I'm an intermediate level player of mallet percussion and I would like to buy a small marimba before I go off to college. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to buy a 600 dollar oak 3 and 1/2 octave marimba? And if so does Heartsong Studios have quality marimbas.
Heartsong Studios www.homestead.com/Heartsong/marimbas~ns4.html

thank you and please reply to my email @ bluw22@aol.com

sorry I forgot a little information on the instrument. The frame is oak and the keys are padauk.

Susan -

I don't know anything about this company, other than what I've seen from the web site link you provided, but my advice (formed on limited information, but here it is anyway) would be to wait until you get to college before buying one of these - or any other - marimbas. As Scott mentioned in his response, the range of their instruments is limited, and if you're going to be at college, you will have other instruments available to you. Besides, I bet that after a few years of college, your taste and expertise in instruments will change greatly from what it is right now.

Buying a marimba is (to state the obvious) a significant investment - better to wait until you know exactly what you want, and until you find an instrument that you really love.

JW