Vater Front Ensemble V-FEXB52RH Hard Rubber Mallet, Long Birch Handle
The V-FEXB52RH is a keyboard mallet with a round hard rubber head, mounted on a 16.75 in birch handle. It solves a reach problem as much as a sound problem: its 1 1/8 in black head stays hard without turning glassy, and the handle gets to the bars you cannot otherwise reach.
What sets it apart
- 16.75 in long, more than two inches longer than a short mallet
- Round black rubber head, 1 1/8 in
- Rated hard, but with a less cutting attack than plastic
- Thin 0.313 in handle
- Birch, a light and lively wood
Two more inches, and what they reach
A front ensemble lines up several keyboards side by side, often on carts that cannot be pushed any closer together. A percussionist who has to cover both ends of a wide instrument, or move from one keyboard to the next without moving their feet, really benefits from a longer handle.
At 16.75 in, this one gives you that reach. The drawback is well known: the lever gets longer too, so the head lands a little heavier and the motion calls for a steadier wrist. On sustained lines it makes no difference; on a very fast run, a short mallet stays quicker.
Hard rubber: the middle ground
Between a plastic head, which clacks, and a soft head, which muffles, hard rubber holds a useful position. It keeps a well-defined attack but removes the glassy edge that tires the ear when bells play for a long time.
Indoors, where the walls send everything back, the difference is immediately audible: the line stays clear without the highs piling up. This is the mallet you pick when the room already does half the work of projection.
A thin handle, and why it matters
At 0.313 in, this handle is thin. It flexes slightly under the stroke and gives that flex back on the rebound, which helps on passages where the hand has to stay relaxed for a long time.
Birch works in the same direction: it is a light, lively wood that passes on the feel of contact without making the mallet heavier.
Specifications
| Overall length | 16.75 in (42.5 cm) |
|---|---|
| Handle | Birch, 0.313 in (7.9 mm) diameter |
| Head | Round rubber, 1 1/8 in |
| Head colour | Black |
| Stated hardness | Hard |
What it is for
- Wide keyboards where reach falls short
- Indoor bells, when hard plastic turns harsh
- Moving from one keyboard to the next without shifting position
- Xylophone at medium dynamics
- Indoor ensemble and rehearsal in a reverberant room
Compare with other manufacturers
Hard rubber mallets offered elsewhere, and how they are positioned:
| Manufacturer | Similar product | Main difference |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | Hard rubber heads for keyboards | Standard-length handles on most models |
| Mike Balter | Graded series of rubber-head mallets | Much finer hardness steps |
| Innovative Percussion | Rubber xylophone mallets | Rattan handles offered alongside birch |
| Promark | Keyboard mallets with moulded heads | Interchangeable heads on some models |
Frequently asked questions
- Why pick a rubber head over a plastic head?
- To keep the articulation without the harsh brightness. Indoors, hard rubber keeps the line clear, while plastic adds highs that the room is already sending back.
- Is a longer handle more tiring?
- A little, on long fast passages: the lever is longer, so the head weighs more at the end of the stroke. On sustained lines or wide moves, the extra reach more than makes up for it.
- Can I use it on a marimba?
- A hard rubber head is still too hard for marimba bars. It is designed for the metal of the bells and the hard wood of the xylophone.
- Does the thin handle break more easily?
- Birch is lively and handles flexing well. Breakage almost always comes from hitting the frame of the instrument, not from normal playing on the bars.
Avis clients
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