different on all 3. All the commercial brands make some good bells. The LP ES-4 High Pitch is a solid choice for the price. I also have a Meinl bongo hand bell in Black finish that has a real dry sound to it which I like. There’s also some Artisans to consider who make top notch bells, Osiris, Ulisis Percussion, Pete Lugo (Worked with JCR for years) and some others. These are custom made to order.

Two years ago I scored a box with 27 Bells in it from a guy in Brooklyn for $125. Timbal, Cha-Cha and Bongo Cowbell mix. To my surprise, they were mostly JCR, Osiris, Jopa, Vintage LP (70’s & 80’s). The find of a life time for me.

Juaort wrote:Ah Yes, you’re about to embark on a sweet journey.

True.
Looking at the cowbells you have, a few seem to be made to be mounted. I am planning on using the cowbell handheld, but one of those cowbells which I would tend to prefer musically, has an eye bolt mounting assembly (for some reason I like a bit less the sound of the same cowbell in handheld version).
Is this a problem: to use handheld a cowbell which is designed to be mounted ?

I’ve seen it done before. If it has a mounting piece then it’s mainly used on Timbales or Drums. In Salsa or Guaguanco the Bongo Bell Compliments the Timbal Bell. I think the mounting piece adds a little weight to the bell, but not by much. Also, the hand held bongo bell is designed just for that reason, so it’s comfortable on the hand. A bell with a mounting bracket won’t feel as comfortable as a hand held bell.

These are the ones I stick to in my collection.

• LP 70’s Chrome Bongo Bell: This has that old school Salsa Sound. It’s classic. But it weighs a ton.
• LP Salsa Bell ES-4: More current Salsa/Guaguanco bell. Solid all around.
• JCR Medium and High pitch: These are insane! Great projection, fairly light.
• Osiris Medium Pitch: Similar to the JCR.

Juaort wrote:I’ve seen it done before. If it has a mounting piece then it’s mainly used on Timbales or Drums. In Salsa or Guaguanco the Bongo Bell Compliments the Timbal Bell. I think the mounting piece adds a little weight to the bell, but not by much. Also, the hand held bongo bell is designed just for that reason, so it’s comfortable on the hand. A bell with a mounting bracket won’t feel as comfortable as a hand held bell.

Thanks Juaort.
These below are the ones I am currently considering. They are all LPs as being easier to get here in Paris:

LP ES4, well noted, but a tiny bit too flat for my taste:



LP ES8, a bit higher pitched than ES 4 (which I prefer), currently my favorite:



LP ES15, Nice overtones:



LP 206A, Nice high pitch, and black finish (which I hear is more resistant to rust):

These are mine:





Thomas

That LP ES-8 sounds really good and a solid choice. That mounting bracket is going to be a challenge when playIng as a hand held bongo bell.

BTW, Nice collection Thomas!!

Thank you, Juaort!

The way I hold the bell, the mounting device is out of the way. It doesn't matter whether it's there or not. I would only remove the screw.

I find it so obvious that the 70s-chrome LP, which was also available in black, was a copy of the original Cuban campana, as wel as the raw iron models were designed after the JCRs. Anyway, the grey LP with the hammered finish is still nice.


In this photo I am playing the small JCR. The bigger one lies ready on the bongo case to my right. I probably tested each one in performance.

Thomas

Love it! That’s a cool pic Thomas. My brother and I walked into Calis shop back in 85-86? It was a great experience being there shooting the breeze with Cali and walking out of there with a Bongo Bell. JCRs are great for live playing, the sound is amazing. That steel 70’s LP bell is awesome, but you need arms like the HULK to hold it up for long periods of time lol. I used to mount mine on my Timbales with an LP bell clamp. Sounded sweet on the timbales. I have two of them in chrome.

I just saw this. I didn't realize the large and rich range of afro-latin rhythms playable with cowbells: