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If you have any technical questions about bars and tunings etc. post them hear and our resident vibe geek Nico vanderPlas will answer them!

Forum Topic: Damper felt adjustment

I play the marimba, and am new to the vibraphone. I noticed that, over time, a depression develops on the vibraphone damper where the underside of the bars make contact with the felt. Is this a bad thing, and is it necessary to readjust the damper tension when not using the vibes, to relieve the pressure on the felt?

Is there a section here that addresses how to properly set up and adjust a vibraphone?

Thank you-
Glenn

Forum Topic: College sophomore looking to buy his first vibraphone

Hey everyone, My name is Dawson. I'm studying Jazz Performance at Missouri State University and I need some guidance in buying a set of vibes, as I've never done this before. I'd really like to start gigging around town once I get a set. The problem is that I drive a '98 Toyota Corolla -- not the biggest car -- so portability is really important to me. Also, as a college student I'm not a huge fan of spending money, so I'd really like to avoid breaking the bank/taking out a loan to buy this instrument.

Forum Topic: Motor on/off using foot switch.

Does any player here use a foot switch to turn the motor on and off? I just want the motor on during certain parts of a song, and I find that reaching over with my hand to turn the motor on/off is just not feasible. However, using one foot to pedal and the other foot to turn the motor on/off seems a bit clumsy. Or maybe I could somehow put the motor on/off switch on the top of the frame for quicker access. Any thoughts appreciated.

Forum Topic: Musser Bars on Adams frame??

Hey Everyone. I'm trying to sell my brazilian Musser-sized JOG bars, and this potential buyer wants to know if they fit on an Adams frame. It's an alpha series instrument, so I know width-wise they're fine (as opposed to that model they have that goes down to E, where they use Deagan measurements - 2 inch wide bars), but I still don't know if the distance between cord holes, and the length between the holes and the ends of the bars are the same.... Has anyone tried this, or even better...

Forum Topic: M46 vs. M55 vs.?

Hi, new guy to the forum here. I'm looking to get a set of vibes. I've been playing kit drums for 40 years and bought a MalletKat a few years back. As nice as the MalletKat is, I also like the immediacy and subtlety of acoustic instruments so I figured why not? After searching around (including this site) I've come up with some questions regarding what to get. I don't live near a large city so I can't audition instruments directly and used instruments are pretty much out of the picture (I don't know enough about them to trust my judgement anyway).

Forum Topic: Graduated bars on Deagan vibraphones?

I'm new here and happy to find this site.

I currently play a Deagan marimba and am looking for a vibraphone that has the same physical dimensions as my 410, because I thought it would be an easier transition from one instrument to the other. My 410 is 3-octave, f-f, with graduated bars. Can someone tell me if all portable Deagan vibraphones have graduated bars? From the pictures that I have seen, the Traveler and Performer model vibraphones appear to be pretty close to my 410.

Forum Topic: Who knows about Saito vibraphone?

Hi experts :)
I have a chance to buy a Musser M55 (about 3000,-€) or a Saito CB700 (about 1000,-€).
Both are so far away that I can't travel only to test them myself.
Up to now I have only seen photos.

Saito seems to have the same bars size as the Musser.

Does anyone know about Saito?
Is the sound comparable to the Musser?

Thanks
Paul