Light model for traveling

what about a malletkat? that would solve the problem you're posing. and it's a great instrument. and there are great vibe sounds out for it.

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Tony Miceli
www.tonymiceli.com (new)
s k y p e: tjazzvibe
tony@tonymiceli.com
www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Miceli/604414578
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Karl, You've described my dream vibraphone....which doesn't exist. Believe me, with all the traveling I have done over the years, I always wished for something lighter and smaller, that still sounded good acoustically. My ultimate solution is the M-48 (I made two prototype models in the 80's before Musser started making them for general sale). I reduced as much of the hardware size as I could (the resonators), broke things down into more pieces so they could be packed into smaller cases to pass airline limits, and as you say, it is still cumbersome to set up and a bit too heavy to carry comfortably. I had another idea years ago, to make the resonators and legs of the instrument out of one of the new lightweight metals (titanium, molybdenum, etc), that could conceivably reduce the weight by a third. After researching available metals, tubing and such, I lost interest, and I worried that a frame made from such materials might end up feeling less solid. Maybe it would work, but it would also be quite expensive. I suppose if I was just beginning my career now, I would be pursuing this possibility more earnestly. Remember, I started out touring with a Musser Century in 1963: on the road for 312 days that year with five cases totaling 260 pounds! It was the only full-size keyboard instrument Musser made then. In 1964, I convinced them to make the M-55, a larger version of their One-Niter, so I could get more portability and still have a professional sound. I came up with the design for the M-48 when automobiles started getting smaller and I could no longer get the M-55 cases into taxis. If you come up with something better, let me know, I'll be the first in line to give it a try. (By the way, I use a conventional airline carry-on bag to carry my bars, may as well have at least one case with wheels on it). - Gary B.

My brother built an experimental airplane out of foam core and fiberglass.
Its incredibly strong and light weight.
http://www.cozymkiv.com

I bet with the right prodding he would build a vibraphone frame.
Not sure how to tackle the resonators.

Karl, maybe you should look at the thread on Nico's new motor system that developed into a lot of back and forth on this subject. The easiest vibraphone that I own that gets close to reasonable for travel is a 1973 Musser 1-niter, because of it's very light weight and very small size. I never remove the bars, and I can literally put this thing under my arm and walk down the block or wherever. The aluminum square tube used for the frame is very light, as are the resonators. I have used this instrument acoustically w/mics and in small venues/stages with non-electric bands it has worked out fine. Rumor has it that Stefon Harris used 1-niters for trips to Europe earlier on in his career. If you are a 2 mallet player who uses med-hard/hard mallets, this axe is (IMO) absolutely fine as-is, you will project like Lionel Hampton. 4 mallets with comping - you need pickups. I assume the sound would be great as I have a Musser small bar kelon marimba with pickups and that sounds great. If anyone were to manufacture such as axe and I had design input, I would change the one-size bars on a 1-niter to the next increment larger at about middle C(3), and take it down to E2 which of course every modern vibraphone should have. With pickups, you do not need the resonators. There are even ways of easily repairing a broken pickup right on the gig, should something happen. However if the pickups are done the right way, you should have no problems. I have a Deagan portable axe with pickups, have only lost (1) in 31 years of heavy use, and that incident would not have happened if I had been there to intervene, so - no pickups lost in normal use or playing, or moving on the Deagan. The Deagan's downfall for traveling is the weight of the frame and legs, and the size, in that order.

Anyway - the Dream Vibe - my opinion, best and easiest if the bars never come off and pickups are standard. I have flown the one-niter in the past (it is small enough) and paid oversize but it was worth it. However, if the frame folded and unhooked in the middle, and had a 2-part damper bar and 2-part pedal assembly, the size could be brought down to regular suitcase specs and (I think) it could all be fit into 2 cases, sans resonators.

KAT notes: Because I have to be portable and available at non-local Folk Festivals (that is really where you get your ass kicked, all those mandolin players just running free) I have recently purchased a Mallet Kat 2 octave w/ a 1-octave expander. With this I can fly easily, run from stage to stage, setup is fast, and I get to play with ensembles that I normally would not be able to. It all fits into a small easy case, with it's pedals and synth sound source. It is not a vibraphone, but I would rather be able to perform than not perform at all. No one has ever complained about samples/synth mixed in with the voices and string instruments, etc. With new laptop based samplers such as Kontact, and using features built into the Kat (it is really smart), you could get a realistic feeling vibraphone sound and also have bowed (or any other) sounds available immediately by using a mute technique on the Kat.

Food for thought. Thanks to Marie for keeping me posted! Thanks Nico for entertaining the idea. Thanks Tony for this forum.

and thanks for reading

Ed

This is a request for specifications.

If you have a request for this light weight frame please email me via my profile.
We don't care how rediculous you think the request may be we want to hear about it.

The more specific the request the better.
ex. It should weigh less than 50 lbs. as opposed to it should be really light.

We're excited about this but without your input we would just be building a possibly useless thing.

tia,
Todd Canedy

The Canedy plane is amazing
If I see this & think "vibes/marimba", what comes to mind is of course the space-ship-like 4-oct midi marimba by Yamaha apparently made for and played only by Sinske (Shinsuke Ishihara) http://sinske.jp/pg30.html
Somewhere at min 2:40 U can see the thing...[here] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGxzfw_Ew20

Something completely different:
-Jim McCarthy looks like he's not around VW...
I wonder, if anybody knows/tried or bought these promising do-it-yourself kits.
"Vibraphone, Marimba and Xylophone Building E-Books from Jim McCarthy"
http://www.buildavibraphone.com/get_vibraphone_plans.html

just to keep the convo rolling...

at the last jam session I went to I was just thinking that maybe I should just get some smaller set like the one nighter or some old jenco or something specifically for jam sessions. I'd be able to do more of them and they might be more fun since it wouldn't involve lugging the regular size instrument around.

- www.mikepinto.net

Was thinking a lot about this, due to all the great recent info about the Carbonvibe, which I had been anxiously awaiting. This instrument looks amazing, and Nico and his company did an incredible job. But for me, I don't think it is going to be the ultra transportable vibe I have been waiting for. So figured that I'd try to come up with some ideas for what that actually is.

Must haves:
1. full-size, great sounding bars
2. real resonators & fans
3. strong, sturdy frame that packs as small and light as possible
4. the bars must come off, because just by themselves, they are already too heavy!
5. everything must work all the time! - like motors and damper pedals, regardless of how fast you gotta set-up, or how strange the voltage in the club is.

I think the YV-3710 & M48 are the only things that come close right now. But both are pretty heavy, and come apart into too many small parts.

Since I drag around a YV-3710, thought I would start with what I feel are its deficits:

1. Although the frame is professional and sturdy, it is way too heavy. Same for the resonators. There's gotta be a lighter material, that doesn't costs a fortune...?
2. The pedal crossbar has a ridiculous clamp thing that attaches the sections - this is cumbersome, and easy to put together the wrong way which means you need to take the frame apart again. Ugh!
3. The whole damper bar comes out, and needs to be properly set with a giant spring thing that is pretty delicate. Right now, mine is broken.
4. The whole motor comes off and needs to be properly installed each time, then attached to the fan pulleys with geared belts. These can be hard to get on, and will fall off if things aren't perfectly straight. Oy!

Wish list:
1. A frame keybed that breaks into 3 sections, instead of 4 like the YV3710. The center section should have an entirely enclosed pedal and motor mechanism. No springs or pulleys - the resonator fan ends simply could have a tip that inserts into a sealed gear mechanism, which works right every time. Even better, there could be a 3-prong standard power plug connector right on the end of the frame. No external transformers.
2. If the footpedal crossbar folds down, it must go right back together - like with a hinge and a sleeve. It needs to take 2 seconds to assemble, not 5 minutes.
3. It must use lightweight parts throughout. Wood and steel are old materials. I want new materials.
4. It needs elegant, scaled-down design. No bells and whistles, just great sound and simple transportability.
5. Price: The YV3710 is around $3500 street, I think. This hypothetical instrument would sell for under $4500 US.

How many people would buy this instrument? Hmm... David, do you think Yamaha would check out these comments? I feel like maybe they are the only ones who might be able to hit that price point.