Hi,
I have a frequent frustration with getting the right mallets for what I need. I want to buy my next mallets, and if they are good, I want to get the whole line of that model. I play the traditional grip, and I have been using the Zeltsman Encore mallets. The problem is that sometime I want a much brighter sound. I have been seeing alot of great mallets that I want to get like the Van Sice, and others from the Innovative Percussion line. The thing is that most of these "signature" mallets are from artists that use the Steven's grip. I don't use Steven's, but I want to know if the mallets are good.
Is it suitable to use mallets from Steven's grip artists, even though I play traditional?
~Behzad

Hi Behzad,

Mallets are a very personal choice, but I think you should try as many as you can and make your own mind - try to think about the music you will perform with them and if those mallets feel confortable and help you project what you want to put across musically, then, they are probable the right ones - anyway, mallets are only mallets... don't let them get to much into your head 🙂

Nonetheless and out of curiosity, I use stevens grip for marimba and multi-percussion and burton for vibes - and for me, it feels more confortable to use wood or hard rattan shafts for stevens grip and rattan or softer rattan for vibes, but in fact, it differs with which piece I am playing. Lately I have been playing quite a lot with Malletech LHS 15H, but also love practising with an ancient set of I

Hi Behzad -

This is a good question that often comes up in debate. I have used Stevens Technique for years, but currently i am in the process of converting over to Traditional Grip. I plan to hold on to the Stevens Grip for when i encounter Stevens Rep. down the road {Night Rhapsody, Penn Preludes etc.}

In regard to your question, i think it is safe to say that it is ok to use mallets constructed by Stevens Grip players for Cross Grip use. I use my pair of LS20's when i play Traditional Grip and it seems to work just fine. Burritt 13's and Wu14's also work well.

I think it is also safe to say that it is ok to use mallets constructed by Cross Grip players for Stevens Technique use. I use my pair of Stout 13's and Samuels 18's for Stevens Grip quite often, and the new Keiko Abe mallets designed by Yahama also seem to work really well for me when i use both Stevens and Traditional Grip.

Best of luck in your studies -

Sincerely, Lon Stetz

Dear Behzad,
With all due respects to the other responses, it makes absolutely no difference whose mallets you use no matter how you hold them..even if you hold them with your feet. Why would it? Think about it..
In fact, try the "Stevens GRIP" with your feet..it works GREAT! Then you could invent a new name..the "Behzad GRIP" and then, with a good advertising campaign, YOU could make millions. Then you could invent a motorized high-chair that would slide back and forth in front of the marimba,allowing "full,free range of motion" to play with feet..and sell that too. Just think of all those people at a PASIC convention trying out every company's marimbas on YOUR "Marimba Chair", sitting 3 feet up in the air playing with their feet! You could laugh all the way to the bank.
Seriously..
Why spend all that $$$ buying other people's mallets? Just make your own. It's no big mystery. Think of the $$ you'll save. (There is BIG, BIG MONEY in selling mallets!) Plus you can make them exactly the the sound you want.
Bill Youhass
www.fallcreekmarimbas.com