[4698]Re:Re:Re:good general mallets (416 reads)	2005-09-13 15:10:26

Fernando Meza Joined: 2005-8-7 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 9 I have used many mallets over my career and finally found that I had to make my own... NOTHING in the market satisfied what I really wanted. I wanted mallets that were graduated logically from bottom to top (with the 5 octave marimba in mind) as a SET, made with different materials that were commercially available, etc. Basically, I had sounds in mind that I could not get from anything in the market. So, I experimented with this idea I had had for a long time of making these graduated mallets with Luke Nygaard who is a real craftsman making mallets, and together we came up with my dream mallets (6 different sets). They were never meant to be a commercial venture, but just a set for me and that was all. However, when my students at the University of Minnesota started trying them out, they all wanted them...! So, Luke started a small company called "August Percussion" and now they are being distributed by Karl Dustman at Professional Percussion Products in Cleveland, Ohio. In case you are interested in checking them out, you can go to their web page at: www.professionalpercussionproducts.com and click on "Fernando Meza marimba mallets" I must say however, that everyone should experiment with trying to find their own sound... That is what defines you as an individual...! My mallets for example are rather heavy (especially when compared to something like Leigh Stevens' mallets) and they produce a very rich fundamental tone which is what I have always strived to get. They also don't use birch handles, but cedar, which is a nicer softer wood (not quite as elastic of course as rattan since it is wood nonetheless, but nicer to deal with in the hands). They might take a little getting used to, but once you do, there is no going back (at least for me obviously!) Hopefully after you compare many different makes of mallets, you will also come to realize your own sound. In the meantime though, try what is out there and see what fits your musical taste the best... By the way, the ABC mallets that someone was wandering about are indeed beautiful, and the Zivkovic models are amazing... As I play with Nebojsa in the Jovan Percussion Project, I can tell you from experience that those mallets will cut through anything without being harsh and they make some beautiful sounds. The only problem, they are pricey... (at least in US standards now that the dollar has lost so much ground to the Euro...). Good luck in your own search for great sounds...! http://www.music.umn.edu Remote Host: 63-226-179-128.mpls.qwest.net

[1954]good general mallets <rlhubley>	2002-05-10 23:47:48
[1956]Re:good general mallets <William Moersch>	2002-05-11 00:12:16
[1957]Re:Re:good general mallets <rlhubley>	2002-05-11 00:20:49
[1962]Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <Scott>	2002-05-11 13:25:35
[1999]Re:Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <Mike Mathew>	2002-05-19 09:16:32
[1958]encore! <Tyson>	2002-05-11 00:29:04
[1973]Re:encore! <Bill Youhass>	2002-05-14 06:51:20
[1961]Re:Re:good general mallets <Bill Youhass>	2002-05-11 04:25:59
[1959]Re:good general mallets <Benjamin Sch>	2002-05-11 02:45:46
[2015]Marimba and piano <>	2002-05-22 20:29:30
[1964]Re:good general mallets <adam>	2002-05-12 06:29:39
[1972]Re:Re:good general mallets <rlhubley>	2002-05-13 23:19:43
[1974]Re:good general mallets <Bill Youhass>	2002-05-14 07:09:06
[1975]Re:Re:good general mallets <Tyson>	2002-05-14 13:54:59
[1998]Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <Mike Mathew>	2002-05-19 09:11:58
[2001]Re:Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <Tyson>	2002-05-19 10:54:38
[4697]Re:Re:good general mallets <percussion>	2005-09-13 12:18:10
[4698]Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <Fernando Meza>	2005-09-13 15:10:26
[4706]Re:Re:good general mallets <percussion>	2005-09-20 22:31:59
[4707]Re:Re:Re:good general mallets <William Moersch>	2005-09-21 07:43:31