The UFIP Sound Artisans Italian bronze-artisan collective UFIP (Unione Fabbricanti Italiani Piatti) is located in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. The ancestry and methods of UFIP trace back to the 15th Century in the crafting of organ pipes, candelabra and bronze carillon bells for churches in Tuscany and thoughout Italy and Europe. In 1927, the families Tronci, Biasei and Zanchi united to bring old world metal working science into the 20th century, and make use of modern technology in order to create fine cast-bronze bells, gongs and cymbals and new ringing metal designs. The UFIP brand was established 4 years later in 1931. From their ancestral 15th Century beginnings in the creation of sounds for spiritual environments, UFIP's dedication to creating instruments for divine musical experience is still alive today. To play UFIP is to have a transformational sound experience. UFIP Cymbals, Bells and Targo Gongs are rough-cast to form,a method which has strong ties to the art of bell making. This is the basis for body and soul of the UFIP sound, which UFIP calls "ear created". The goal of achieving the purest sound is always at the center of UFIP methods. Held in high regard the world over, UFIP Tam Tams, Gongs and bells are famous for their important role in sound artistry, music, and holistic sound and resonance practice. UFIP cymbals have a unique vibrance that many drummers, percussionists and sound artists have come to know and love. B20 Bell Bronze "Who feels it, knows it." (that's Bob Marley). The same can be said for B20 bell bronze, the vibrant, warm, dynamic and full-bodied bronze alloy that came into use in Europe during the Rennaissance. UFIP B20 instruments produce a full-bodied tone with long-sustaining, clear, bell- like overtones. These partials are controllable, sensitive and responsive to stroke and striker, and can be played in harmonic scales. Anyone involved in the use of ringing metal instruments may be quite happy to know B20 as part of their journey with sound. Alloy and Creation B20 Bell bronze, 80% copper and 20% tin came about in Europe during the Renaissance era as an epiphany in the search for optimum sound properties in bronze, already known to be the best metal alloy for resonating sound. The discovery of B20 in Europe quickly established a new standard in the creation of beautiful sounding church bells, with the Tuscany region being a primary supplier. The alloy is no longer a mystery, it is the ability of those who cast the bronze that determines the quality of the final product. The caster must expertly pour an even and consistent shape within a few seconds, all while remaining aware of a series of variables with regard to speed, volume, shape and surface condition. The UFIP Casting Experience The UFIP foundry it is hot, dirty, primal, energetic, and human. The elements are at play here - fire, stone, metal, water, air and mineral-element compounds, in a process that seems like it is taking place hundreds of years ago. The smelter must be fired 3 hours before work begins, and work begins early in the morning at UFIP. Expert bronze workers are focused and efficient as they create the raw B20 castings that are the foundation of their work. 80% copper and 20% tin are loaded into the smelter and the mixture is continually tested until a high degree of consistency is achieved. The casting-form surfaces are checked and adjusted to maintain a specific elemental balance at the time of the casting. When all is ready - the Master Caster dips a ladle into the smelter, carries the molten bronze to the form, and expertly pours with an even flow that is matched to the volume and shape of the mold. The initial casting weights 6X that of the final UFIP product. Like great sculptors, UFIP bronze artists unveil the pure essence at the core of a naturally consistent mass. Cymbal and Gong masters lathe and hammer the final forms, continually tuning the instruments, listening and adjusting as they create sub-patterns that direct the sound evenly throughout the bronze mass. Finished instruments age on racks before shipping. From this physically intensive work come beautiful works of museum-class art and world-class sound - UFIP cymbals, bells and gongs. |
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