Reviewer: Mark Foster
e-mail: not publicly available
Date submitted: Dec. 2, 2002
Purchase Price: n/a
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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9
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Comments:
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I've owned this instrument for years and still like this instrument a lot.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| The problems with the frame are well known to most. It rattles. The support tube is barely adequate. Many people have added support brackets to address the structural aspect and have dealt with the rattles by quieting them thru various means (thread wrapping, replacing rivets with screws, etc.). I probably get more rattles coming from my suspended ceiling etc. when I practice so I have quit obsessing about it! The set up/tear down is very quick, and in general has held up fine. (I think the most recent M250's have some design improvements over mine.)
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| The appearance is somewhat dated at this point, but it is a pretty simple, classic look.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| I did get some bars replaced when I first got the instrument. Some seemed a little dead. I wasn't convinced the new bars were much better. Maybe it was the resonator all along? Maybe I was being too picky? Regardless, they were polite, and in the end I am happy with the overall sound of the instrument.
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| I've been quite happy with this instrument. If I were to buy an instrument tomorrow the updated version probably makes more sense and is perhaps a better value. (though a few people wonder if the enclosed end pieces of the M250 contributes a little to its sound). In general, the newer guys on the block (MarimbaOne, Malletech, etc.) have gotten more attention (deservedly) over the past decade or so, but the Musser is still a very solid choice.
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Reviewer: James Walker
e-mail: survey@malletjazz.com
Date submitted: June 4, 2002
Purchase Price: $2200, with cases, bought "used" in 1987
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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9
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Comments:
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I'm fortunate to have found one of the better M250's that I've played; one reason I bought the instrument when I did was on the recommendation of a friend, who knew how good these bars were. Since that time, I've had the bars refinished and retuned by Doug DeMorrow; Doug did a fabulous job, taking what were a good set of bars and making them that much better.
The instrument (before or after I had Doug retune the bars) has a fairly even response up and down its range; no portion of the range is significantly better or worse than any other. My 250 has also recorded well, both in the studio and live.
There is a bit of frame noise, especially in the upper end - but nothing that I've not heard from other marimbas of its generation. Replace the rubber tubing on the pegs from time to time, and you'll be fine.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| If I were rating this instrument against marimbas from twenty years ago, the design would rate an eight or a nine; however, compared to the designs put out in recent years...it's not a bad design by any stretch of the imagination, but there are other manufacturers putting out better frames.
It's a very solid design; I've noticed no bowing of the frame in the center, and the resonators have yet to develop any rattles, even after all this time. (I must admit, I prefer the "tongue-in-groove" design of assembling the halves of each row of resonators on the Deagan concert instruments I've seen - I've played other M250 marimbas which have rattled a bit around the hinge assembly.)
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| It's the classic 1980's (and earlier) marimba "look" - the covering on the end panels, the painted crossrails, etc. - but I'm partial to wood-finish frames. I ended up removing the paneling on the end, and sanding down and staining the wood, as when I bought the instrument, the frame had a significant number of scratches and dings. My rating isn't any higher, because I like the look of natural wood; it isn't any lower because, while the painted/covered look isn't my preference, Musser does do a good job in finishing their frames.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| n/a
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Comments:
| I've never had to deal with Musser directly regarding any repairs of their instruments. I've heard horror stories about dealing with Musser, but IMHO they tend to be overstated - "Musser Bashing" as a sport rivals hockey in the U.S....
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| The bulk of my marimba work takes place in two contexts: 1) jazz work and 2) a classical voice/percussion duo. If I were teaching at a university or working as a marimba soloist, having to learn the current repertoire, I would not be satisfied with a 4.3 marimba. For my purposes, the range is functional - I'd say "adequate," but there are too many times when I wish I had a few more notes on the low end for me to say it's "adequate."
This is a workhorse of a marimba, which I'd recommend to younger students, to jazz players (who likely won't need the extended range of the current "state of the art" instruments), or to colleges for ensemble work. The 4.3 range makes this instrument inadequate for much of the recent classical marimba repertoire, but there are still many compositions which can fit nicely onto a 4.3 marimba.
Eventually, I plan to move on to a 4.6 or 5.0 marimba, but I suspect that I'll hang onto my '250 for jazz work, possibly installing pickups.
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