My Entire Jazz Vibraphone Mallet Collection

Finally! I made a video about mallets...
I dumped all of the mallets in my apartment onto the floor and give a demonstration as well as my opinion about each of them. I used the Zoom H4 to record the vibraphone, it tends to be a pretty dry sound but you should get a good idea of what each of these mallets sound like.
I tried to explain exactly what I like and don't like about each of these, as well as which factors I take into consideration when choosing mallets for a particular gig.
If you'd like to support me in some way - you can buy some of these mallets using the affiliate links I've provided below!
Mike Balter 25R Mallets - amzn.to/2SwEgz5 (affiliate link)
Inaki Vibraphone Mallets
Vibrawell V3R Mallets
Mike Balter 31R Wide Bar Mallets - amzn.to/2WJjiMH (affiliate link)
Mike Balter 32R Wide-Bar mallets - amzn.to/2t6Dzy4 (affiliate link)
Vibrawell V2R mallets
Innovative Percussion DF30 (David Friedman) mallets
Deschler Medium 116 Mallets
Malletech DS18 (Dave Samuels) mallets - amzn.to/2Gn3g5m (affiliate link)
Innovative Percussion RS251 Mallets - amzn.to/2Gczf9e (affiliate link)
Mike Balter 45R (Arthur Lipner) mallets - amzn.to/2BmWSrq (affiliate link)
Mike Balter Super Vibe 122R mallets - amzn.to/2t5MQ9x (affiliate link)
A. Putnam VBT2 mallets -
Mike Balter 22R Mallets
Vic Firth "Victor Mendoza" M23 mallets
Mike Balter 23R mallets
Mike Balter 15R mallets
The Albright Mallets (red & blue).
I don't endorse any particular mallets - I was trying to be as honest and open with my opinions about each of these. I hope it helps you decide which mallets are right for you!
For some recordings where I'm using certain mallets, check out these links:
Mike Balter 122R - • 'Everlong' (Foo Fighte...
Malletech DS18 (Samuels mallets) - • Matthias Bublath band ...
Innovative Friedman DF30 mallets - • 'You Don't Know What L...
Innovative Percussion RS251 - • Tim Collins Quartet pl...
As always, keep the suggestions coming and please subscribe!
New videos every week.
-Tim

[@IRACEMABABU]

Thanks for this video. I discovered some i was in need for. I love the Toni Miceli signature mallets. Mike Balter 46R. Nice balanced tone. And the Christos Rafalides ones, Mike Balter 50R. Nice clear tone, and they cut trough a band with drummer. And, yes the David Friedman ones are a must.

[@4marimbas968]

All those mallets together are more expensive than my xylophone. Literally.

[@MrSteveHobbs]

My Innovative 251s have served me well firc20 years or so. Most of my Innovative mail it don’t stay wrapped that long but I just really like the sound of Innovative. You know because I endorse them they always give me a custom shaft I like the 10 mm shafts, so yeah, I like the 251. There’s another red, Innovative Mallet I use a lot and I can’t think of it at the moment and I’m too lazy to go downstairs to tell you, maybe it’ll come up in your film if I continue to watch it….i always enjoy watching your films. Thanks Tim!

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Thanks man! I use the 301s also. Still digging the 251 model. I’ve been through several sets.

[@ericcutler7664]

My school doesn't have a good pair of vibes mallets and so I was playing with the pair we had, and playing pretty loud so I could be heard. One of the mallet heads flew off and hits someone so it'll be great to get my own pair.

[@daltoneast5251]

Did anyone else feel so uncomfortable when he dropped them on the vibe 😅😅

[@tranos833]

Holy sheet you're right! I felt soo uncomfortable

[@elmono8894]

"Im playing with bands that have drummers" 😂😂😂 one of my favourite mallets are the gary burton ones, they are really durable and have grate sound

[@playing_jazz]

Cool shit. I dream about one day switching from piano to vibes or marimba. They have always been my favorite sound.

[@pascaldeshayes5459]

Thanks for making this - very useful!

[@c_farther5208]

Good lord, you play fantastic. Interesting to hear about these mallets. Again, very talented gentleman.

[@phillake3802]

Tim you should have your own signature mallets with mike balter or Vic firth! I have had a set of 4 Gary Burton signature mallets made by the Good Vibes company back in the 70's, which sadly is out of business.. These mallets have lasted over 40 years! Now granted I don't play as much as you but nevertheless that's a long time and they still sound great. No fraying yarn either. Wish I could get another set.

[@Abmin7]

The new malletech stefon harris Albrights are REALLY good. I had to cut down the shafts to 12in because they come a little too long but I would def recommend them.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Yeah- I have some old ones that fell apart immediately, but I think I’ll have to get some new ones and try them out.

[@JeremieCarrier]

Nice man! Such an amazing tone from those original Albrights! I also had those A.Putnams and the head broke off as i was trying o get more sound out of it. thanks for sharing!

[@sneakyvarmint]

A. Putnam- Amy Putnam, my percussion professor at University of Puget Sound. Taught me to make my own mallets (at University) and does amazing work- as a percussionist and mallet maker! :)

[@sneakyvarmint]

And, thanks for this thorough review- haven't purchased new mallets in ages and it's good to know the full range of what's out there. :)

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Ahhh thank you! I probably need to update this video soon anyway.

[@alskyfajardo7361]

If I recall, the Balter 15R is actually a marimba mallet

[@TimCollinsVibes]

You might be right- I think I bought them at a music store off the shelf.. they were the token ‘non-drumsticks’ in the percussion section

[@abelmank]

I have the Mike Balter AL2’s, same zebra stringing as the 52R’s you have Though they are medium hard, nice retan and has a nice bounciness, you should check them out!

[@noahgormanmusic1843]

My favorite set of vibe mallets are the Mike Balter 46R (renamed as TM) mallets - the artist series Tony Miceli mallets

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I’ve heard good things about those, but haven’t seen them myself.

[@kvblum2007]

I like the Friedman DF30 and the Innovative RS251 mallets

[@eddieg4320]

Yes my favorite mallets are Yamaha 3040, regular model

[@bby6551]

You are a total beast playing man 😡

[@zacharywilliams2]

You can see its sped up when he plays in this video, but yeah he's pretty great.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Actually everything in the video is live, not that it matters anyway..

[@zacharywilliams2]

@@TimCollinsVibes sorry for assuming it was sped up, it's just the way you moved your hands at times seemed unnatural as if it were sped up. Please forgive me.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

@@zacharywilliams2 It's OK :) I think I drank a lot of coffee before making that video too

[@portley777]

Thank you Tim. Very informative as those mallets are expensive and it's a little hard to try them all without going broke. Are you able to share any tips on how to fix/repair mallets (loose threads) and also straighten bent shafts etc? Thank you and happy ny ;)

[@MrSteveHobbs]

Hi Tim. Liked both pairs of Albright's the best. Ratan did not look good buck liked the sound of both. So did my wife.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Thanks! Those sets are both probably around 15 years old. I use them sparingly because I know they won’t last forever.

[@xemeryxwuvx]

I am the 2nd person asking this, but are you a rubber duck fan? My husband is a vibraphone player and I was with him and saw the duck and got a little excited because I thought you were a fan too...anyways, we love your cd album! 🎉

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Haha the rubber duck was just something I had as a cat toy lying around and it made it into a couple videos.

[@ditschnluis1]

I've ordered the new Mallettech Albright Series, just tryed them out yet, think i'll add them to my mallet collection which i use for gigs, like their sound very much!

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I just ordered some as well - so I'll put up a review around the holidays ;)

[@ditschnluis1]

hehe, perfect! ;) they need to be played a bit, as we'd say "einspielen", but then i think they should develop a very nice sound!

[@ivanbertolo245]

You should try the Resta Jay Jeffrey Davis mallets!! Mallets with extra quality and a perfect sound!! ;)

[@juana.velazquez9286]

Hi, I have that problem, loosening the head of the mallet. I use e-6000 glue, I fixed it.

[@MrPatrrricio]

AAAAAAAALBRIGHTTTTTTTTTTTT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tedallenwolff]

tim, I have a set of the original good vibes burton mallets (made by Bill Marimba in the mid 1970s). The rattan is in excellent shape, still very straight and the beautiful dark blue wrapping has had only minimal wear. I'm retired now and the mallets are just sitting around my house. If you'd like to have them I'd be happy to ship them to you if you could cover the mailing costs. Let me know.

[@zhichen6790]

If he doesn’t respond, am I able to get ahold of them? 😅 I’ll pay for the shipping of course, I’m a vibes player looking for some nicer sounding mallets than the hard ones I have currently

[@jacobbritton7359]

Had a pair of Mendozas. The head came flying off for me too! Had to super glue it back on. Also, too hard.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I never trust the super glue.. I stop using them once it has happened. For the audience safety :)

[@jacobbritton7359]

@@TimCollinsVibes Fair enough. I completely stopped using them after I got the Stefon Harris mallets from Vic Firth

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I just got some of those too. Will probably have a video up soon :)

[@jacobbritton7359]

@@TimCollinsVibes Awesome! Cant wait

[@mikeszwedo193]

If you ever get a chance to try some Malletech Manieri MM17 mallets, I would be interested in your thoughts. I have two sets of Good Vibes mallets from the old days. i wouldn't trade or sell them for anything. I wish I could find some more old Burton Good Vibes mallets.

[@marcpocola6292]

No gary burton mallets.. :(

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I have some back in New York.. I'll do another video when I go home for the holidays ;)

[@markelperez886]

You should try musser good vibe m235, they sound cool

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I have some of those back in NY - they sound really good, but the attack gets washed away by the drummer's ride cymbal. They are really durable though, and sound great for piano/vibes duo.

[@dvgit]

What is your opinion on the gary burton mallets? I have heard of them but have never seen a review. Great work on the video.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I have some older ones back home in NY, and my memory is that I found them to be too soft for my taste. They are quality mallets though, if you like a softer attack you might like them.

[@tepoztlan-osbornemusic6658]

I bought several pair of the rs251 innovative percussion and was very disappointed. They are too soft and lack definition.i bought these based on your recommendation.what a bummer.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Sorry to hear that- I still like mine. I tend to hit harder than most players though.

[@ringmasterblaze]

Tim, have you ever tried Rusty Burge mallets? What do you think of them if you have?

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I haven’t tried them yet sadly!

[@danby.]

Have you ever used the Gary Burton signatures? They're the only pair of vibes mallets I own currently, curious what you think of them.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I honestly can't remember - I think over the years there have been several different Burton 'Signature' models, some of which I've tried and thought they were too soft for my taste.. But I definitely haven't tried to latest version of them, so I probably should.

[@hezekiahdaggett2179]

“YOU CANT SAY YOU HAVE A PLETHORA WHEN YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT A PLETHORA IS!

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Finally! Someone got the joke. You win a free beer.

[@hezekiahdaggett2179]

One of my favorites !

[@christianpate7786]

Why am i watching this. I play trumpet?

[@emilymagee326]

What kind of gig bag do you store/carry you mallets in! looking for something reasonably priced but i'd love to hear what you use

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Well - my answer will probably disappoint you ;) I usually only take 3 or 4 pairs of mallets with me to a gig, and I just throw them in the suitcase that has the vibraphone bars wrapped up in blankets... I do have some old pro-mark drumstick bags but I never use them. They are good though.

[@emilymagee326]

@@TimCollinsVibes ah thanks for replying! yeah i probably carry too many sticks for my own good but i will stay on the look out thanks man!

[@M3000-p1j]

Why don’t you have any Kolberg Mallets?

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Actually- after looking them up I realized I’ve checked them out before. But they are only for marimba- I have a large collection of marimba mallets too, but unless a mallet is specifically designed for both vibes and marimba, you shouldn’t use them on vibes (they will get destroyed).

[@somefreelog]

Hey Tim, I was wondering, what exactly is hardness? Is it the head hardness or the shaft hardness? Thank you!!

[@TimCollinsVibes]

That refers to the head of the mallet.

[@somefreelog]

@@TimCollinsVibes Thanks!

[@neilrohan]

Can you do a giveaway? I know I'm in need of some new mallets but my band teacher does not seem to want to buy me any. I only get 1 pair and I use them a lot and the yarn just ends up getting destroyed.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

If you buy the Friedman mallets the yarn will never get destroyed, promised!

[@regsYTobsession]

Why is there a duck? I’m new and so confused.

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Eh, no reason. Somehow I now have two ducks.

[@mattildahubbardo]

Cant you re yarn them?

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I’ve tried and the yarn always falls apart, either because I suck at it or the material I used was bad.

[@mattildahubbardo]

Tim Collins ok, im gonna try to make my own from scratch

[@TimCollinsVibes]

@@mattildahubbardo Let me know how it goes!

[@mattildahubbardo]

Tim Collins will do

[@BrianCole]

No good vibes?

[@TimCollinsVibes]

I had those years ago and don’t use them anymore.. too light and soft for my taste. I think I still have some somewhere. I’ll dig them up for the next video about mallets.

[@melissasmith2940]

Awesome stuff, but I can’t help but cringe every single time he touches the mallet head with his fingers. I was taught to avoid touching them, as the oils in your hands can deteriorate the yarn quicker, perhaps why a lot of his are falling apart. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@TimCollinsVibes]

Maybe for marimba mallets but definitely not vibe mallets.

[@Sasha-tm8qy]

Damn I can't stop touching my soft mallets when I don't play 😭 but as they cost me 60€ I'll try not to lol