Hello,
I'm a composer w/ questions about the marimba's range? Is the low A generally the lowest on a Marimba? Are there any that go lower? And if there are, how common are they?

I'm just a little confused about all this, becasue the orchestration books I've seen don't seem up to date...I've heard marimbas go lower than what the say the lower limit is.

actually I think I already found the answer, but i'd still like to know how common 5-octave marimbas are. Can I expect most marimba players to have one or have access to one?

I don't think you should have anything to worry abotu if you write within the range of a 5-octave instrument (C2-C7). As far as I know, the vast majority of marimbists (college+) have some access to such an instrument. High school and lower may have some trouble, but often can still locate one.

I would like to add some thoughts to this discussion on the range of popular marimbas, and the greatest range available, and the music which is composed for them.
It is obvious that the marimba is an instrument which has a great deal of appeal to many people, but it is also obvious that many people who would like to play the instrument are hindered because they cannot afford the price of a top-of-the-range instrument. Perhaps some thought needs to be given to the question of why