Cowbell Quality

[lowddawg]

Just curious,
I just bought a few cowbells from mycowbell.com. He is the state grad who is making them.
I really want to support him, but I have to say I was disappointed. They seem cheaply made.
They have a hollow ring because of how thin metal is and there is space between where the bell is put together.
It isn't one solid piece.

Where do you all get your cowbells? Are there better quality ones being produced out there?

 

[randystewart]

if your bell (not counting the handle welds) does not have 4 base welds (one on each top corner and one at each seam on the bottom) it is cheap and will break. I know that Barnes and Noble sells the ones that are welded properly, but I have seen many around town with only the handle welded on.

 

[jtk47]

The best advice I can give you is go to a Co-Op and buy a good thick cowbell, and get someone you know or go by a machine shop and get a handle welded on. You can also get the seams welded up on the sides for a better sound. This is what i did, after i bought several cowbells. A bike handle-bar grip will fit on the handle. I also got mine powder-coated to prevent any chipping. My next one will be sent to a chrome shop. The bell sounds great, and there are no seams at all on the bell. It all starts with the quality of bell you get though. I had to shop around for a good one.

 

[MSU124]

I don't know which company it is, but I do know they are the ones who sell to barns and noble.<div>He said theirs are a lot thicker then the others ones. (that's what she said)</div>

 

[kcomphlint]

I got mine at The Lodge (i think)...or it may have been the old bookstore in the union....of course this was probably 1997/98 when I got mine. Still rings like a champ though!

 

[jb1020]

they all ring a little different, but it seems to be welded properly and the paint is nice...went with a black model.

 

[DirtyLopez]

find one that is big and heavy. Then weld or have someone weld a handle on it. After the lead dinger flies out, replace it with a nut. Oh, and start working out.

 

[The Peeper]

a wire brush on a drill, primed it several coats, painted several maroon coats, re-stickered, clear coated and a new thick rubber grip (bicycle), ready for another few years.

 

[Arthur2478]

I agree completely. They are thinly made and have a tin can type ring. My wife was give one of those last year as a gift. She was so excited because it was her very first cowbell (didn't go to State). The first game she took it to, the dinger fell out of it. And I'm not taking 4th quarter. The damn pregame. She literally rank it for 3 seconds before it broke. I replaced the rod with a coat hanger wire (much stronger) and realized I'd made it a bit too long. When I went to remove the new rod from the base of the inside of the bell to shorten it, the ring where the rod attaches broke in half. I have never seen such a cheaply made cowbell. Go to the Lodge or Campus Bookmart and pick out a real bell!