Cheap vs. Expensive MARIMBAS! (Yamaha YM-1430 vs Marimba One Izzy)

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Back again with another Cheap vs Expensive video! I hope this video demonstrates that 4.3 octave marimbas are still fantastic even if they're in the sub-$2k-$3k price range, and that a good 5.0 octave like the Marimba One Izzy is deserving of that premium price tag :) Do you own a marimba at home? What's your favourite marimba? Let me know in the comments below! #TheStudioFamily

[@theunclassicalpercussionis688]

My favorite marimba is: My soon to be Zenith Pro Percussion Duo-Tone 4 Octave Walnut-Padauk.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

I want pictures of all of these products man :)

[@theunclassicalpercussionis688]

Same! The paduak keys are still being made in Montana right now, and I just got my Walnut (Its aged, roughly 50 years). I'll be sure your the first to know!. Its looking like a summer project right now.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

That's awesome man, I look forward to it!

[@debianvbarsa3496]

I've been studying building marimbas and found an awesome website at Delfords Magic Plan (check it out on google)

[@roywlewis]

We recently began shopping for a marimba for my son, who's been playing for 5 years. We found a 90 year old Deagan 354 that has been stored for 40 years which we were able to buy for $125. It was in playable condition, but in need of TLC. We cleaned and polished it, replaced the ropes, felt pads, and insulators, and had it tuned, bringing the cost for a 4 octave rosewood marimba to $500.

[@KarlSheen]

Never quite understood why percussion is 200x more expensive than other instruments

[@AdamTanPercussion]

It is expensive! But other instruments are expensive too, for example a similar spec of grand piano would be about $20-25k, a similar standard violin would also be around the $20k mark etc. We just look like we're more expensive because the instruments we play 'look simpler' and don't have 10000 years of history behind them hahaha

[@KarlSheen]

but the best part...there's nothing more satisfying to play than percussion! I swear to god when I finally peg it they'll find a skeleton hunched over a marimba ( i have the yamaha too and the vibe). I always joke, the reason why they put us at the back of the orchestra is so the rest don't get jealous. As much as I drool over the marimba one models, i can't justify getting one as my yamaha is perfectly sufficient in the small orchestra and brass band i play in. Btw...consider yourself subbed as I love your vids

[@christopherpederson1021]

Well, rosewood + tuning + handcrafted= a lot of money.

[@mnbgt101]

It seems expensive, until you look at some bassoons.

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

*cries in $5000 violin and also lack of having a nice grand piano*

[@AcoAegis]

I've noticed the same with the marimba one at my school - you can hear dynamics much more easily. I tend to get complacent with how good it sounds actually, and when I go to play any other marimba, my dynamics don't speak nearly the way I'd intended. I've actually found it more useful to practice on "lesser" quality instruments.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Aco I didn't think about that! It's good to try all kinds of sound profiles so you know your playing is legit 😄

[@jamesjefferson6518]

Very astute evaluation of the 4.3 octave marimba. Some people may think that the five octave is better because it's bigger, but what it boils down to is purpose. The smaller marimba (Yamaha in this case) is much more practical for practice.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

You hit the nail on the head! Thanks for watching :)

[@josha.3560]

11:39 resolve! RESOLVE!!!!!! NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

HAHAHA woops....

[@StephenTimperley]

11:54 (Deceptive Cadence)

[@c_reeqy4695]

"dont look down on little marimbas" "size doesnt matter"

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha ok I admit that sounds a bit contradictory woops... what I meant to say was that the size is only important if it suits your needs ;) Lots of people always say 'don't buy a 4.3 it's useless' and I think it just depends on what you're looking for!

[@c_reeqy4695]

Oh no its great xD I'm glad you believe starters shouldn't just go out and buy a 5 octave if they aren't completely sure if they are going to continue, especially if the smaller marimba is worth the price. I can see if I didn't end up as invested into music performance that getting my marimba could have been very useless. (btw just wanted to mention I love how you respond to almost every comment

[@fdeleon720]

Adam! You're the channel I needed in my life. your videos are top notch, informative, and entertaining. I love your videos man, keep it up! I really want to see this channel grow.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Frank Deleon You're too kind Frank, thanks for watching and sticking around!

[@matthewmcconnell3442]

I just bought a really cheap glockenspiel because well, like most people I don't really have thousands of pounds in my back pocket. It's never ideal but it works (it's better than hitting a paper pad with the notes drawn on it anyway, as that's what I used to do xD ) As always another great video :)

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Exactly! I started with a $100 glockenspiel too ;) It's not what you have but how you use it! #CheapGlockenspielClub

[@theglockenspiel]

Adam Tan Same here dude, gotta start out with the 100 glock

[@AdamTanPercussion]

TheGlock #KeepIt100

[@nervous_dachshund7489]

I hope you mean the bells with the resonators on bottom otherwise that’s just bells

[@marcosaguilar5622]

When i started playing mallets about 4 years ago, there were no other marimbas or vibes to use for my school. My Instructor took out this sad little unused vibe. It was not graduated and was only large enough for one person, it didn't even have a petal so it was always dampened too. You saying "don't look down on...etc" made me think back to the pride i had in that thing because its what started me off to where I am now. On a side note though, those Yamaha frames are so convenient to take apart and transport. I love it. Love the videos Adam.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

That's awesome Marcos! You're absolutely right, it's not what you play with but how you play it - my high school only had a very old rickety 4.3 padouk Korogi and a Premier vibraphone with a broken pedal. Sometimes the cheapest gear makes you appreciate high end gear much more! Thanks for watching :)

[@hannahlael3445]

I appreciate you saying to appreciate smaller and cheaper instruments! My first practice marimba was actually just old non-graduated padouk bars that were a 5th too sharp. I had to rearrange the bars making it a G to G 5 octave but still so useful and fun! I'm saving up to buy a synthetic 4.3 from Adams, woohoo!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hannah Lael Hahaha it's all part of the fun right! Awesome that you're saving up for a smaller instrument and an Adams synthetic isn't bad at all! 😁

[@thomasnguyen5639]

the Yamaha seems to fade a little more than the marimba one Izzy. the Yamaha is a good general practice marimba

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thomas Nguyen Yeah the padouk doesn't ring out as much as the rosewood, but you're right, still a great practice instrument!

[@MrEdawg360]

I have a 4.3 octave padouk(might have spelled that wrong) Adams marimba and it sounds nice and people say the bars look nicer then most padouk marimbas, but when ever play on my privite teachers 5 ovtave rosewood I just want it so badly.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha everyone wants a 5 octave rosewood ;) But yeah you're right the Adams padouk stuff is pretty good, I've only ever tried it once but it was pretty deceiving :)

[@LeeBlaske]

Really surprised at how good the Yamaha sounded in comparison. I actually preferred it for single notes. The Marimba One seemed to have some odd resonances. I liked the sustain of the Marimba One on rolls.

[@aarongrooves]

I wish you had the chance to compare to a Malletech with tunable resonators. The tuning of the resonators makes a YUGE difference. With a malletech, you can literally chance the sustain/resonance by adjusting the tuning. I've seen Leigh Stevens retune an entire marimba to adjust for the acoustics of the room. Anyway, nice video. And keep practicing!!! ;)

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha yes I have heard of Malletech's tunable resonators! Lucky that you got to see that in person :) Thanks for watching!

[@W.O.P.R]

"$3000 for a first instrument"...I now understand why I haven't met many marimba players

[@michaelkavoukas152]

That Yamaha marimba got me through high school, its a great starter

[@AdamTanPercussion]

So true, I would have loved to have this Yamaha in high school!

[@AGoodVibe]

The bars on that Yamaha are quite good for the cost. Excellent value for a great sounding and well built instrument

[@boba9599]

omg I thought you had way more subscribers! you deserve MORE!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha you are too kind Bob, thank you :)

[@johnnyjames7139]

Many theatre pipe organs included a marimba in the percussion array, many were made by Deagan with 49 notes. Resonators were metal nickel plated. I wonder how one of those would compare?

[@ethangoode3707]

I love the height adjustment on the Adams padouk marimba, it’s just has a simple crank. It’s 4.3 octaves and only about 2,000-2,500

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Ah yes the famous Adams hand crank! I have a few friends with this model and I agree it is a steal at the current price :)

[@atelophob_ia]

I've loved to play the marimba/xylophone for the last 2 years but I'm in NO WAY a professional, and I definitely realize how true that is when I watch this video because most people think 3000 dollars is cheap and I'm over here not being able to afford 300 dollars :,) I'm a disgrace

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Crys Vargas Hey don't worry, I was also in that position (I still am, it took me a lot of courage to buy my first marimba, 9 years after I first started learning!) At least you love the instrument! 😁

[@sparlingsfarm]

Alternative is a low end 5 octave from say Vancore or Buffalo which are around $5-6,000. The advice we got a few years ago was that if serious about solo marimba then would quickly outgrow a 4.3 which proved to be the case given so much of solo repertoire is now written for 5 octave.

[@ronisize15]

sparlingsfarm I got a 5 octave vancore, it has its faults but im glad I went with it over a 4.3

[@AdamTanPercussion]

That is true! I think a 4.3 still has a good place for using for gigs and two mallet repertoire/technical exercises though :) and damn you guys are lucky, I couldn't get a low end 5 octave here for less than $10,000 :(

[@ronisize15]

Adam Tan this was a couple of years ago. I don't​ know if the frame is still available. There were design flaws in the wheels at the lower end hitting the resonator. Frame works, the bars were also paddock. I'm probably going to replace the bars in a year or so.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Oh damn... well at least you have one and it seems to be holding up ok! :)

[@ronisize15]

Adam Tan absolutely! just discovered your channel a couple of days ago, cool stuff. keep up the great work!

[@snailevangelist]

I think the cheap yamaha is slightly sharp on some notes (especially C5-6ish), correct me if I'm wrong. I noticed at about 10:44

[@AdamTanPercussion]

PinkZephyr Yes I agree! although my marimba one can also sound a bit flat sometimes so I'm not 100 per cent sure haha

[@agnesbazsinka]

"Your typical melancholic roll pattern"

[@HallsMusicPub]

4.3 Padouk marimbas are certainly the way to go in terms of a "starter" marimba or even a "gigging" marimba. My first marimba was the Adams equivelant of the Yamaha you just reviewed. (4.3 Padouk bars, lightweight frame) It was great and served me well for a few years, until I sold it and upgraded to a Marimba One 5.5 Octave. My frame is the frame that was before the Izzy though, essentially the same frame but with wood rails.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Ahhh the 3000? Wow you have the vintage beast (5.5 too!) 😀

[@thejuggler]

I can hear the Sympathetic resonance of the Marimba One Izzy regardless of not playing the lower octave. Nice

[@flutechannel]

Interesting perspective! Keep up the good work!

[@kierenmoore3236]

You make them both sound great. The Yammie sounds awesome too; both cool!

[@zetacon4]

I actually did enjoy your review. I don't care for the music before and after the review. You sound levels were good. Your evaluation of features was balanced and fair. I did NOT notice any sonic significance between the two models. Perhaps there is a noticable difference up close in person. Thank you for this fine review.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

zetacon4 Fair evaluation man! Thank you for watching!

[@JeffSass]

Great video. Moving a marimba is a big pain and with a Marimba One it really does take 2 people to tear down and setup. I love my 5-octave but I don't take it out that much. Having a 4.3 octave available at my church is a great way to have me play it more. Having said all of that, right out of college, I did go directly to the 5-octave (and financed it) and at the time I felt that was the right decision too.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Yes if you can afford a 5 octave right off the bat and you're sure about it, why not :) But yeah I really wish I could take my Izzy out of the studio more often, I blame the stairs...

[@KarlSheen]

they made the marimba the day after you rang......15,000 for a days work....I should be making them not playing them!!!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha they still have to source the materials like rosewood etc and build complicated fixtures like resonators and rails and tune them and they all have to fit super snugly... I'd say it's warranted ;)

[@KarlSheen]

I will admit...they are gorgeous instruments! I'll go as far as saying they are the Stradivarius of marimbas. 1st time I played one i was amazed at the sustain even in the upper registers, and in the lower played with soft mallets almost sounds like a pipe organ. but for now i'll stick with my yamaha....well...thats till i win the lottery!

[@julianmelcher6455]

Great Video! Instant subscribe! When did you start playing the Marimba?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thank you so much Jualko! I started in 2007, back when I was in high school. I wasn't that great at it back then but now I take it a lot more seriously ahaha

[@julianmelcher6455]

Haha yeah that's nice! I am 18 now and also really started off with 4 mallets 2 years ago or so. You're a real inspiration! Thank you! Edit: It's Julian but how should you know haha

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Ohhh I am so sorry, nice to meet you Julian! Two years is a good start man, you're definitely going to be way better than me very soon! Thank you for watching my videos :)

[@julianmelcher6455]

I really enjoy them! Keep going, they are great! Thank you Have a nice day

[@katrinacavaliere336]

Loved your video! Looking at getting a marimba and haven’t heard the padauk marimba and have only played on rosewood. Thanks for all of the info and the playing examples!

[@nathanpiazza9644]

I used to own the YM1430 and when I got it in high school, it was the nicest marimba I'd ever played on.

[@aidenbouc3314]

I'm a bit late to the party but I just purchased a yamaha YM-R2400 Acoustalon marimba used and it's pretty old but it's great for the price I paid for it, which was just under $3k usd. I dont have the lower manual resonators because they were broken before I bought it, but that price included shipping, and for a first instrument and a practice instrument it is fantastic as I dont need more than 4.3 octaves really just to build chops and get better in between WGI seasons. 100% would recommend buying used and in my experience the marching grade instruments even with synthetic keys (which for my use case are preferable to padouk because they're more durable and sound darker without resonators to me at least) are a great choice.

[@lctstudios0101]

One reason I'm not a fan of the Adams and Musser marimbas is because of how much the bars graduate the lower the octave. It's not necessarily a bad thing for sound, but its really uncomfortable when you have to play larger intervals.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

lctstudios0101 This is true, the Musser at my university graduates the low end wayyyyy too wide... 😶

[@jwagy]

Did you discuss what the bars were made of? Were both marimbas using rosewood ? Or was the Marimba one rosewood and the Yamaha padouk? I’m currently shopping for a 4.3 but I’m not sure which wood I should use or a synthetic or padouk ?

[@itsmichaeldooley]

Good information! I'm glad you brought up practicality; I don't focus on marimba solos any more, but I do freelance work and in the rare event that I need a marimba for musical theater or something else, my vintage 4.0 octave Deagan does the job nicely. Plus it doesn't take up much room. I'm lucky to have an old rosewood instrument, but honestly padauk is totally acceptable for "church gigs" and less-than-broadway caliber musicals. FYI, the humidity slots in the resonator holders attempt to fix a problem (in a REALLY rudimentary way) that some marimba brands have solved with individually tunable resonators. Sometimes a space's temperature and humidity levels can affect the equilibrium between the tuning of the bar and the tuning of the resonator tube underneath. That's why sometimes you get notes that sound dead, even if there's nothing wrong with the bar. You can fix this by adjusting the volume of the air column between the bar and the cap at the bottom of the resonator. Individually adjustable caps are the best way, but they're expensive to make and time consuming to use; you can do it quick and dirty instead by raising or lowering the entire resonator assembly a bit - hence the slots, which are cut at slightly different depths.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Wow Michael this is a fascinating explanation. I didn't realise that this rudimentary version was achieving a similar goal to individually tuned resonators! And you have a vintage Deagan - that's amazing :)

[@itsmichaeldooley]

Yep! There were even some old marimbas (Musser, or maybe Deagan? I forget) that had a barometer fitted into the lower endboard. My Deagan was a very lucky find! I was talking to Gilberto Serna about it, who used to be a tuner for Deagan himself, and he mentioned that 80 years ago when these marimbas were made the standards of "musically acceptable" honduran rosewood were way higher because it wasn't endangered. Deagan would give the lower quality rosewood to his workers for firewood!

[@TheThurstonQuad]

Hey Adam, thank you so much for this. I have been struggling with this decision for a long time and you may have changed my mind on smaller marimbas. Though the Padouk sounds a bit thinner and brighter, I think for a practice/gig marimba, it is totally acceptable. However, I have a question. I find it hard to find quality 4.3 rep that is constructive for my playing at this level so I mostly play 5 octave pieces. For such pieces, if I was to buy a 4.3 marimba, should I literally just take the piece up an octave or how would you approach that situation, like the Cheung piece... were you able to do all of that transposed up or is there some other method to consider. Thank you for your time.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thanks for the question Jade! A lot of my friends who own 4.3s like this one (and slightly larger, more expensive ones) take their 5 octave marimba rep up an octave just to get the feel and the muscle memory going. Then they go to uni/school and practice on the 5 octave there and it's a lot easier. Of course, transposing it up all the time isn't very long-term, but it works just to get your hands going :)

[@Marimbalogy]

I"ll bite. Moving the resonators into the different slots does almost nothing. The tuning of the resonator is determined by the distance from the plug to the top. Moving into a different slot has no effect on the tuning of the resonator. You can read more from Stevens himself here www.mostlymarimba.com/images/stories/pdfs/acoustics_of_resonators1-4.pdf

[@elijahvaldivia3729]

Why did I read that whole thing

[@halvorb]

Just wanted to drop by and say hi! I'm a beginner percussionist and I am so far loving your content, keep it up! :)

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thank you so much Halvor, that means a lot to me! I'm glad you're on our team :)

[@harshasrikara]

Great video, could you make a video comparing Stevens vs Burton grip and where they should be used?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Harsha Srikara Sure thing man, although I dont know how to Burton hahaha

[@aidenmaynard3870]

Some marimba slots are different heights for tuning purposes

[@dreond33]

Hello! Thank you for making these videos! I'm actually starting to learn the Marimba, I'm a complete beginner. I really like how informative and fun your videos are. Could you make a video (or series of videos) about resources one can use or go to, to learn marimba from scratch? Do you suggest starting from a book (or youtube tutorials), or perhaps getting private lessons? Thanks again for the videos!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Oh wow I didn't see this comment before, sorry about that! Thank you for watching :) I think it's great to start from a book like Method of Movement by Leigh Howard Stevens, and youtube tutorials are helpful but it is always good to get some hands on face to face help from someone who is knowledgeable about marimba :) If you need any help feel free to shoot me some questions!

[@dreond33]

Thank you! I'm thinking of buying The Adams 4.3 Concert marimba: bit.ly/2rznGhV and start learning on it since it has graduated bars. It's about 3K, which is much cheaper than something like the marimba One, but still feels like an investment for me since I haven't really played a Marimba before. Once I'm in a comfortable place with the book I'd get some private lessons, though I think some lessons would be good at first to make sure I'm practicing properly from the start. And I'll make sure to send you my questions if I have any :)

[@michaeljeff6493]

So the whole thing with the climate and movable resonators on the 4.3 is when it gets colder the keys go flat(contract) so you move the resonators down (I think lol) and vice versa- so when its warmer the keys expand so they get sharper and you move the resonators up (I think lol)

[@chloedupras8522]

Mjsaxy i never knew that woahhhh

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Ah that makes sense... I didn't think it would make a noticeable difference but I'm guessing it has to be quite drastic changes in temperature right?

[@michaeljeff6493]

Adam Tan Yup! During my marching band season we usually have weather that gets over 100 degrees in July and by November it gets to almost 20 degrees some nights 😭

[@Nate-dt9km]

Hey man i'm loving your videos. Last week I didn't even know what the heck a marimba was. 100% looking into getting one one day, but for now, what are your honest thoughts on "practice marimbas" like the Wang Percussion 3.3 Octave Padouk Practice Marimba?

[@madsam7582]

Sound test starts at 10:21

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thank you ;)

[@edgardoxxd1585]

There are a few things for building a marimba Attend a school or self-study via an online course Make sure you are completely committed to it before you start (I read these and the reasons they work on Delfords Magic Plan website )

[@buddylovett2653]

Wow! I never thought I'd find such an interesting channel around marimba let alone from a fellow Australian. I totally agree with you on these points - the marimba I use on my channel (at home) is 4.0 octaves; but that's all I need right now; and it's infinitely better than no marimba!! I definitely still think the Marimba One sounds better - but it would want to be better for about 5 times the price!!!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Yessss more Australians! Yeah any marimba you can get is awesome, I didn't even have a marimba for so long... I checked out your Sydney video by the way - awesome work :)

[@buddylovett2653]

Thanks :)

[@elijahsacco]

We had something similar to the Yamaha we used in high school for marching band and not-so-important performances. Only downside is somewhere along the line someone misplaced the entire concert stand, so we were left with it permanently attached to the field frame with giant tires and the cymbal rack. Impossible to fit through a door without awkward turning.

[@arthurpieters2916]

i have an adams 4.3 solist and absolutly love it. play it everyday

[@AdamTanPercussion]

The Adams 4.3 marimbas are awesome! I'm glad you get to play it everyday :)

[@AndreyOkhrimets]

That clicks of more expensive marimba is definitely way way more nice. I. like you style of playing thank you for you chanell. Not enough of percussion on youtube. And you definetely make a quality content. So keep going.!

[@hittinstuff]

I totally agree, the multiple slots for the resonators seems ridiculous. I've never noticed a considerable difference. I'd love to see a future video comparing something like the Malletech Grand Imperial to the Marimba One. Also, do you feel like you got an inferior product getting the traditional bars and resonators vs. the top level? I ask because my personal Marimba One was bought before they started that quality/price differential.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Cory High Me neither! I'd love to try the Grand Imperial, I know a few people who own one. Definitely some of my bars don't ring out as much as the others (I imagine the Premium grade would have equally resonant bars) but I like that, in my opinion it gives it a bit more character 😀

[@zanemeek9042]

While it would be badass to have a 5 octave at our school, I can't think of a reason to spend the extra $7-12K for that all the extra stuff; my students wouldn't even know what to do with it! We have two Adams 4.3's (one for indoor, one for outdoor) and I'm pretty happy with them.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Absolutely, most high schools here also cope really well with 4.3's - you can build a great sense of technique and musicality with them :)

[@ImanolRuiz]

Notification fam 👌

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thanks for checking dem notifications 🙌

[@KarlSheen]

Just thought id quickly say, my YM1430 is now 10 years old , a lot of rough playing and all but 3 bars are perfectly in tune the other 3 a a couple of cents out max. The other think i wanted to point out is being a percussionist in a brass band Padauk being brighter cuts through a brass ensemble better whereas rosewood can get a bit muddy....so its the old adage...the right tool for the right job!

[@matthewsaxman1028]

Hot take - I like the sound of the "cheap" Yamaha better.

[@nickturner7104]

Keep up the good work man 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thank you Nick for watching!!!

[@cuttingmotion7832]

which Pias Cheung piece did you play for the test?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Etude in E minor! But one octave up ;)

[@cuttingmotion7832]

Adam Tan thanks man

[@SophiaSuante]

Hi Adam! 😂 That Pius Cheung tho 👌👌👌 I love that solo (:

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hi Sophia! 😬 Hahaha I love it too (maybe not played as wrong as I did in this video though), it's so simple but so great!

[@Svit.S]

12:50 what piece is that?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Pius Cheung's Etude in E minor, played up an octave :) (I didn't do a very good job of it...)

[@Svit.S]

Adam Tan ya, you played it in alot of other videos already and this was probably the worst take of it :p I'll definitely learn this piece :D

[@jintonic1]

Oddly enough, I can afford both since I no longer play music for a living, lol. Seriously, though. I own 2 x 4.3 octave Musser M300 with synthetic bars. I have custom built one onto a Jarvis field frame for gigging outdoors (Yes, marimba was always an outdoor instrument until relatively recently). I live on an island and I often roll it onto the beach no problem. I intentionally chose Kelon over rosewood for robust bars and big sound.

[@fdeleon720]

Hey Adam, I know this marimba is like 2 years old now, but were the padauk bars graduated differently from the rosewood bars? They look thinner, but I can’t tell.

[@petergrecco9805]

I'm having a real hard time finding a video that demonstrates the sound of synthetic bars compared to to either Padauk or Rosewood. The reason I am considering synthetic is purely for environmental reasons - Honduran rosewood has been over-harvested and synthetic seems to be more durable than any wood. And I've read comments suggesting that synthetic is not bad, just different, but also other comments stating that synthetic is just not that good sounding. But no actual sound comparisons seem to be available so that I can judge for myself. And furthermore, each company apparently has its own version of synthetic material, which further complicates things. Anyone know of a sound comparison of Padauk vs Rosewood vs Kelon® vs Zelon® vs Acoustalon®? LOL. Such a video does not exist! (Also, thanks Adam for your helpful videos.)

[@brandonamor2629]

What's your opinion on synthetic marimbas? Without being biased, which types of marimbas (padauk, synthetic, rosewood) are the most worth it on your opinion? I'm thinking of purchasing one myself.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hey Brandon! Of course rosewood definitely sounds the best, but padouk isn't bad for the price that it's available at. I've only ever tried one synthetic marimba (forgot the name) and the sound isn't terrible but it's not great. Definitely more if you want to save every penny (or take it outdoors heaps!). All in all, it depends on what you're buying it for - is it a practice instrument? Is it something you'll gig with? :)

[@brandonamor2629]

Adam Tan I'll probably use it for indoor practice and performance, so probably padouk. It seems to last long if you take good care of it. At school, we only have synthetic marimbas for field percussion and percussion ensembles, so I've only ever touched synthetic bars.

[@theglockenspiel]

Brandon Amor My school owns a Musser synthetic marimba, and it actually sounds really nice despite being only 4 octaves. It never goes outside though, and since it's four octaves you can't really get a full range experience of bass and treble playing. I personally think synthetic marimbas work well for home practice and for schools that have a tight music budget.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

TheGlock That's awesome, we don't get synthetic marimbas in Australia so I'd love to try one one day!

[@stefangriffin3113]

Brandon Amor look into Mode Marimbas. They sound awesome and are synthetic!

[@gabe_8997]

my school has 7 dynasty marimbas on marching frames that we got 6 in 2013 and 1 in 2014 and they still sound amazing with no new bars

[@teqskull7479]

hey Adam im planning ahead so i can get an idea of what university to go to so i wanted to ask you if i should go to Yale or the school of Julliard

[@AdamTanPercussion]

I wouldn't know anything about these universities man, I'm from Australia 😁 I know good people from both universities and I visited Juilliard last year just for fun - they seem like equally good institutions and I guess you'll only know after you've gone and visited them yourself :)

[@carychuah1309]

Izzy versus Wave - any recommendation?

[@alxjones]

One of the worst things is getting really excited about playing a piece and then realizing it doesn't fit on your instrument. There's a million reasons why you shouldn't get a 5-octave for your first marimba, but I think that one is enough to sway some people the other way. Especially if you aren't a beginning marimbist, the 4.3-octave instrument feels incredibly limiting in both creativity and repertoire. If you're still learning, and especially if you have access to a 5-octave somewhere else, a 4.3 will suffice. But if you have a degree or otherwise have been playing for a long time, and you can't get on a 5-octave at a school or anything, I don't think it's a bad idea to jump straight to a 5-octave. That is, a cheaper 5-octave. I haven't done much research, but the Mode marimba seems to be a potential option for the budget marimbist, at 6500 for a synthetic 5-octave.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

This is true! It's not a bad idea at all to jump to a 5-octave if you can afford it. I have a few friends who have worked with the limitations of a 4.3 by practising everything down the octave and then leaving the actual 5-octave practice to the ones at university. But yes I agree, if you can get cheap 5-octaves why not! (I can't even get one for less than $10,000 ahahaha)

[@shlongdong1371]

Could you do tutorial on the warm-ups you do?

[@zilliontrader99]

this is my favorite series

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thanks Peyton! I'm glad it's worth watching :)

[@bradencutright-head6629]

Would you recommend getting a 5.5 octave marimba, or is a standard 5-octave good in your opinion?

[@TylerJHaley]

If you have access, you should check out the Adams Alpha series marimba. I got the chance to play on one when a couple years ago. It sounds just as good as marimba one, but it cost like $8000 (I think) something around that price. Thanks for the video. You should keep this series, please!!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

I did play an Adams Alpha at Chosen Vale last year - actually a very decent instrument and I love the look of it! I was actually going to buy one at first but after shipping to Perth it was almost the same price as my Marimba One anyway lol. I will keep making them for you :)

[@anjagoller]

You can get a cheap marimba with rosewood keyboard. My first marimba was the 4.3 Bergerault Thomann Edition and I paid a little less than 3.000€, which is a litte more than 3.000 Dollars, but it was worth this little more money.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Still looking for the "Cheap" option ... ?????! ;) :O

[@Skutieos7]

I had a yamaha ym-1430 and i thought it was quite good. I ended up getting a majestic 5 octave, which is obviously not at the same level as a marimba one, but nothing beats being able to play 5.0 literature and practice on full sized bars. a serious marimba player should definitely consider finding a cheaper 5.0 even if it's a practice instrument without resonators.

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Definitely agreed! Unfortunately for a lot of us outside the US cheaper 5.0 octaves are just as expensive as the premium ones though :( I wish I could have bought something like a majestic when I was in undergrad...

[@dajanamaranhao459]

thank you, that was actually really interesting!

[@alexfrederick-percussion1171]

Thanks for the video ... great. Seems like the best thing to do is get a smaller, lightweight, good sounding instrument, and get out there and play for people! The five-octave is nice, but overrated, big time. Since when is lower & deeper better? Is a cello "better" than a violin?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Thanks Alex! I think we sometimes get a bit too buried into the specifics of gear and we forget why we even learned marimba in the first place - to play! If something cheaper gets you out there playing, why not :)

[@alexfrederick-percussion1171]

Love the cheap vs. expensive videos ... hope you do more!

[@mikedayitt]

not much of a difference in sound but of coarse the 15000 dollar one like you said will be concert level with the deepness but overall not much difference between the 2

[@anirregularmovie4617]

My middle school has the cheap one and I honestly think it’s a good feel for beginners.

[@jacobhanekamp2534]

That Yahama actually sounded really good. Yes, the Marimba One was better, but the Yahama still did well

[@cooldude2847]

The resonators will still be affected by the heat, I'm guessing thats why the yamaha has the climate settings.

[@LuxOnRust]

A kid put a folder on a marimba and all of percussion started screaming at him

[@AdamTanPercussion]

HAHAHA I am the worst offender of this, I put so much stuff on my marimba...

[@noahgormanmusic1843]

The Mode 5 is a synthetic 5-octave marimba that has the resonators curved so it can fit through regular doors, it honestly sounds great, almost as good as rosewood and honestly better than padouk, and IT'S ONLY $6,000

[@Joshodude]

Could you do a video on Steven's Grip?

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Stevens grip video is coming! Just figuring out how to organise it so it's not boring hahaha

[@Joshodude]

Adam Tan Thank you!

[@ralphschnitzel2334]

I feel like this video is just a huge flex

[@excidedous]

So we're hearing all this with a compressed signal and computer speakers.

[@coletonlane2182]

are you using burton grip

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Coleton McLemore Nah I use Stevens 😀

[@coletonlane2182]

Adam Tan yeah the more I looked at it the more I saw Stephens. It just kind of looked like Burton at first.

[@juanoramo]

Does it sound 5x better or 2x better?

[@failure-education]

Mine is 3 octaves and didn’t even have a logo so I don’t know what brand it is

[@daveroberts117]

The expen$ive marimba sounds better -- but not 5 TIMES! better.

[@arthurmayo3516]

what mallets should i get that are hard and for xylophone

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Usually most people recommend the IP902 James Ross mallets from Innovative Percussion, a very stock standard plastic xylo mallet. Does the job quite well :)

[@alexlipscomb330]

I gotta know what's that into song called?!!

[@AdamTanPercussion]

It's Let Me Down by Ukiyo: soundcloud.com/ukiyoau

[@Brett_Senzer]

For the price of the cheap one you can get a mallet kat express Than you have More than 1 instrument

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Ahhh yes but an electronic instrument will never be able to fully replace an acoustic one ;)

[@zbee7242]

why am i watching this im a french horn player

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha I am honoured! Maybe it's time you switch to percussion ;)

[@zbee7242]

ill buy a triangle, how about that?

[@montylemon9445]

Z Bee triangle roll time

[@KeWDu]

Well, I honestly only watched the sound test so I don't know the hardware stuff. But, I think both marimbas sounded great actually. I liked the Izzy for the beautiful resonance and ease of light touch. But the Yamaha sounded like more of a bright and forceful approach. Which, both are great in their own contexts. So, like Adam said, buy the marimba that's right for you. So yeah. Nice to know you don't have to spend around $10k for a good sounding and functioning marimba. Although I feel like personally, I would have to buy based on the feel of the bounce of keys and rebound, rather than the sound.

[@marwanthelittleviolist273]

I feel myself soooo limited with my 4.3 octave marimba . But I’m definitely too poor to have a 5 octave one =(

[@alessandrogallo7969]

Cool, i think i can buy Just one tube of the cheap

[@dylanbutler2506]

I've been wanting to buy a marimba one 5 octave for years now, but I'd like to let you know that you more less just convince me to not do so (in the good way) hahaha

[@AdamTanPercussion]

Hahaha, it's alright man, you can always get a marimba one 5 octave later down the track! It took me 5 years to save for mine (1 year 1 octave? haha)