Marimba Bar - Build it Fix it!

On this episode of Build it/Fix it, we cut a new marimba bar for our low G2. Be safe and see you out there!

[@XICANZHENG]

It was great seeing your video. I also want to make a 61-key marimba, but where do I need to polish the first and second overtones? Can you teach me? Thank you so much.

[@petemusgrove7422]

Excellent, well done! I'm always fascinated by people making instruments :-)

[@pintopercussion]

Ha. Thanks so much man. It came out of not being able to afford one!

[@petemusgrove7422]

@@pintopercussion Yup...that's how I came to build a couple of lap steels, and building them was just as enjoyable as playing them :-) I admire people who are able to, and decide, to make an instrument.

[@kevinmoltocaro5471]

Very good job, man! I want to build a marimba for myself, but I am struggling to find the "base measuremants" to do so. Do you know where i can find it? I got a lot of numbers but technically, it does not bring a lot of information within. I'd be more confortable with something alike a building plant or so.

[@pintopercussion]

Yo. Great question. I have always thought that I should go take measurements of a marimba that I like but that might get me in trouble? I don't know if bar measurements are part of the patent. One free one is here www.lafavre.us/marimba.htm Check that out for their measurements. I didn't use that one. I got the packet from Jim at makeamarimba.com It is good because it got me this one. He writes it more for people who don't have experience with woodworking so I actually went through his instructions (written like a book) and turned them into formulas and diagrams. If you need anything else, just reach out. I am going to make another one in March and will be posting more videos.

[@MeowfaceMusic]

Might you know of an ultra-advanced method for node-finding, like a fancy camera that detects/shows vibration-imagining? Might you know how the big boys do it? I can’t imagine the Marimba One and Yamaha guys doing the salt trick for all their thousands of bars. 🙂

[@pintopercussion]

Thanks for reaching out man. Ummmm....It has been about 8 years since I have reached out and got an answer here so it might have changed. To my knowledge the way that major producers like Adams, Yamaha, and Marimba One work is by mass producing one size bar. They spend a ton of time figuring out the best size to produce the best overtones and then they mass produce that bar and pick the best sounding bar out of 1000s. During the testing phase I believe that tracking the nodes is important but once they get the size, I don't think they would track it for each bar. I believe they just go by ear at that point. For finding the nodes, I don't think that there is a better method than salt or sawdust because the amount of money to create a product for such a small market wouldn't really be economical right now. Most of the people making marimbas actually do it more by ear and by old methods than by new ones. Marimba One, I believe, is pushing to use tech more than any other company. This is seen less in the bars though and more in the resolators. They have some crazy tech that goes into those which creates a very specific sound (some would say that it is a bit too perfect a la auto tune). Here is a link to a Malletech marimba being made via Discovery - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mprRlWmJZ82FfsU This is old though and they might have changed some practices. Another example of old tech versus new tech is how they make cymbals. I toured the Zildjin factory and was surprised to find out that they don't have a fancy camera/imagining product to find out which cymbal passes their quality control. It is literally one of three guys that hits every cymbal that leaves the factory on the bell, the middle, and the edge. They go by ear. However, they use machines to hammer the cymbals and a robotic arm to stamp the cymbals. Its really cool to see how the old school work mixes with new tech.

[@tomasluiz6989]

Incredible job! Your resonators are made by what material?

[@the_nondrive_side]

1:20

[@matthewsaxman1028]

@@the_nondrive_side Resonators, not bars. @Tomas Luiz - looks like ABS pipe. You get a glimpse in between the bars at 11:30.

[@pintopercussion]

Hi Tomás. I used PVC piping from Home Depot. The drag is that they don't have 2.5 inch standard so I had to use 3 inch pipe. That throws off the alignment if you aren't careful. As long as they are air-tight and tuned well, they sound good!

[@jackboxmeyer1830]

Planer and joiner will do it

[@pintopercussion]

I wish I could afford that. I have a buddy that has one but the wood is so hard on the blades that I would feel bad using it. My main goal is to keep the cost as low as possible so that my students don't have to pay a ton for a solid instrument.

[@tunemakersband6988]

Can you share the size of the bar sir???the exact size,

[@pintopercussion]

Thanks for reaching out. I forget the exact note that this was. I know that I got the original plans from here a long time ago. www.makeamarimba.com/ I would check them out.

[@LovesToDrum1984]

How did you learn to make your bars? How did you figure out the bar geometry dimensions?

[@pintopercussion]

I got a book from Jim's Marimba building that had some dimensions in it. They are ok and what I use but honestly, I would suggest just measuring a marimba that you like and using those. For learning how to do it, I just tried it on a couple of bars and screwed up a ton. Shoot me an email if you want to set up a zoom or something. I would be happy to tell you more. [e-mail]

[@redcelery5207]

does adding polyurethane finish change tuning at all? also, what method do you use to apply it?

[@pintopercussion]

I didn’t find that it did. The pitches were the same before and after. You could definitely make an argument that it would change the sound a little but on this quality of wood, it is hard to hear a difference. In fact, I think having it sealed helps with the fluctuation in pitch more. I just used a simple rub on poly from Rockler.

[@Youngei402tw]

Do you mind sharing how you built the marimba?😊

[@pintopercussion]

I am working on it. Ha. It is a ton of work editing it all down. I just need some other work to slow down and I can get back to this project for you!

[@MeowfaceMusic]

Wooden bars over time slipping out of tune: Both factors combined--wood drying out and abuse--which direction in pitch do bars tend to go? What percentage of bars go flat? What percentage of bars go sharp? Consistent and predictable? Thanks : )

[@pintopercussion]

Great question!!! They go flat. I have never had one go sharp after the bar has settled. More often than not, I have to take wood from the end of the key to bring it up. The destruction from slamming away outweighs the humidity factor in the long run. I have never left one outside or in less than adequate condition so I don't know how the pitch would behave but my assumption would be that the quality of the sound itself would go down. It might get out of tune on a harmonic level and sound duller.