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Re: Sounds of Music C
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:50 pm
by nomynameisnotkevin
What type of mallet would work best with a metal instrument?
Would using a dowel rod for the handle, bouncy ball (I don't know what size) as the core, and then a little yarn around it work?
Also, does the type/thickness of wood used for the handle matter? (Oak vs. Poplar, etc)
Re: Sounds of Music C
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:29 pm
by Infinity Flat
nomynameisnotkevin wrote:What type of mallet would work best with a metal instrument?
Would using a dowel rod for the handle, bouncy ball (I don't know what size) as the core, and then a little yarn around it work?
Also, does the type/thickness of wood used for the handle matter? (Oak vs. Poplar, etc)
For a smooth sound like a vibraphone, yarn would be best.
For a brighter sound like a glockenspiel (bells) a harder acrylic/plastic mallet might find some use.
Yes that would work fairly well. The key is finding a fairly soft/squishy bouncy ball for the core. I find ordinary ones to be too hard in my opinion.
For the wood, you want to get it as close to about I'd say 1/4" without it being to breakable. Harder and stronger woods allow for thinner, more agile mallets. Someone suggested using arrow shafts earlier, and that seems like a really great idea to me.