Customers often wonder why some wind chimes sound like church bells (or chapel bells) and others don't. Many, many of you look for a deep-sounding chime, so here's a wee primer to answer that question...

The chimes that most sound like church bells are the biggest in height.  In fact, around here we call them "the tall, skinny chimes."  The long tubes on the chime, coupled with the relatively small diameter of those tubes, create this sound.  Whenever I'm downtown at noon, I hear the local Catholic church chimes - THAT'S the sound of these chimes.  Every line of chimes we sell has a chime that sounds like this.  You simply need to look at the overall height to find it; look for the tallest chimes. 

You don't need to look for the most expensive chimes, because the costliest chimes are large in both tube length and tube diameter, which creates a more gong-like sound. The Corinthian Bells 74-inch chime is a perfect example of a church-bell chime; the Corinthian Bells 65-inch chime is a gong-like chime.

The sound and tone that resonates with one customer can be completely different from what another customer is looking for - so be sure to listen to each chime's sound file on the site! Customers often wonder if the chime really sounds like it does online - I always answer "YES, it does - even better!" And really, that's the truth. No sound file can capture the random sounds of a chime blowing in the wind. The sound files will capture the basic tones; but the actual chime hanging in your garden will surpass that sound every single time. So if you like the sound online, you will LOVE it in the backyard!

As always, simply give us a call if you want any advice or an opinion about a chime, especially if you're gifting one to someone else. We're here. And we know these chimes. (To be honest, we wouldn't be selling them if we didn't.)

- Carolyn

www.buychimes.com