Sturdy but poor sound
- Rating
- Posted by
- Kevin
- Date Posted
- 12/17/2014
I bought the M656 bells for my school about 7 years ago. They are lightweight, which is nice when my 5th graders have to move them. I have found them to be remarkably durable. The case is still in great shape and the bars are like new, despite some falls and who knows what in the back of a box truck. The sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. They have a quick decay and sound muffled, especially in the upper register. They lack the bright shimmer and sustain I expect. It's more of a thunk sound, even with hard plastic or brass mallets. I will keep these to use as a practice set in the band room, but I am ready for a better sounding set of bells for concert use.