Hey All,
I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
Marc
In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
<[email protected]> wrote:
> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably have
> it:
>
> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>
Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
Hey Everybody,
Thank you for those links (new ones to me) and suggestions. The woods
I was thinking of using (that I have scraps of) are a couple of
Rosewood species, Cocobolo (if you don't think of that as a Rosewood),
African Black wood and Pau Rosa.
This is a low priority project but I'll try to do a little bit of it
between the bigger ones. Thanks again,
Marc
On 2010-04-18 22:26:33 -0400, "LDosser" <[email protected]> said:
> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably have it:
>
> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
Oh. my - wood porn!
On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:49:34 -0600, the infamous Dave Balderstone
<dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> scrawled the following:
>In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably have
>> it:
>>
>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>
>
>Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
Try the little guys in Carlsbad, CA. I lived 12 miles away but never
did get over there, damnit. (Then again, my many crowbars can get LOUD
in chorus, knowwhatImean,Vern?) http://www.anexotichardwood.com/
Tropical Exotic Hardwoods
http://fwd4.me/9ry padauk or bubinga surfboards, anyone?
---
A book burrows into your life in a very profound way
because the experience of reading is not passive.
--Erica Jong
On Apr 18, 1:35=A0pm, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 4/18/10 12:20 PM, dadiOH wrote:
>
> > marc rosen wrote:
> >> Hey All,
> >> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> >> potential links. =A0Just curious if any of you had ever constructed an=
y
> >> percussion musical instruments from wood. =A0I have been intrigued by
> >> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
> >> though about whipping one up from the scraps. =A0It does not need to b=
e
> >> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
> >> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> >> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Marc
>
> > Do marimbas count? =A0I used to live in Veracruz and marimbas were all =
over
> > the place.
>
> Essentially the same thing.
> Marimbas are generally lower octaves and have longer resonant tubes.
>
> > I never examined one closely but the "keys" appeared to be mahogany. =
=A0Might
> > have been cedro (Spanish cedar) though...mahogany seemed to be used mor=
e
> > like we use Home Depot 2x4s, cedro for doors etc.
>
> Yeppers. The real stuff, like you'd have found there, is very hard and
> dense... and like you said, about as common as Maple, here.
>
> --
>
> =A0 -MIKE-
>
> =A0 "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
> =A0 =A0 =A0--Elvin Jones =A0(1927-2004)
> =A0 --
> =A0http://mikedrums.com
> =A0 [email protected]
> =A0 ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
Aside from the resonant frequencies as they vary from wood to wood
given an equal amount of mass, shape and length, there is another
factor that comes into play. The 'Q' of the resonating material.
Assume the following, for argument's sake: three pieces of wood from
different species can be cut to generate the same fundamental
note...say a MiddleA (440). Yet, when struck, will sound very
different from each other. On a spectrum analyzer one can see the
shape of the 'spike' at the fundamental frequency at 440 and a whole
bunch of related and unrelated harmonics. The narrower the spike, at
the same amplitude, the higher the 'Q'
It is that 'Q' that would make one wood more suitable to one's taste
than another. Some would have more second order harmonics than another
making the sound 'warmer'.
Besides, rosewood is pretty, durable and finishes beautifully.
(Then there's the dozens and dozens of different kinds of
rosewood...later...lol)
On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:14:04 -0700, the infamous "LDosser"
<[email protected]> scrawled the following:
>"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> "LDosser" <[email protected]> writes:
>>>"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
>>>news:180420102049345978%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>>>> In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>>>> have
>>>>> it:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>>>
>>>
>>>It usually seems that way, but you can give them a call and they'll find
>>>whatever you need. If you are in the area, they are worth seeking out.
>>>They
>>>normally have wood to drool over. Look at their slabs. Even if they are
>>>out
>>>of date, they are representative of what they have in stock. See:
>>>http://www.gilmerwood.com/Big_boards.htm
>>>
>>
>> Lot's of slabs here, too:
>>
>> http://www.bakerhardwoods.com/
>
>
>Don't you just hate it when the drool gets in the keyboard ...
Drool, huh? Uh, right. OK.
(Guys, say nothing about his wood porn fetish. He's shy about it.)
---
A book burrows into your life in a very profound way
because the experience of reading is not passive.
--Erica Jong
"LDosser" <[email protected]> writes:
>"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
>news:180420102049345978%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>> In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>> have
>>> it:
>>>
>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>
>>
>> Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>
>
>It usually seems that way, but you can give them a call and they'll find
>whatever you need. If you are in the area, they are worth seeking out. They
>normally have wood to drool over. Look at their slabs. Even if they are out
>of date, they are representative of what they have in stock. See:
>http://www.gilmerwood.com/Big_boards.htm
>
Lot's of slabs here, too:
http://www.bakerhardwoods.com/
On 4/18/2010 10:41 AM, marc rosen wrote:
> Hey All,
> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
> though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
Probably everything your want to know about the tonal properties of wood
either here, or linked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonewood
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)
On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:41:01 -0700 (PDT), marc rosen
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Hey All,
>I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
>potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
>percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
>the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
>though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
>tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
>suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
You might consider asking at www.mimf.com. The folks over there seem
to know everything there is to know about all sorts of musical
instruments and the materials they are made from.
Tim Douglass
http://www.DouglassClan.com
Definition of a teenager: God's punishment for enjoying sex.
On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:10:59 -0700, the infamous "LDosser"
<[email protected]> scrawled the following:
>"Larry Jaques" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:49:34 -0600, the infamous Dave Balderstone
>> <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> scrawled the following:
>>
>>>In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>>> have
>>>> it:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>>
>>>
>>>Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>>
>> Try the little guys in Carlsbad, CA. I lived 12 miles away but never
>> did get over there, damnit. (Then again, my many crowbars can get LOUD
>> in chorus, knowwhatImean,Vern?) http://www.anexotichardwood.com/
>> Tropical Exotic Hardwoods
>> http://fwd4.me/9ry padauk or bubinga surfboards, anyone?
>>
>Dammit!! Stop that!!
So get crowbars who can harmonize, eh, Lob?
--
"I think you very well may see a revolution in this country and
it will not be a revolution to overthrow the government," he said.
"It would be a revolution to restore government to its constitutional
basis." --Rob Weaver on VoA, 4/19/10
On 4/18/10 10:41 AM, marc rosen wrote:
> Hey All,
> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
> though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
Hi Marc, I build drums, but I know they are a much different animal than
mallet instruments. From my experience, I will offer a couple bits of
knowledge.
In order to get the most resonance from a percussion instrument, two
basic principles play out.
- the harder the material, the better.
- one solid piece is better than segmented or plied
Hard materials will resonate (vibrate) longer. There's a reason bells
are made of brass and not lead. :-)
One piece of wood will resonate longer (and in phase) than two or more
pieces glued together. Especially when the grains are polarized, as with
plywood.
This holds true for a xylophone or drum shell.
As mallet instruments go, don't reinvent the wheel. Lets the hundreds of
years of experience of our predecessors work for you. There's a reason
professional Marimba are made of Rosewood bars.
Rosewood is one of the hardest woods on earth and it has a very tight,
and long grain pattern. These properties allow it to vibrate for a long
time. Long is relative, of course, but those same properties help
produce volume, too. Rosewood will be louder than maple or beech, etc.
There are other physical traits which contribute to achieving a nice
musical tone, other than just hardness and straight grain. After all,
Hickory is a little harder than Rosewood, and it's certainly cheaper.
So, why don't you see Marimba made from Hickory?
I'm left to presume there are other physical traits in the woods that
allow one to produce a more musical tone than the other. That's where
I'll trust the experience of those who've made xylophones and marimba
for decades and decades. :-)
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On 4/18/10 12:20 PM, dadiOH wrote:
> marc rosen wrote:
>> Hey All,
>> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
>> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
>> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
>> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
>> though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
>> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
>> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
>> Marc
>
> Do marimbas count? I used to live in Veracruz and marimbas were all over
> the place.
>
Essentially the same thing.
Marimbas are generally lower octaves and have longer resonant tubes.
> I never examined one closely but the "keys" appeared to be mahogany. Might
> have been cedro (Spanish cedar) though...mahogany seemed to be used more
> like we use Home Depot 2x4s, cedro for doors etc.
>
Yeppers. The real stuff, like you'd have found there, is very hard and
dense... and like you said, about as common as Maple, here.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:41:01 -0700, marc rosen wrote:
> Hey All,
> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by the
> sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and though
> about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be tonally
> correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any suggestions
> or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
I made a xylophone and used cherry for the bars. It worked fine except
for one bar that had considerable non-straight grain. I replaced that
one.
--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw
"marc rosen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey All,
> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
> though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably have
it:
http://www.gilmerwood.com/
"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:180420102049345978%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
> In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>> have
>> it:
>>
>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>
>
> Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
It usually seems that way, but you can give them a call and they'll find
whatever you need. If you are in the area, they are worth seeking out. They
normally have wood to drool over. Look at their slabs. Even if they are out
of date, they are representative of what they have in stock. See:
http://www.gilmerwood.com/Big_boards.htm
"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "LDosser" <[email protected]> writes:
>>"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
>>news:180420102049345978%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>>> In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>>> have
>>>> it:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>>
>>>
>>> Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>>
>>
>>It usually seems that way, but you can give them a call and they'll find
>>whatever you need. If you are in the area, they are worth seeking out.
>>They
>>normally have wood to drool over. Look at their slabs. Even if they are
>>out
>>of date, they are representative of what they have in stock. See:
>>http://www.gilmerwood.com/Big_boards.htm
>>
>
> Lot's of slabs here, too:
>
> http://www.bakerhardwoods.com/
Don't you just hate it when the drool gets in the keyboard ...
On 4/19/10 7:14 PM, LDosser wrote:
> "Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "LDosser" <[email protected]> writes:
>>> "Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
>>> news:180420102049345978%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>>>> In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>>>> have
>>>>> it:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>>>
>>>
>>> It usually seems that way, but you can give them a call and they'll find
>>> whatever you need. If you are in the area, they are worth seeking
>>> out. They
>>> normally have wood to drool over. Look at their slabs. Even if they
>>> are out
>>> of date, they are representative of what they have in stock. See:
>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/Big_boards.htm
>>>
>>
>> Lot's of slabs here, too:
>>
>> http://www.bakerhardwoods.com/
>
>
> Don't you just hate it when the drool gets in the keyboard ...
Yeah, talk about hard wood. <d'oh!>
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
"Larry Jaques" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:49:34 -0600, the infamous Dave Balderstone
> <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> scrawled the following:
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, LDosser
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> If you need a particular wood for an instrument, these folks probably
>>> have
>>> it:
>>>
>>> http://www.gilmerwood.com/
>>>
>>
>>Unfortunately their web site appears to be nearly a year out of date...
>
> Try the little guys in Carlsbad, CA. I lived 12 miles away but never
> did get over there, damnit. (Then again, my many crowbars can get LOUD
> in chorus, knowwhatImean,Vern?) http://www.anexotichardwood.com/
> Tropical Exotic Hardwoods
> http://fwd4.me/9ry padauk or bubinga surfboards, anyone?
>
Dammit!! Stop that!!
marc rosen wrote:
> Hey All,
> I just did a google search for building a xylophone and got several
> potential links. Just curious if any of you had ever constructed any
> percussion musical instruments from wood. I have been intrigued by
> the sounds made by the various tropical woods I've worked with and
> though about whipping one up from the scraps. It does not need to be
> tonally correct (Not Ruth Underwood approved) but if anyone has any
> suggestions or hands on experience I'd appreciate your feedback.
> Marc
Do marimbas count? I used to live in Veracruz and marimbas were all over
the place.
I never examined one closely but the "keys" appeared to be mahogany. Might
have been cedro (Spanish cedar) though...mahogany seemed to be used more
like we use Home Depot 2x4s, cedro for doors etc.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico