PASIC 2002 instrument pictures

PASIC 2002, in Columbus, Ohio, was awesome!  I thoroughly encourage everyone who has a chance to go to one of these conferences to do so.  The knowledge and motivation you'll gain will far outweigh the financial burden.

I'm posting these pictures with very little commentary.  I did develop lots of opinions, and I kind of feel like I'm cheating by not giving them here.  However, in talking with lots of different people--many of whom I trust deeply--I heard enough contradictory viewpoints to convince me that no one--and certainly not I--is authoritative enough to be able to give definitive advice.  Therefore, I'm choosing discretion over opinion.

Click any of the thumbnails below for a really big picture.  I apologize in advance for the long download times you'll experience if you're on a dial-up connection.  Hopefully you'll agree that the sluggishness is worth it once you see the big images.

1.  Instrument builders

Nico vanderPlas.  He was incredibly gracious with me.  We spent a lot of time together talking about vibes, in spite of the fact that I'm a totally anonymous player.  (His site is www.vanderplas-perc.nl.)

Bill Youhass, the U.S. representative for Nico Vanderplas's instruments, bar tuner, and builder of the Fall Creek orchestra bells.  (You can reach Fall Creek Marimbas at www.marimbas.com.)

Brett Frugate, a marimba builder for Musser.  He has a heavy metal band that incorporates xylophone, marimba, and vibes!  Check it out at: http://www.idiomusic.com.  (Check out Musser at www.ludwig-drums.com.)

Doug DeMorrow and his employee, John Runyan.  Doug's email address is demorrow@arkansas.net.

2.  Mallet Instruments

Adams

Vibraphone (3 octave)

Alternate Mode

MalletKat Pro

Bergerault

     
Marimbas (5 and 4.3 octave)

Vibraphone (4 octave)

Coe

Marimba (5 octave)

DeMorrow

    
Marimba (5 octave)

Marimba (5 octave practice instrument)

          
Vibraphone (4 octave, oak frame, polished brass resonators)

Dynasty

Marimba (4.3 octave, on field cart.  Notice attached drums.)

Vibraphone (4 octave, on field cart.  Notice attached drums.)

Kori

Marimba (5 octave)

Malletech

     
Marimbas (5 octave and 4.3 octave)

Xylophone (4 octave widebar)

Marimba One

Marimba (5 octave)

Musser

Marimba (5 octave)

Musser also had a Piper vibe on display.  I forgot to photograph it, but Musser's got lots of good pictures of all its instruments on its own site.

Newman

     
Practice xylophones

Planet Marimba

Marimba (5 octave.  Note the wood resonators!)

Premier

Marimba (4.3 octave)

Vibraphone (3 octave)

Xylophone (4 octave)

Ross

Marimba (4.3 octave on field cart.)

     
Vibraphones (3 octave.  The silver one is on a field cart; the gold one is on the standard frame.  I should have gotten a cleaner shot of the gold one, I know.)

Vancore

Marimba (5 octave)

Marimba (4.3 octave Paduak)

Vibraphone (3 octave)

Xylophone

vanderPlas

                        
Vibraphone (3.5 octave)

     
Stability brace detail.

Pedal detail.  (Note all the nylon connecting points.)

Resonator mount detail.  (Note that the resonators mount to a brown rubber block.  Note also the brown felt that isolates the resonators from the metal strips that hold them together.)

Bar mounting detail.  (Note that the posts sit in rubber surrounds rather than directly on the aluminum of the keybed.  Very effective!  Also, the post insulator is silicone, rather than rubber or felt.)

Yamaha

Marimba (5 octave)

Vibraphone (3 octave)

3.  Other neat stuff

Arabic percussion

Gongs

The Mountain Rhythm booth

Black Swamp Snare Drum

     
Clevelander Snare Drums

Lang Percussion Gladstone Snare Drum (with Craviatto shell.  This picture doesn't do the drum's beauty justice.)

           
DW "Timeless Timber" birch drumset, with tatooed-in (rather than painted) detail.  (Show price:  $8,500.)

     
Two more incredible DW sets.

Yamaha Oak drum set

And finally...

My two good friends--Aaron Smith and Danielle Squyers--with whom I came to the show (playing and discussing Nico's vibe).  Nico's on the far left.