Vater Front Ensemble V-FEM50H Marimba Mallets — Hard, Oval Multi-Ply Cord Head
The V-FEM50H is a pair of hard marimba mallets with an oval multi-ply cord head on a thick birch handle. When a mallet takes hundreds of firm strokes per rehearsal, this braided material is first a matter of holding up over time.
What sets it apart
- Multi-ply cord wrap, unique in the outdoor marimba family
- Hard, with an oval head
- 0.343 in birch handle, specified for sturdiness
- 16 3/4 in, the family length
- Light grey, the colour of this line's marimba family
Cord, an answer to wear as much as to sound
A yarn wrap eventually frays where the head strikes most often. Over a competition season, with daily rehearsals, that wear comes quickly.
A tight braided cord resists abrasion better. It also gives a firmer, smaller point of impact, and therefore a much more defined attack than the yarn models in the same family. Both effects point the same way: lasting, and being heard.
The top of the keyboard, and nothing else
Like any hard mallet, this one does not belong in the low register of the marimba. The large bars respond poorly to a concentrated stroke, and the result sounds more like a knock than a note.
Its territory is the upper middle and the top of the instrument, in passages where the keyboard line has to exist next to a snare line. It is a cutting tool, not an all-purpose pair.
Specifications
| Head material | Multi-ply cord |
|---|---|
| Shape | Oval |
| Hardness | Hard |
| Length | 16 3/4 in (42.55 cm) |
| Handle | Birch, 0.343 in (0.87 cm) |
| Identification | Light grey |
What it is for
- Upper marimba against a snare line
- Passages where the attack is part of the intended effect
- Front ensembles that rehearse every day and wear out their heads quickly
- Doubling the brass at loud dynamics
Compare with other manufacturers
Cord models for outdoor playing elsewhere on the market:
| Manufacturer | Comparable range | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Balter | Cord keyboard mallets | Cord offered in several hardnesses, not only hard |
| Innovative Percussion | Cord front ensemble mallets | Several head sizes for the same material |
| Encore Mallets | Front ensemble keyboard mallets | A range designed entirely for outdoor use, with no indoor equivalent |
Frequently asked questions
- Why cord instead of yarn on this model?
- For two reasons that go together: tight cord wears more slowly and gives a firmer point of impact, and therefore a more defined attack.
- Can I play the whole keyboard with this pair?
- No. Its firmness limits it to the upper middle and top of the instrument; the low end calls for a softer head.
- Does it work on suspended cymbal?
- Not really: a cymbal roll calls for softness of contact, which the softer models in the line provide better.
Avis clients
Are your mallet heads wearing out before the season ends?
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