Why do vibe mallets have rattan shafts, and marimba mallets have birch shafts?
Alex wrote:
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Why do vibe mallets have rattan shafts, and marimba mallets have birch shafts?
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Nat is right - it's not so "cut and dried" as that...
"As I understand it"...rattan handles came into vogue in the early-to-mid 1970s, primarily due to two factors:
1) The war in Southeast Asia; that region was a major source of rattan, and the war made it much more difficult to obtain good rattan - hence the search by some players for alternative materials for mallet handles.
2) The popularity of the Stevens grip; as I heard Leigh explain in a masterclass while I was a University student about 17 years ago, his grip offers much more flexibility (literally and figuratively) compared to other four-mallet grips, and he found that birch handles gave his mallets much more stability, compared to the fairly flexible rattan - and this use of a less-flexible handle helps one's accuracy. (FWIW, I've found this to be my experience as well. However, I've heard many players say that they don't have any problems with "accuracy" when using rattan-handled mallets in conjunction with the Stevens grip. As they say on the Internet, "Your Mileage May Vary.")
That's where the generalization you asked about comes from, again "as I understand it." However, there are no hard and fast rules in terms of the "right" mallet handle. Some vibes players prefer the stability of birch handles, and many marimbists prefer the feel of rattan. Experiment yourself, and regardless of whatever conclusions you draw in terms of your own preferences, be prepared to re-examine those decisions in future years, as your taste and sensibilities change.
JW
Alex,
I haven
