How to build your own serpent and/or ophicleide

imperialbari · Post by **imperialbari** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:07 pm

From the "Memphis"-horn list:

http://www.serpentwebsite.com/SQPT_concept.htm

Klaus

Douglas · Post by **Douglas** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 2:31 pm

The site is back up. Does it really sound like the real instruments?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 8:28 pm

schlepporello wrote:I find that quite interesting, Klause. I can't help but wonder tough. How hard would it be to construct a serpent from PVC tubing?

There's a guy in the Netherlands who makes big PVC pipe flutes (Contrabass and double contrabass). The problem is that PVC pipe is straight bore, not conical. So his flutes have a very "sewer pipey" sound, like a bass clarinet. It's not bad if what you're looking for is something to sound very low notes in a flute ensemble. But a Kotato it ain't:

http://home.hetnet.nl/~jelinbama/Page_4x.html

On the other hand, you could (and people have) used PVC to approximate a conical bore by using appropriate reducing fittings at each bend. Reportedly, the result is not very authentic to look at, but the sound is supposed to be pretty good.

I do remember that the PVC contrabass flutes have a tendency to flex (they're probably built out of something like class 200 PVC pipe). If I were building a serpent, I'd want to use something like Schedule 40 to keep the flex problem to a minimum.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:58 pm

PhilW. wrote:The mp3 files on his site sound terrible. Is that how real serpents sounded?

Seems to me that if serpents sounded good, we would be playing them instead of tubas and sousas.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:03 am

holtek wrote:Hey...MY bass clarinet doesn't sound like no sewer pipe when I play it!

Holtek.... you're avatar!! Are you the one who stole that painting a couple of weeks ago? In broad daylight? Watta guy!

kegmcnabb · Post by **kegmcnabb** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:00 am

Henry wrote:I have, and have had for several years, a GGG contra bass hoseophone constructed of 20-odd feet of pvc piping ranging from 1 to 4 inches in diameter with a custom 3 foot .625 bore leadpipe (5/8 garden hose), a specially enhanced highly resonant bell for brilliance (8" plastic flower pot minus the bottom) and a glow in the dark polycarbonate Bach 18 copy mouthpiece mounted by bungee cords in the back of my Honda.

I'm intrigued! Pics????

Craig McClelland
Craig@sonicabsurdities.com
www.sonicabsurdities.com
-------------------
Marzan BBb
Kubicki Ex-Factor Bass

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:55 am

PhilW. wrote:The mp3 files on his site sound terrible. Is that how real serpents sounded? Because if it is, no wonder they invented the tuba!

Here are some demos from EUCHMI:

http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/uji.html

Somewhere there used to be demo sound clip of George (an authentic contrabass serpent) but I can't seem to find it.

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:36 pm

mY UNCLE IS A WOOD ARTIST AND ACTUALLY MADE ME A sQUAREPENT. It is quite fun to play but of course, doesn't get a big sound. Being that it's made of wood and full of holes.

He is making me two more. One will be a bass in F that is quite a bit larger and the other has him tinckering with valve modifications. He's trying to build it like a bass sax. We'll have to wait and see. Email me if you want to see some pictures.

-Dylan

TubeNet

How to build your own serpent and/or ophicleide

How to build your own serpent and/or ophicleide

Contrabass hosaphone