JasG
7 March 2012
writing some music for marimba & vibes (in a small ensemble) - have eyes on a M48 (for all the good travel-light 'n quick reasons the wonderful GB cited - and also like the more mellow sounding Musser gold bars for that) -- now looking for rosewood marimba (at least 3 octaves, hopefully more) to buy for gigging, to be paired with the M48 player - any suggestions? & unfortunately can't say "price is no object" - merci, James
Comments
the Kat
John Keene Thu, 03/08/2012 - 06:19
Depending on the kind of music you're interested in playing on marimba, you may want to consider the MalletKat. Not only does it have excellent marimba samples, it also takes up less room on stage, is portable, is considerably less expensive than a rosewood-bar classical marimba, Dave Samuels uses a Kat for that very purpose, and there are other percussion sounds like steel drums and tubular bells that you could access.
If you prefer getting an acoustic marimba, do two things - be careful buying on ebay and since you're in Los Angeles you should easily be able to inspect a purchase ahead of time, and also make sure the tuning matches. An M-48 comes from the factory tuned to A-442, but a pre-owned marimba may very well be tuned to 440. Other posters may dispute whether that difference matters, but it makes sense to me to have both match.
you are right about that
tonymiceli Thu, 03/08/2012 - 12:20
In reply to the Kat by John Keene
you are right about that john! packs up easily. in fact this is what samuels uses most of the time on the road instead of a marimba! and the new axe is sooo light.
Recommended acoustic marimba to pair with M48 vibes?
JasG Thu, 03/08/2012 - 21:16
Thank you so much John & Tony for your kind replies - most appreciated! Will hold out for a M48 A440 (thanks to GB's advice). Really appreciate your ebay point too. I have zero prejudice about acoustic vs electric - love both when the music is good: we all agree that great (or bad) music is 99% about the ultimately-produced music, not the axe (Chick on acoustic or a Rhodes is still Chick etc etc) - so I appreciate and will certainly consider further John's most helpful suggestion about checking out the Kat. (as an aside, I'd love to buy what Nico just came out with but too expensive). At this point, my dream/instinct is to go completely acoustic - for a variety of reasons I won't bore you with (the music is a combination of small group modern jazz ala MJQ but not a quartet (septet) and influenced by certain classic soundtracks in my head (like we all have) ala The Moderns & other elements - vague description for now I admit). But I really like the intimacy experience of acoustic instruments in a small setting, small club (with as little PA as possible (although appreciate it may be needed) - so a jazz chamber thang . The rest of the ensemble is acoustic too, with minimal amplification (eg of course mic'ing as necessary, acoustic bass with pickups thru small amp etc). Would love to see your takes on which rosewood (or other wood? - although from what I read rosewood is the "bomb") marimbas you'd recommend - which brands, and specifically which models etc - and also given gigging/take down but wanting at least 3 octaves (or more!). Many many (did i say many?) thanks again, JasG
Marimbas
John Keene Fri, 03/09/2012 - 04:34
In reply to Recommended acoustic marimba to pair with M48 vibes? by JasG
First, I don’t play marimba despite my tremendous affection for the instrument. So I’ll defer to anyone here who actually plays the instrument. I believe that I understand where your interest lies with regards to an acoustic setting and preference to explore that direction. So I’ll offer a few ideas for consideration, and I’m going to emphasize the practical over the theoretical.
I just took a look at Deagan and Musser marimbas on Ebay, and it appears to me that the better investments are in 4 to 4.3 octave instruments. I would tend to believe that rosewood would hold its value much better as well as a superior sound. So I think that the issue would be that the tuning matches so you’re not dealing with a 440 vibe and a 442 marimba. I’m nearly positive that the Deagans are all 440, and a good Deagan marimba would be an excellent investment.
Now I’ll play the devil’s advocate. The obvious drawback is the amount of space that both a vibe and a marimba take up on stage. Add the extra space for mic stands plus your body taking up space as well. Next, you have to factor in the logistics of moving equipment: you’ll need a van to move both (projected gas expense in LA), plus cases to protect your investment. I would normally think that soft bags would be fine, but moving both instruments together may require hard-shell cases to better protect frames and resonators. And last, I prefer to take charge of my own amplification and not leave it to the facility. I would say that you’re looking at 6 trips back and forth to your van just to move stuff inside, and then the security issue of your instruments between trips. Let’s not forget insurance. So you have to add that expense and time to the equation, and this is not to discourage you but to just point out things we sometimes fail to consider.
If you have no prejudice between acoustic and digital, I’d still recommend the Kat for practical reasons in a vibe/marimba setting where both are equal, and you may even want to consider 2 Kats (eliminating the M48) where you could stack one on top of the other on a Quik-Loc keyboard stand and play both simultaneously. With a rock-and-roller cart, you’ll have everything inside in one trip including your amp. That would be less expensive, safer to move, a unique look that people would remember, and well-suited for the better-paying gigs where you need the volume.