Vater Concert Ensemble V-CEXB60EH Bell and Crotale Mallets — Brass Ball
The V-CEXB60EH is a pair of mallets with a 3/4 in solid brass ball, mounted on a rattan shaft. Vater restricts their use in writing to bells and crotales: a piece of solid metal is exactly what those two instruments call for, and it would be too much on any other.
What sets it apart
- 3/4 in solid brass ball, the smallest head in the range
- Extra hard grade — the 6 at the start of the model number, the highest in the catalogue
- Use restricted by the manufacturer to bells and crotales
- 11/32 in rattan shaft, which absorbs the rebound shock
- 14 1/2 in, the short length of hard keyboard mallets
Why metal, and why so small
A crotale is a thick bronze disc whose mass resists. To draw a clear note from it, you need a very concentrated stroke: a small surface, in a material that does not deform at all.
Brass meets both conditions. The 3/4 in diameter is not a saving on material but an acoustic decision: a larger ball would spread the contact and dull the brilliance you are after.
The use restriction, to be taken seriously
The manufacturer's warning is not a formality. Solid brass on wooden bars — xylophone, marimba — can mark them, and the resulting sound would be unusable anyway.
On the steel bars of orchestra bells and the bronze of crotales, on the other hand, this ball gives a brilliance no other material reaches. The tool is narrow by design: that is what makes it irreplaceable in its field.
Specifications
| Head | Brass ball, 3/4 in |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Extra hard |
| Use restriction | Bells and crotales only |
| Shaft | Rattan, 0.343 in (0.87 cm) |
| Length | 14 1/2 in (36.83 cm) |
| Position on the Vater scale | Number 6 — the firmest grade |
What it is for
- Crotales, in exposed playing as well as for occasional effects
- Orchestra bells when maximum brilliance is written
- Symphonic repertoire with strongly metallic colours
- Doubling a triangle or a celesta in the upper register
Compare with other manufacturers
Metal mallets from other manufacturers:
| Manufacturer | Their equivalent | What changes for the player |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | Metal ball crotale mallets | Diameters and alloys specific to each model |
| Mike Balter | Hard ball bell mallets | Choice between brass and resin at the same hardness level |
| Malletech | Metal keyboard mallets | Range built around orchestral repertoire |
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use brass mallets on a xylophone?
- No. The manufacturer explicitly restricts their use to bells and crotales; brass could mark wooden bars.
- Why such a small head?
- Because a crotale needs a very concentrated stroke. A wider ball would spread the contact and reduce the brilliance you get.
- What does the 60 in the model number mean?
- At Vater, the 6 at the start of the model number designates the extra hard grade, the firmest on the scale.
Avis clients
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