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Buying the perfect Vibe

Chris.Schaub 6 August 2012

I am currently looking to invest into a pro vibe. Before hand I used a Ross from the school I taught at to play gigs. I am looking for a good vibe to gig and move around alot, but I don't want to compromise sound. I am asking to get info from people who have used top of the line models. I am looking at either the M48 or the M55 from my understanding the M55 is the standard. Yamaha, I have done some research but cannot really narrow it down to some models I can look at. I do not really see many prime artists play with Adams. Anyways, I just want some feedback, or links if this has been discussed elsewhere...I am not limiting myself to any brand, I just want to find that dream instrument.

Thank You

Comments

Marie-Noëlle Mon, 08/06/2012 - 16:02

Hello Chris and welcome on board!

I'm sure you'll get info from others. All I can give you is the link to the section of this site where this subject has been discussed before. If you search for anything here, you may use the search engine, or you can look around in the "V-Books" (tab above on the screen).

- So if you go to "V-Books"
- Then to "Vibes - All About the Instrument"
- And finally to "Getting your own instrument"

You'll get to this page with some of the posts about this topic: www.vibesworkshop.com/node/6964/

Good luck and keep us posted!

Marie

tonymiceli Mon, 08/06/2012 - 23:17

M55 if it's your first instrument.

VanderPlas makes a gig vibe that nico says can pack up as sat as the m55 so u can check that one out also.

I think Yamaha instruments sound great but they're a lot to pack up. If you start gigging a lot packing up will really matter A LOT.

The m55 is the easiest to pack up right now... Except if you can get your hands ona premiere 70(?) something. That's even easier although it s a little heavier.

Marie-Noëlle Tue, 08/07/2012 - 02:33

The one John Daly and I own. Except that mine is so old that I don't fold it... but as I don't gig, it doesn't really matter! ;-)

The pb with Premier 751 would be the spares as they are no more manufactured (right on John?). Otherwise it has great sound and excellent "foldability".

- M

Gary Burton Tue, 08/07/2012 - 08:44

Hi, Chris, I've played on all the major brands at one time or another, and I agree with Tony, the M55 is probably the ideal first pro instrument. I might be somewhat biased since I have played Musser instruments for 60-some years now, (and I designed the M55 in 1964 and the M-48 in about 1980). With either of these instruments, the sound is the same --- same bars and resonators. So the difference is simply portability. The M-48 breaks down into more and smaller pieces for more compact travel cases. The M55 puts together and comes apart the fastest of any instrument, however, since it has fewer parts to assemble. Yamaha vibes are well made, but the bars have a different timbre, more similar to the old Deagan instruments (Yamaha bought the Deagan company and its designs back when Deagan folded and kept the same manufacturing technique for making the bars). I just find the bottom octave of the Yamaha a little thin compared to the Musser. I played a concert on an Adams a few years ago (in Russia), and it fell short in terms of sound. Not a nice full sound, but a rather thin, weak sound. I played a couple of concerts on one of Nico's early instruments when in Holland some years ago. It was very well made, and the sound was quite good, comparable to Musser, I would say. I don't think there is any other currently manufactured instrument that is worth considering. Good luck with your new vibraphone!

Drew Johnson Tue, 08/07/2012 - 10:46

Wow! Thanks for the input, Gary! You may be biased about Musser, but that doesn't mean you are wrong. Musser and Vanderplas are the two best sounding instruments out their IMO, too.

@Chris, I have the M48 and love it. For the money, Musser is the best way to go. Vanderplas is more expensive... Dana Sud described it to me like a luxury car. Whereas, the Musser would be like a Honda sports car. Less luxury, but still a great reliable instrument.

barshalev Tue, 08/02/2016 - 11:26

I saved one from the garbage can
Need rubber parts for the motor. All 3 of them. And the part that the string that holds the string that connected the bars. 8 pieces.
Recommendation for mallets.
Anyone can help?

Right now I am playing without the vibrations and is seems great.

saxlaw Tue, 08/02/2016 - 16:57

I have found a couple of Balter mallets that work well on vintage vibes. The Miceli medium hard (I think it's model 46) or the model 25's are both excellent choices.

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