Marimba One Lynn Vartan LVR Hard Rattan Vibraphone Mallets

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Hello all! This is a review for marimba 1 Lynn vartan rattan vibraphone L V R vibe mallets. (July 24, 2016) I have been using these vibraphone mallets quite exclusively for six weeks now. I have been working on solo rep as well as performing and rehearsing with jazz combos. The overall build for these mallets are top notch! These mallets have a special characteristic as the shaft is quite long and the mallet head has a good amount of weight to them. Thus, the mallet will do the work for you, but I feel the weight and proportion of the mallet head is perfect. Meaning: you get a full sound and the head is not too large. Therefore, if one is playing fast passages' it's easy to do so. Although some might feel when a mallet is characterized as "hard" it is going to be super bright and only for loud passages or to cut through a loud piece which then can get labeled as "only type of mallet". They do have a warm to bright sound and I have enjoyed doing quiet solo work as well as hard bebop jazz playing. And, yes! I do feel the mallet can reach the fundamentals on the low end :-) To sum it up these are my preferences and definitely vary depending on the player: -long shaft can provide the soloist easier execution when playing octaves, large extended voicings, etc. (I normally play with shorter shafts, but I definitely won't alter the shafts (no cutting :-) and in time I'll simply adapt for my musical tastes) -the rattan shaft is a little more narrow than I like, but I believe the design came from giving a mallet a proper weight. It would be interesting to see how the mallet would respond, if the shaft was larger in diameter... That is my original preference. Would Marimba One consider, (in time) the possibility of a larger rattan? I do think a larger rattan shaft would benefit long-term, warping possible issues... perhaps?? -wear and tear: time will tell, but I have played soft and loud and long and they are wearing in perfectly. Again, my only concern if the mallets can stay " warp free for a least a year" (we all know rattan does warp) Although I have given a long review I end with this: " I took the mallets out of the box and after the first 10 seconds, I fell in love with all their sound capabilities!"

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