Reviewer: Michael Wood
e-mail: mwood3@triad.rr.com
Date submitted: Feb. 2, 2004
Purchase Price: $6,438.00
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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 instrument sounds great. I requested a special alloy which has a darker sound to it than typical vibraphones. It's very earthy and gorgeous. Because of this, mallet selection has been an issue. Nico (the maker) sent me some A.B.C. mallets (based in the Netherlands as well) and they sound very good. A warm mallet is necessary to get the full sound of the instrument. I do like the Iņaki Sebastian line through Black Swamp as well.
The tuning is flawless, simply put. The alloy I chose (and there is a choice) does not project over a large group as well as others, but is still very powerful. I purchased this as a solo classical instrument, which is why I did not need the cutting power. I was also told this upfront and I chose the warmer and slightly softer sound.
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Design & Construction
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Rating:
| 9
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Comments:
| The frame is very solid. When the wheel breaks are on, it does not move or make noise. It is height adjustable, but is difficult since the compressed gas cylinders were left out due to time constraints during the production.
Assembly is a bit time consuming, but this is how I requested it. It is a concert instrument that was not going to be moved quickly or frequently. I requested solid rails and dampening system for a more stable instrument. Nothing folds, and it is a large instrument. This takes time, but the stability is well worth it.
Motor: I did have to send the motor back for repairs due to damage in shipping. The fan shafts make slight noises at the connections, but these can be eliminated.
I have also had some trouble configuring the dampening system to dampen equally across the keyboard. The instrument is large and it is sometimes hard to get the outside bars of the instrument to dampen the same as the center bars nearer the pedal.
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Appearance
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| Everything was custom made to my specifications. I was consulted and advised on every decision. The instrument is, of course, exactly as I wanted it to look. I had the instrument made to match my Marimba One's cherry frame. The bars are gold and the resonators were made to match perfectly. Other than that, everything was made black.
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Customer Support
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| Nico is great to work with. If there was a problem, I dealt directly with him and had no problems at all.
The warranty covers everything on the instrument for one year and he pays for shipping both there and back if something must be repaired or tweaked more to the customer's liking.
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Overall Rating
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Rating:
| 10
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Comments:
| The instrument is great. It looks wonderful and sounds amazing. I would definitely recommend this instrument to any professional.
The instrument was made to fit my needs. I use it as a classical instrument that is not moved much, which is why I chose the added stability of the solid rails. Every instrument the company makes is customizable to fit the specific needs and desires of the customer.
If you order an instrument, be patient. These are all hand made and well worth the wait. I did have to wait a long time, but I am very pleased with the end result.
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