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Marimba One: 2000 Series Marimba

Range: 5 octaves

Number of Reviews: 3

Average Scores:

Sound and Tone:	9
Design and Construction:	9
Appearance:	9.3
Customer Support:	9
Overall Rating:	9

Reviewer: Katy Hebditch e-mail: katyvhebditch@yahoo.co.uk Date submitted: January 2, 2005 Purchase Price: $12,500

Sound & Tone Rating: 9 Comments: It is very easy to get a good sound out of it all of the way through - it is consistent throughout. The lower end can be played surprisingly loudly, it has a 'dark' through to a very bright sounding top end. Fine tuning can also be achieved with resonators, and any bars that aren't 'right' can be exchanged within a year. So far haven't found any faults. Only played on Adams and Premier besides this, and to be honest, they are insignificant compared to this - soundwise especially.

Design & Construction Rating: 10 Comments:

Appearance Rating: 9 Comments: The solid wood frame is much prettier, though the height adjustable is much more practical for all purpose use - esp. for younger people that are still growing (ie me!) and schools/uni's etc where more than 1 person will be using it! The height adjustable is still pretty as bars are substantial and as much wood as poss seems tio have been used on ends. Frame is a beautiful shape - smooth. Resonator shape is a curve - exclusive to Marimba One, and there are none of those bends you get with ADAMS, the resonators just get wider. See www.marimba1.com for nice pics etc (very graphic site). Resonator colour can be chosen - burgundy, gold, black, mine are burgundy and really accentuate the frame and bar colour(s). Wood is of a high quality, varnished, and the different grains look great.

Customer Support Rating: 10 Comments: I did it all over the internet. Ron Samuels was great to deal with and helped you with anything you needed, and was happy to give advice and information. The team at Marimba1 genuinely wants you to say what you want in your marimba, get your marimba safely, and be happy with it.

Overall Rating Rating: 10 Comments: I am delighted with my marimba. If i had to buy another i would probably buy one from Marimba1. I never thought i would be able to get one from them, but after finding out info, we found that it was a really good deal. I use the marimba for all sorts - mainly solo's, alot of modern music, where you end up jumping around the place, Kieko Abe, Markus Halt, Ney Rosauro, Paul Smadbeck Richard Rodney Bennett etc and also Bach - 2 part inventions and Cello suites, and, whatever else my teacher manages to find me! I would recommend to both a student and a professional. Seeing as i am a student, would say to students (and pro's)that they must ask around, ask the manufacturers questions, prices, everything, if they don't want to reply, then it's their loss of your business. The way i ended up with this baby is because i asked for prices, and they were doing a deal, and with the dollar how it was it was cheaper than an ADAMS and better quality, so why not?!!! It would be well suited to schools that have a strong percussioon department, with people that would look after it, and enjoy it. Similarly it would be suited to universities esp those with strong music sections.

Reviewer: T. Murphy e-mail: not publicly available Date submitted: December. 1, 2002 Purchase Price: $10,400

Sound & Tone Rating: 10 Comments: This marimba sounds excellent. Very easy to get a good sound with a variety of mallets. The sould quality changes between the low, middle and high registers, but that is what I requested. The low end is a dark sound and the high end is bright. I have a more resonant type so it does get a little boomy when doing fast runs in the low register. Otherwise it sounds excellent.

Design & Construction Rating: 8 Comments: The frame is very solid and sturdy. It is moderatley difficult to disassemble. But all five octave marimbas are. The resonaters are very heavy.

Appearance Rating: 9 Comments: The non adjustable wood frame instruments are beautiful. The adjustalbe frame is not as nice but that is to be expected.

Customer Support Rating: 8 Comments: Ron Samuels is very pleasant to deal with. You can exchange any bar up to one year and get a free tuning within two years.

Overall Rating Rating: 8 Comments: I am very happy with my instrument. However I am unhappy with the cases designed for the marimbaone five octave. Then resonater bags are very awkward to carry.

Reviewer: Ted Rounds e-mail: not publicly available Date submitted: May 15, 2002

Sound & Tone Rating: 8 Comments: Sound from lowest "A" through "C" above the staff is exquisite- ring time and resonance superb, very even voicing, sweet tone for lack of a more scientific term. Sweet spot on edges of black notes is a tiny target. Highest octave is considerably less brilliant and powerful than others, and there's no margin for error in stick placement. 2000 series has shorter bars in the bass than 3000 series- so it has less volume in fundamental and a very noticeable 5th partial which is painstakenly tuned. Intonation throughout is flawless except for faulty octave stretching apparent in every other marimba I've played. This instrument has shared the stage with many other instruments, most notably Malletech and Musser. It has a beautiful timber which contrasts well with these other two, and in the range described above, it has equal power and projection. Its top octave cannot compete, however. And the lowest octave is the main reason for the release of the 3000 series. I use heavy medium hard mallets covered with latex tubing and varying amounts of tightly wound yarn or cord of various types, so I cannot attest to results from using anything brittle sounding or with loosely wrapped, overly soft sticks.

Design & Construction Rating: 9 Comments: My instrument has a cherry frame and rails with felt at all contact points. It is sturdy enough for the road and esthetically beautiful. However, it should be disassembled for lifting more than a couple of steps upward. There is nothing in the frame that CAN rattle. The resonators are very solid and are also noiseless. However, they fold in the middle for transport and this leads to unequal distribution of weight when folded. So far (7 years) so good. Set up and tear down is simple and can be accomplished by one person but the weight of the resonators makes this difficult. Carrying the resonators any distance requires two people. Rails have not even begun to sag. Felts on the suspension pins in this earlier model fall off easily, but that has been remedied in the 3000 series. Mine is not a height adjustable frame, and I would suggest the pipe frame with height adjustment for schools where the instrument must be moved several times daily. The casters are excellent- they roll over any floor surface and the locks on the player's side of the instrument are quite secure. Hardware in the rails has proved very durable. The last length of cord I got from the manufacturer has a smaller diameter and it causes the bars to sit a little lower in the pins. Missed shots can cost a bit of yarn. I must add that I am extremely careful with this marimba. I would not suggest this type of frame for school use. Get the height adjustable pipe frame. The resonators are very heavy and cumbersome, even though they are noiseless. You should definitely get the bags for travelling. There is no such thing as an easily transportable 5 octave marimba.

Appearance Rating: 10 Comments: Gorgeous. My resonators are burgundy, the frame is unstained cherry which is aging nicely. The bars have only an oil finish so the colors of the grain are beautiful and invite touching, which is expressly forbidden except for placing the bars on and taking them off. Nobody fondles these babies except for me and then when no one is looking ;-)

Customer Support Rating: 9 Comments: Ron Samuels and the others at Marimba One are extremely zealous for customer satisfaction. Free bar exchange during the first year as often as is necessary and one free tuning during first two years. Guarantee against any defect during first year. This may be a standard warranty for the major manufacturers, but Marimba One makes good on it. Tuning has never taken a full two weeks. Bar replacement or other parts happens as fast as FedEx or UPS goes.

Overall Rating Rating: 9 Comments: I play "classical" repertoire but I play at higher volumes than many players and often play amplified. I would recommend the newer models of this marimba to anyone serious about performing and recording. A professional quality instrument would not make sense in the public schools, but university level players need professional quality instruments. I love this instrument and will never dispose of it even for a newer one, so there is no need to buy another Marimba One. I will keep it even after I have bought a Malletech, which will be soon.