Malletech Eric Sammut ES12 Soft to Medium Hard Birch Marimba Mallets

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The only reason I don't give this mallet five stars, is that I thought it would be a bit more broad in its use than it is, but that's not really a negative so much as avoidance of "grade inflation" across multiple reviews. Really, this is a lovely mallet in feel, weight, and balance, but it definitely does not work as well across the full keyboard as some other popular mallet choices do, so I would not recommend it as a first mallet. nevertheless, it is different enough in timbre to be a useful part of the arsenal -- perhaps especially in solo work, where its slightly finicky personality can make for a wider expressive range than m ore traditional mallets. It would be interesting to try these in a different hardness than the Soft to Medium Hard rating that I bought. Although I own a 4.3 octave Marimba One model, it would also be interesting to see how well this mallet works on the bottom octave of a 5 octave model.

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Moderately heavy mallets with great tone, these are a great change of pace compared to my duo-tonal Van Slices. Two pairs of 12s can cover just about the entire range of the keyboard, save for a little bite on the low end and a bit of "fwoof" on the higher registers. As with other duo-tonal mallets, longevity is a bit of concern, with the mallets hardening slightly over their lifespan. Overall a great mallet, one of my first buys from Malletech.

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These are the mallets I wish I had been using years ago. I use the 12's for 4 mallets things and I also have a pair of 16's for 2 mallet parts. If you are new to Malletech marimba mallets these are a great place to start.

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If you don't mind a bit of extra weight, and are looking for a general mallet that will sound quite good in all registers except the top octave, these are the mallets for you. The additional heft provides you with full, rich tone quality that is needed to make the most of the best rosewood instruments. These have just enough cut to sing through the mid range, but also work quite well even in extended passages in the bottom octave of a 5 oct. instrument. My only complaint would be that they begin to wear out, as most mallets with multi-tonal qualities do, rather quickly. I have had my current set for about a month, and use them at most an hour daily. Thus far, they have hardened up a little bit and cut a tad more than they used to. I have found that these mallets provide just the right sound for many of Sammut's works.

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The ES12 is wonderful medium hardness mallet for players seeking a heavier mallet with little contact/attack noise. The moderate weight and balance of this mallet generate a warm fundamental and rich, full-bodied tone. If not the heaviest mallet in the Malletech Signature Series, the ES12 is slightly heavier than the Stout GS13s and substantially heavier than the Stevens series.

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