How clock case materials affect chiming tone

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:44 pm     Post subject: How clock case materials affect chiming tone

I have two howard miller mantel clocks: One has a tambour design case (Webster model) and the other has a bracket clock style case (model 'Thomas Tompion'). Do they have the same movements, just a different case? The chimes sound markedly different. The bracket clock has a high pitched chime (almost sounds like bells). The tambour clock has a lower pitched chime tone. I think both style clocks use rods instead of tubes, am I correct?