Reviewer: John Rattle
Date submitted: February 18, 2006
Purchase Price: 10,000 NZ Dollers
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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10
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Comments:
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This instrument has a full and warm tone that projects well. I have used many models of mallets over the years but find that Musser medium hard, Good Vibes M229 model gives me the sound I prefer, a good bright sound with plenty of projection, . I found harder mallets tend to make the instrument sound a bit 'clangy' with no real gain in projection. For ballads I use Musser M 209 medium soft mallets, these really achieve a rich warm tone which singers particularly like. I play mainly in a jazz setting both small combo and large groups. I found the original damper pad to cause some buzzing of the bars. So I replaced it using a Piper dampening pad, unfortunately although this reduced the level of buzzing it didn't eliminate it. So I glued some piano felt on the top of the pad and this achieved the desired result. Last year I fitted a Nico Van Der Plas dampening pad which works perfectly.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| This instrument is built with the gigging player in mind. The frame is easily transported and folds easily. However the frame is the part which can give some problems. Before I purchased this model I was aware of the inherant problems of the frame's stabilty and for producing unwanted noises. I had read an article by John Piper in which he recommends making certain modifications to the frame. The first thing I didn't like about this model was the single pull dampening rod and it's centre mounted pedal and when you press the pedal down the pedal support rail flexed. This is due to the fact that Musser uses a 1" square aluminium tube for the rail and only strengthens it at the point were the pedal attaches by adding an additional short length of the same tube under the existing rail. Most people would use diagonal braces to solve this problem. At the time these were not available to me, so I replaced the 1" aluminium square tube rail with one made from 2"x1" steel tube. Although this is heavier than the original rail it made the frame extremly stable and free from 'rattles' (except me!!). I also replaced the foot pedal with a full length pedal bar and added an extra pull rod. So now the damper rail pulls from both ends. With the use of a replacement dampening pad, the feel and the action of the dampening system has been improved beyond recognition. I also replaced the metal eye bolt, where the pull rod connects on the underside of the damper rail, with nylon strips 1/8" thick with a hole for the pull rod to attach. This was recommended by Mark Piper to eliminate any possibility of the pull rod squeaking. The only movement that was left on the frame after these modifications came from the castors/wheels. So these were replaced with heavier duty locking ones. The castors I used lock both the wheels and the rotational movement of the castor. The frame is still rock solid after 6 years of gigging. I recommend similar modifications to any M55 frame owner. After 4 years of use, due to some buzzing, I replaced the bar cord with parachute cord this works very well. After 7 years of use the frame has needed some cosmetic maintanance, especially the alumminium trim around the end frame. The paint on these trim pieces tends to chip and flake due to resting the instrument on floors to fold the frame legs into the folded postion. Although it may be thought that I had to make a large number of alterations to the frame of this instrument, to gain one in which I was fully happy. I couldn't find any other commercially made instrument by another manufacturer at a similar price which was any better.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| I like the full arched resonator tubes of this model from the front it give the instrument a balanced appearance. This model has silver resonators and bars which contrast well with the black frame. As the frame design is an old one it is functional rather than modern looking. The brushed finish of the bars look good and don't reflect bright stage lights into the players eyes. Overall more classic appearance than modern.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| 4
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Comments:
| Soon after I purchased the instrument, just over 7 years ago, I found the customer service to be good. This is when I ordered extra dampener pull rods. However, recently it has been less than adequate. This is due possibly to a change of musser agents in New Zealand. Parts such as motor pully belts, I buy O rings from engineers supply stores.
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| After the various modifications to the frame where done I had an instrument that I can say I am totally satisfied with. The tone and the practability of the instrument is excellent. It is tuned to A442 and compared to other vibes I have played here in New Zealand has a full,rich and well projected tone. If I were to buy another instrument to replace this one made by Musser I would probably buy the M58 Piper model, mainly because of the more modern features and appearance. However out of choice as a professional musician my next model will be made by Nico Van Der Plas.
I use this instrument mainly for jazz but it is also at home playing rock and classical music. Compared to some other makes I have played this is a professional level instrument with a good sized graduated bars. I think the frame may prove to be be a little weak over time if used by many different people in a school or university.
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Reviewer: Prentis Drew
e-mail: thedrews@prodigy.net
Date submitted: January 4, 2005
Purchase Price: $3600
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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10
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Comments:
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It has very responsive bars and a lovely dark tone, really a voice. It has consistent volume and tone throughout the range. The heavy bars need a relatively hard mallet to project in a group but respond well in a quiet setting with soft mallets. This set was special ordered A-440 and checked out with a tuner to be exact across the range and chords voice very nicely.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| The frame seems very solid and as this is a very new instrument it has no rattles. Time will tell. It breaks down and sets up easily enough. The adjustable height up to 36" is very useful for my tall height and it is stable at full leg extension. The aluminum bars are graduated. The motor is totally silent and the speed is fully adjustable. The electronic speed control has about a 1 second delay in starting when the switch is turned on which can be anoying if you are using it for effect while playing. The damper pedal action feels heavy but operates quietly unless you stomp on it, which makes the higher bars ring slightly. The hard felt damper pad that comes stock with this instrument produces an objectionable buzz when damping the larger bars and mallet strikes tend to propagate through the felt into the frame and neighboring notes when playing damped bars loudly. I am right away retrofiting the pad with a silicone-filled pad available from Fall Creek Marimbas. Musser should take a hint from their Piper model and make the M55 more attractive by installing a silicone damper stock.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| This is a gold model and as such is simply beautiful. The little cosmetic touches that Musser has added like the gold metal moulding around the ends and the belt cover plate make it a very attractive instrument. The arched front resonators look very formal and add a lot to the presentation. The bars have a satin finish which is easy on the eyes for both the audience and the player in bright lighing.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| The set has a 1 year warranty but I have had no need to use it so far. It was a special order for A-440 tuning and was promised in 6 weeks from receipt of order. It was shipped in exactly 6 weeks as promised and arrived in perfect conditon (even though the shipping box was seriously damaged...whew).
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| With the exception of the hard damping felt Musser uses on their M55, (which is easily retrofitted with a silicone damper pad), this is a good solid instrument that will last me a long time. The sound is glorous and the gold model is very attractive. The Musser M58 Piper would have the damper problem corrected but I prefer the looks, price, and weight of the M55 so fixing the pad on the M55 is the best of all solutions. I would do the same thing again. I am a professional drummer and budding amateur vibist with a bent toward jazz and standards.
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Reviewer: James Walker
e-mail: survey@malletjazz.com
Date submitted: June 4, 2002
Purchase Price: $1100, bought "used" in 1990
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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8
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Comments:
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My ProVibe is a middle-of-the-road example (well, maybe the higher end of "MOR") of the instrument when it comes to Musser sound quality. There was a period of time in the mid-80s when (IMHO) the instruments coming out of the Musser factory just weren't that good. This instrument is from the late '70s or early '80s, so it made its way out of LaGrange before this (perceived) dip. However, compared to the older Musser instruments, and some of the recent vintage, the sound quality of mine isn't quite as good. It's not "bad," but it lacks the warmth that is associated with the best vibraphones.
As with my marimba, I had Doug DeMorrow retune the bars of my ProVibe; there were one or two which were out of tune when I bought mine, so I just had him give the whole keyboard a once-over. Both pre- and post-Doug, these bars are very lively (I've had others sit in at gigs playing this instrument, complaining that the bars are "too lively") and sustain for a good long time - especially in the upper end. The sustain is fairly even throughout the range of the instrument, as is the response and volume - no dead bars or horribly out of tune resonators.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| It is what it is - yes, it wobbles; yes, there are some rattles (at least, this was the case before my modifications, which I will mention later in this paragraph). However, it's quite portable, and one has to live with compromises when it comes to this sort of thing. What made a SIGNIFICANT difference for me, however, was upgrading two areas of the instrument. I added the silicone damper pad designed by Nico vanderPlas, which evened out the dampening on the instrument and helped to reduce frame noise. Then, I added John Mark Piper's "M-braces," which really turned this into a new instrument. The Piper braces not only minimized the movement of the frame when played, but it also eliminated almost all of the rattles on the frame. These rattles and squeaks had been (as John explained it to me) masking out some of the frequencies of the bars, and when these rattles are eliminated, the bars seem louder and seem to sound better. If one has a ProVibe, or if one is buying a ProVibe, then IMHO these two upgrades are vital to making this a top-of-the-line instrument.
There was a period of time when the materials used in ProVibe frames (as far as I could tell) were not of the best quality - back in the mid-80s. However, rattles and wobbles notwithstanding, the frame of my instrument has been quite durable.
The motor was good, but as I use pickups and effects processing rather than the tremolo of the motor, I removed the motor from my instrument years ago.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| Function before beauty. The instrument was designed for portability, not for its visual appeal.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| n/a
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Comments:
| I've not ever dealt with Musser regarding instrument repair or the like.
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| It is what it is - a workhorse of an instrument designed to be fairly portable while still sounding good and feeling fairly good to play. The vanderPlas damper pad and the Piper M-braces counteract the shortcuts and shortcomings of the frame design, and IMHO are mandatory if one wants to get the most out of one of these instruments.
It's very disappointing that Musser has not seen the need to create a 3.5-octave vibraphone, and that is the primary reason why my next vibraphone will not be a Musser. If they did offer an extended-range instrument, I would certainly consider obtaining one. The quality and tuning of the bars I've seen and played on recent Musser vibraphones has been excellent, however, and I would have no problems recommending the ProVibe or any other of the top Musser vibraphones in terms of sound quality and feel.
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Reviewer: Evan Shea
e-mail: not available
Date submitted: June 12, 2002
Purchase Price: $3400
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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10
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Comments:
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The sound is excellent. Full and pleasant. I can and do use any kind of mallet.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 8
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Comments:
| I have no frame problems so far, but the instrument is only 3 years old. I take extra care with it when setting up and breaking down, and use hard cases for all transport. Because it is designed for transport it is not extra sturdy. It fit in the back of my Civic and fits easily in a small wagon. I appreciate the design with the fold up legs and removable bars and resonators. It has graduated bars. I am very particular about getting the damper setting just right, and I have no problems with equal dampening so far. It goes somewhere every week and so far has handled the regular use.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| n/a
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Comments:
| Dummy resonators look good, but I don't care about that. The appearance is not flashy. Appearance is fine and functional. What do you need, sparkle glitter? Everyone tells me it looks great if that helps.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| n/a
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Comments:
| Came with owners manual. Have not delt with Musser before.
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| I use the instrument for everything from small-group improvisatin to symphony orchestra work. It has never failed me, but everywhere I go I see M55 vibes in fair to so-so shape. I don't know it this is a care issue, or if one day my instrument will just squeak, rattle, break and fall into mediocracy for some unknown reason. One thing that stands out- THE SOUND IS EXCELLENT. Made 1999.
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Reviewer: Joshua Conner
e-mail: not available
Date submitted: September 30, 2002
Purchase Price: $3,000.00
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Sound & Tone
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Rating:
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10
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Comments:
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The sound is immaculate, very warm and even across the instrument. I get many compliments on it from other percussionists and vibists.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 7
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Comments:
| I've had the instrument for a little over 2 years, and there are no rattles. However, the frame construction is not very conducive to being transported (it does not fit easily or sometimes at all in a mid-size car). The motor is quiet, though, and the pedal works pretty well.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| It's a nice looking instrument, but it's obviously form before function. For a gigging instrment, that's how it should be.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| no opinion
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Comments:
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| I am very happy with this instrument; unless I become a professional solo vibist, this will almost certainly be the last vibe I buy. Great sound!
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