MTFCA Forum

on early model t brass bubble horns

Wayne Mims wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 09, 2023 11:47 am

on early model t brass bubble horns

Ohhhh buddy...thats almost "an art" to which few have mastered. Those reeds are so finicky and sensitive it ain't funny. Total crapshoot in my book. I finally got my Torpedo horn sounding excellent after HOURS of fiddling and I'm pretty sure the real culprit was my leaky flexible hose. New hose and good solders later and it sounds great. Good luck!

Tim is correct. There is no "recipe" nor literature on the subject (at least that I've ever been able to find) to guide you. New repro reeds can be "improved" by removing burrs, possibly tuned by carefully "planing" the tongue. If you have a strong sound, the pitch can be changed by "bridling" the reed. It's easy to end up with a reed that won't produce sound at all after dinking with one. Again, good luck, and don't forget to share your successes and tips !

Yes, please share, the bulb horn on my 1912 Flanders sounds pretty anemic unless I squeeze the bulb with just the right speed and force.

There seems to be a certain "technique" to playing the bulb horn. As Tim noted, a primary requirement is to ensure there are no leaks in the fittings and flex-pipe. Many years ago I read in the lore being published by "horseless carriage" enthusiasts that there is a preferred way to squeeze the bulb. Another "problem" that haunts me is the nagging suspicion that modern reproduction bulbs may not be as supple as they were made originally from natural latex rubber ?

I have a 1914 T with a stock brass bulb horn and as they say...it is an art to get the right sound. I started playing with mine and ended up with no sound and then had to play around some more. Right now it sounds kind of like a sick goose, but it is very loud and people notice it so I am happy the way it is.

Brian !! You've nailed it ! They're SUPPOSED to sound like a sick goose !

Rich P. Bingham wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:11 pm

Brian !! You've nailed it ! They're SUPPOSED to sound like a sick goose !

Ha ha Rich & Brian! Yeh Clara's, my '13's horn really sounds like a sick goose! Like Brian, when I fiddled with it I ended up with NO sound..then got the goose! Ha ha. And indeed even now I too have to squeeze that stupid bulb just right to make it honk! I'll keep trying, and it has a new hose so I'm confident that's not an issue with her horn.

I have bulb horns on my 1924 Morris (OK not a T but still a bulb horn ) and my 26 TT.
Both bulbs are new repops.

There is an art to how to squeeze the bulb with the difference being a sick goose or a solid 'honk.'

What is the secret lore? well, there are whole threads on other forums dedicated to this issue so my thoughts are probably countered by some one else's!

I hold the horn in the palm of my hand, with the stem of the tube between my thumb and fore finger and then firmly squeeze firmly with the other three fingers. Confused? well, so I am I a bit

Don't 'push' the bulb forward, that won't work well

Have a try,

Cheers
Adrian

Adjusting horn reeds is an acquired skill, have seen a knowledgeable T'er adjust the tone using a pen knife, and a wooden match stick, he carved the match stick to a narrow narrow long flat, and inserted it into the reed and bent it some. The horn had a high tone, and he got the horn to make a nice low tone. But, that was experience.

Photo of expert friend, sadly Pete passed this year.


Have tired it myself using a flat steel artist oil paint paddle, very thin long one. Slipped it between the reed and body, just a tad. Tried the reed again, nope, no change. So did a tiny bit more lift. Well no sound at all! Pried the reed too high I guess. And once pried up, you can't bend it back. Good thing I had a spare reed, that would at least honk!

Here is some excerpts from a 1913 article in Automobile Repair journal. You can read enough to see only experience can lead you to a nice sounding bulb horn honk. [/b]

Thanks for that article Dan. What's most obvious is the reed illustrated in the 1913 article is quite different from the reeds I've seen, which appear to be half of the reed in the article. It's all fascinating ! More study is indicated !!

Rich

Didn't load all the screenshots as some were fuzzy to read. Yes there were lots of styles of reeds, today the repros are about all the same frog reed type, with one thin edge soldered and the other free end off the reed case just slightly.