dennis & the vibraphonette

Great (but expensive) Vibraphonette For Sale in U.S.

2011-10-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

There is a great looking 2 octave vibraphonette for sale on ebay that could be yours... for $1999. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I saw the right price! This vibraphonette is in great shape - it even has a branded cover for the bars! The original handle is included and the casing looks pretty clean. It will need new belts but they tested the motor and it works. Unfortunately for our international readers it is for sale in the U.S. only.

If there ever were a 2 octave vibraphonette worth $2k this one might be it. They are taking offers, but if you 'buy-it-now' then the shipping is free. Check out the eBay listing.

Vibraphonette Assembly/Disassembly

2011-09-23T11:07:00.001-04:00

I've put together a photo slideshow on how I assemble and dissemble my vibraphonette. There are a few procedures I do for a reason which are in the title of each photo. I would suggest that after you click the play button you press the "full-screen" button on the bottom right of the slideshow. Then on the top right click "show info" and that should show you all the steps. You can also go to the Flickr page if the slideshow below is not working for you or if you want to download any vibraphonette photos.

www.vibraphonette.com

2011-08-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

I finally did it. After a few years of wanting to get a proper web address for the vibraphonette I took the plunge last week and it feels pretty good! Maybe soon I'll get a proper website to go along with the domain name but for now it forwards to this blog.

"That Vibraphonette Is Like Heroin"

2011-08-07T19:56:00.001-04:00

The other night I played a show with a great songwriter, Niall Connolly. After one of the songs Niall says, "That vibraphonette is like heroin! We can't do another gig without it!" Unfortunately, he will have to because he works his ass off playing gigs around the city and on tour. Go check out his stuff -- listen on cdbaby or his website.

Vibraphonette for sale in Oakland

2011-07-26T22:42:00.001-04:00

Just a heads up that if you are in the Oakland, CA area there's a 2 octave vibraphonette for sale on craigslist. It looks like it might need some repair and some cleaning up. The asking price is $999. See more at the craigslist page.

Bars For Sale! Bars For Sale!

2011-03-20T20:33:00.001-04:00

I often think of designing and constructing my own vibraphonette. But I think, "Where will I get the bars from?" and, "Where will I find room in my apartment to do it?" Well, if only I had my own shop because here are original vibraphonette bars for sale!

Michael, one of our readers, has recently acquired a few complete sets of vibraphonette bars for the 2.5 octave version. They were in the original packaging! These are the thicker bars and they look like they are in near-mint condition. These would be great for anyone who might happen to have their own case without the bars. Or I bet they would sound great if they were hung. A friend of mine bows the bars of his vibraphone with a viola bow to get some very beautiful harmonics.

Do you have a shop and the know-how to make these bars sing? I think Michael is taking offers so send him an email at mrusso5@gmail.com. I don't think he will sell them by-the-bar. He has more photos so make sure to ask for them, too.

Vibraphonette Original Instructions / Paperwork / Manual

2011-03-11T18:11:00.001-05:00

Special thanks to Randy Cloutier who emailed me the original vibraphonette instructions! It came in several languages, but I've only posted the English version. This is just the basic part names and not a schematic of the electronics or hardware. (Click on the photo for a higher quality version.) The paperwork is for the larger 2.5 octave (30 note) vibraphonette so it includes a Volt Changer, Vibration Frequency Control and four legs instead of three.

One of the most interesting parts about this is the top right - where it has the company name and address.
Premiata Fabbrica Fisarmoniche which means Award-Winning Accordion Factory and Vibrafoni Portatili Brevettati means Patented Portable Vibraphone. It also mentions a few other products from Galanti - Electric Pianos, Normal Guitars and Electric Guitars. There's an address in Genova, which is on the coast in the northern part of Italy. Above the address it says Coadiutore Alieto Galanti (figlio) which means Coadjutor Alieto Galanti (son). I wonder if the son assisted the father in making the vibraphonette? Who's the father? The last thing I'll mention is the old 6 digit telephone number 310.126. Hard to imagine phone numbers were just 6 digits long.

Again, special thanks to Randy Cloutier for sending this along. He is a percussionist who performs and teaches in New England. He has owned a 2.5 octave vibraphonette since the mid 90s. He plays it regularly with a group called Bistro Beat (accordion, upright bass, guitar, and vibraphonette). Also, check out Randy's myspace page which has a great video of him tearing it up on a full sized vibraphone!

Vibraphonette for sale near San Francisco

2011-01-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

A 2 and a half version of the vibraphonette is for sale on craigslist in San Francisco. This is the larger version which has thicker bars and a vari-speed motor. The asking price is $1700 and it looks to be in pretty good shape. These larger ones are a bit harder to travel with, but they sound a bit more like a traditional vibraphone. Here the link: Vintage Galanti Vibraphonette Portable Vibraphone (oakland north / temescal)

Vibraphonette for $1500 in Austin, TX

2010-12-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

It looks like the price of vibraphonettes are still climbing! This 2 octave one is in Austin, TX - a great music town. It's missing a handle, but it says otherwise it is in good shape. Here's the link.

Vibrphonette For Sale -- (update -SOLD!)

2010-10-14T13:26:00.001-04:00

Update - Eileen sold her Vibraphonette to someone in Brooklyn. We here in the NYC area might have the greatest concentration of vibraphonettes!

************

Hello everyone! There is a vibraphonette for sale in Vancouver, WA. It looks like it is in great shape. It even has the original handle - a rare find! Eileen emailed me to see if I could connect her with a buyer because she doesn't want to go through eBay. Below are a few photos. She is asking for $700 plus shipping.

New Vibraphonette Handle

2010-05-18T17:48:00.026-04:00

It's time for a new handle! Make sure to check out the photo gallery in the middle of the blog. Also, you can click on any photo to make it supersized.

When I purchased my vibraphonette in September of 2005, it did not come with a handle. Carrying it without a handle was clumsy and awkward. Luckily, my friend Joe made one out of climbing rope - which he had done once before on an old handleless amp. I modified it a bit because it started to come un-tied. You can see the details of the old handle here. The climbing rope handle worked out great. It was comfortable and it held the mallets so they were easily accessible when the vibraphonette was set up to play. This was a nice feature for me since sometimes I quickly switch between instruments during a performance.

But recently I noticed that the climbing rope was starting to tear from rubbing against the metal fastener. I was worried about it falling apart at the least opportune time so I wrapped the worn area with some duct tape, but it was only a temporary fix.

Then a fellow vibraphonette owner (and friend and producer) Adam Druckman emailed me a link to a replacement handle on eBay. He said it was a bit difficult to fit, but he got it to work and it looked great. And it was only $14!

A few weeks ago I ordered one for myself. There were several colors to choose from but it seemed the dark blue would match the best. As it turns out it was much darker than in the picture. I went ahead with the installation figuring that at $14 I can just buy another one if I find a lighter blue color.

In order to take the handle off I first had to unscrew the top two screws which had nuts on the inside - right above the blue base for the bars. I had already replace one of them (I'm on the lookout for a replacement that looks more original) when the old one snapped as I was tightening it.

After I unscrewed the top ones I had to remove the the blue base holding the bars, motor and resonators. This is done by removing about 10 screws, with a few hidden in the middle - under the bars.

With the blue base out of the way I could access the bottom two screws. I had never taken them out before and was surprised that they were much longer than the top ones - which I realized was because they had to go through the support wood for the blue base.

The one thing I knew might be trouble was the silver brackets on the new handle. Not only was I not sure if they were going to fit, but I wanted to keep the vibraphonette as original as possible by keeping the original brackets. Sure enough - the holes for the silver brackets were too far apart. I used a flathead screwdriver to pry the handle apart at the ends - just enough to get the silver brackets out and put the original brackets in. The handle just squeezed into the space provided by the original brackets - whew!

Since I had the vibraphonette open I decided to clean it up a bit and check all the screws - and it's a good thing I did because many screws were loose. The round aluminum piece in the middle is used to support the pedal mechanism. I also tightened many of the screws to the leg joints which help with the small amount of wobble.

I also did a quick vacuuming and cleaning of the resonators. I only used a slightly damp cloth and waited a few minutes for it to dry before i put it back on.

To put the handle back on I first screwed in the bottom screws, next I put the bar/resonator board back on, then I put the top screws in. Voilà! A new vibrphonette handle! It looks great!

I had the chance to put it to use last weekend for a show with The Quavers at The Living Room here in Manhattan and it performed wonderfully!

The Good:
** It looks much more like an orginal handle than the climbing rope.
** It is tighter than the rope handle so when I carry it, it is higher off the ground. This makes it much easier to put it in a taxi and to carry it on the stairs.

The Not-So-Good:
** When the vibraphonette is set up to play I can't hang the mallets on the handle like with the rope handle.

If you have some assembly skills I highly recommend this handle if you need one for your vibraphonette!

Parts & Repair Shop

2010-05-02T15:04:00.005-04:00

I've gotten many emails from vibraphonette owners about how to repair things like broken belts, felts and motors. I think I've found a place that might be able to help.

The Mallet Shop
www.malletshop.com
Grand Rapids, MI

I've emailed the Mallet Shop and they responded the next day with a nice note. I've also seen that they have sold a vibrphonette in the past ($1500!).

Vibraphonette For Sale On Ebay

2010-02-18T22:57:00.005-05:00

Here's a 2 octave vibraphonette (like mine) for sale on ebay. The starting bid is $900 which might be a bit high for the smaller version, but these are rare and this one looks like it's in good shape. The shipping is $150 or hopefully you can pick it up if you are near Philadelphia.

Vibraphonette vs. Vibraphonette - so close in Brooklyn

2010-01-20T00:10:00.004-05:00

Here's Soy Un Caballo, a Belgian band that features the vibraphonette. The video is from when they played Union Hall in Brooklyn, NY - right across the street from my apartment! I should have walked across the street with mine to have a vibraphonette-off!

and thanks to David from Madrid for the tip!

A new owner in Madrid, Spain

2010-01-12T15:59:00.008-05:00

I got an email from David from Madrid, Spain. He has known about the vibraphonette for a while, but recently got one from an Italian musician. This musician was apparently paid for a recording session with this particular vibraphonette. David says it needs a bit of repair - belts, screws... From what I can see, it looks like it can be restored to working order. It even has a great looking handle. David was kind enough to send along a few pictures for me to post. -- thanks, David!

Broken Belt and Screw before gig!

2009-12-16T14:59:00.004-05:00

Things break as just the wrong time, right? This particular wrong time is before Vitamin-D's album release show at Union Hall.

Backyard Concert

2008-07-26T16:01:00.002-04:00

One of the groups I play with, The Quavers, had a show booked at Barbes on a hot and humid Sunday evening. Unfortunately, it seems the club had double booked and we were on the outs. Luckily, Todd's backyard was open - so we quickly did some cleaning and decorating while inviting our fans to make the short trip.

To get to the backyard is no small feat. Up the stoop, around a corner, down a narrow staircase to the basement, through a very narrow hallway that leads to an incredibly uneven staircase up to the backyard. Even though this journey was tough with the vibraphonette, the trip would have been much, much more difficult with a full sized vibraphone.

2.5 Octave Vibraphonette On eBay - For USA Only

2008-02-25T22:42:00.003-05:00

A heads up for the USA... a 2 and a half octave vibraphonette has gone up for sale on eBay. The current price is $800, but there is a buy-it-now for $1150 - which seems like a great bargain compared to some that we've seen sold overseas.

It looks like it is in pretty good shape! Good luck if you are looking to buy it!

p.s. thanks to Joseph for also giving the heads up.

Across The Northern Border

2008-01-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

Last November, the vibraphonette and The Quavers had a harrowing experience on the way up to Montreal to play a show with our good friend, Harris Newman. The trip started out smoothly enough, but soon we were on the shoulder-less New York State Thruway with a flat tire. Todd skillfully managed to hop the curb so we could try and change the right/rear tire with a very very tiny spare, which was stored underneath all of out gear - including the vibraphonette. Thankfully all the gear fit on top of the car so there was no muddied vibraphonette! We put the spare on and slowly made our way to a service station to get a more solid replacement.

We played a very friendly vegetarian cafe called Casa Del Popolo. Highly recommended if you visit Montreal. The show was great and it was wonderful to see our friends again. Hopefully next time the car ride will be much less exciting.

New Vibraphonette Owner - Sergej

2007-12-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I introduce you to Sergej from the Netherlands. Sergej was kind enough to send over some pictures of his newly purchased vibraphonette. It is one of the larger ones with 2 1/2 octaves and thicker bars. It also as a speed control for the tremolo!!! That would be great to have!

It weighs about 55lbs and has 4 legs (instead of three) to help support the extra weight. Sergej actually bought it from Will, who also contributed to this blog a while back. Sergej mentions that the handle seems original, but he is a bit worried about using it because it seems a bit too fragile so he will carry it by the case - seems like a smart idea. He has been playing it in his band which will be coming out with their new cd in the beginning of 2008. I heard a bit of a rehearsal and I'm looking forward to the cd!

Sergej has been trying to figure out the best way to clean under the bars. I'm not sure if it will be an easy task. Mine has a bunch of dust that I'm sure contributes to the character of the sound!

Here a video of Sergej playing his new vibraphonette!

British Vibraphonette Sold For Mucho Dinero

2007-09-16T15:24:00.000-04:00

I saw a vibraphonette for sale on ebay over in the UK not too long ago. I checked back when the auction was over and the winning bid was 1,072.50 pounds! Whoa! I mean, 1,072.50 is a good chunk of change in dollars, but when you convert it, it turns out to be $2152.18!! I guess things are just more expensive across the pond. (gas, computers, vibraphonettes...)

This particular vibraphonette came with what seems to be a pad, or cushion with the Galanti logo on it that covers the bells(see picture). Pretty fancy! I imagine it is original. I have piece of t-shirt covered foam to serve the same purpose. Overall, the vibraphonette seems like it is in great shape.

Congrats to the new owner!

Squeaks and Rattles

2007-09-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

I hopped on over to Looking Glass Studios to record with Catherine McRae last weekend. A very nice experience at a great studio. The whole session I had been dealing with rattles from those black spacers/support rings that have hardened up over the years. They are also very brittle and have broken off during transportation before I figured out how to orient the instrument to help prevent more breakage. The vibraphonette had a very strong role in a quiet song called Pentacostal. I had been putting gaffing tape on the black spacer supports to help with the rattles, but now there was also a squeak when I stepped on the damper pedal. Everyone said it was fine, but I decided to try one thing. While Catherine sang some vocals on another song, I took off the top and applied some WD40 on the spring. It worked like a charm!

Bruce Cawdron is also in the picture. He plays a bunch of instruments - here he's playing bass marimba. It really sounded great!

Click here for more pictures of the session.

I can't wait to hear what we recorded!

A Walk Into The Sea (with a vibraphonette)

2007-05-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

The vibraphonette played a major role in the award winning film A Walk Into The Sea. The film is a documentary about the mysterious 1966 disappearance of Danny Willams, who was part of the Andy Warhol Factory. I saw a showing at the Tribeca Film Festival just last weekend. I thought it was mesmerizing.... so much so that I almost forgot to listen for the vibraphonette (and my two trumpet notes, too). The vibraphonette had a long section where it was the only sound to go along with the film. I was so proud!

I love this quote about the movie:

" The toothiest exposé yet into the soul-sucking modus operandi of Warhol's Factory "
- Ed Gonzalez, Village Voice

For more info about the film visit A Walk Into The Sea's website.

Vibraphonette vs. Vibraphone

2007-05-01T19:09:00.000-04:00

The vibraphonette made its way to Bushwick, Brooklyn in Laurel Lindahl's Saab for Vitamin-D's weekend recording session. We recorded at a studio called The Fort with Jim Bentley as engineer and Adam Druckman flew in from Detriot as producer. We also brought Adam Gold's medium sized vibraphone for a song called "Summer Crossing."

Now, moving Adam's vibraphone was quite the chore as compared to the vibraphonette. The process involved taking off the bars and the resonators first. Then, you fold up the frame. It requires a few people to carry everything - or a few trips. The vibraphone barely fit in the car and once it was in, there was hardly much room for much else. The vibraphonette is close to 50 lbs, but it is much much easier to travel with than an actual vibraphone -- score one for the little guy.

After getting home and listening to the tracks, the vibraphone might have had too much sustain for one of the parts it was playing. I might have to record it again with the vibraphonette -- maybe score another one for the little guy.

Click here for pictures of the studio session.

WFMU with Moore + Sons

2007-04-09T16:24:00.000-04:00

I journeyed out to WFMU-FM in Jersey City, New Jersey with Moore + Sons to visit Irene Trudel and play live on her show. There was some question whether I was going to make it, but the vibraphonette was definitely going to make it. If it had and I had not, then that would have marked the first Dennis-less vibraphonette gig. (At least, I think it so.) Click here to listen to the archived show then scroll down to April 2, 2007. We played about an hour into the show. Also, see some photos of out trip via Flickr.

Broke Belt Mountain

2007-02-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

When I bought the vibraphonette a few years ago I had to buy the belts for the 3 pulleys. This was not an easy task. I had rubber bands to make sure everything worked, but I was having a hard time choosing what to use on a regular basis. I finally settled on vcr belts. I measured around the pulleys and went down to the local old-school TV/VCR repair shop. The guy there had to sift through all their belts to come up with something that matched. He didn't seem to completely enjoy the task. I took them home and tried to put them on but they were too big! So I trotted back down to the shop to plead my case in the hopes he would look again. With a disapproving look he took the 3 belts and came up with 3 smaller ones. As I was leaving he told me that if these didn't fit - don't come back!

Fast forward to present day. A few weeks ago, in the middle of a rehearsal with Catherine (of the band Coraline) the pulleys that turn to make the 'wah-wah' sound were not turning! I could still hear the motor so I figured that it was a broken belt. I took it half-way apart and found the broken belt inside. It was the belt that went from the motor to the middle pulley that turns the two 'wah-wah' pulleys.

My friend Gary said that I used to have a vibraphonette - now I just have a phonette. Funny.

I thought, "Great! I'll get to see what the fellows in the old TV/VCR shop are up to." So I trotted down 5th Ave with the broken belt in hand. I actually knew the size this time! But, alas, as I approached the storefront, the door was open but the gates were halfway down and a construction guy was carrying out some rubble from the demolition! Ouch! I'll miss those guys.

Luckily, I had a few options. Joe (who saved the day with the vibraphonette handle) said he had an O-ring maker. Also, there was another old-school TV/VCR shop not too far away. The guy at this shop seemed a bit more cheery that he had to find a vcr belt to match. Maybe it was because I had the old belt that I knew worked - or maybe it was a slow day at the shop. I think these VCR repair shops are a dying breed. He found one and as I paid for it he asked what kind of vcr I had. I said it was for a musical instrument. He looked unimpressed. I think I'm going to go back and buy a few more (incase that shop closes, too) and maybe I'll bring a video of the vibraphonette in action. That will bring him around!

The vibraphonette had not been taken apart in a while, so when I took it fully apart, I found some dust and some more broken hard, black pieces - I think from the bell separators. I cleaned it up a bit and took some pictures as I was putting the new belt on, and put it back together. After looking at the pictures, I think I need to do a better cleaning!

Well, everything is working once again so my phonette has turned back into a vibraphonette. -Whew!

Yet Another New Vibrphonette Owner

2007-02-18T23:48:00.000-05:00

Michigan has recently seen a transfer of a vibraphonette in great shape. A beauty. Two readers of this blog were able to connect and make the deal happen. The seller, Angie, wanted it to get into good hands. It seems it was given to her family and she has had it for a while.

Another friend of the blog, Adam, raced over to take a look, bought it, and then sent over these pictures. Thanks, Adam! He says he's already played it in a recording session and it sounded great. He was looking for a schematic so if anyone has any ideas, please let's us know!

New Vibraphonette Owner

2007-02-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

There's been a rash of vibrphonette sales recently! It took me several years to find mine, but there have been 2 sold in the last week! There was the one from Ebay (pictured) that sold for around $950. The highest selling price that I've seen so far. I believe the supply and demand is starting to take hold. Or the new owner really, really wanted one. It's really a rare and incredible instrument to have, so I think it's worth it. From what I can tell this one was sold to a fellow in Texas. It seemed to be missing a few parts, but it looks like they have a work-a-round to keep it in working order.

The ad mentioned that the motor was "quiet quiet" (it said it twice). I would love my motor to be quiet quiet. Mine is just quiet enough for one 'quiet.' I hope the new owner will get in touch and keep us updated!

In fact, maybe we should start getting some information together from all the vibraphonettes we can. If you are the proud owner of a vibraphonette, please send your story and a picture. And maybe your serial number. I'll see if I can organize them. And if someone has a schematic - whoa! That would just be an incredible thing.

Congrats to the new owner!

Recordings Abound!

2006-11-06T11:36:00.000-05:00

My vibraphonette has been dashing around Brooklyn for some recordings with Clare Burson and T. Griffin Coraline. In fact, I just got it back from the studio of T. Griffin Coraline where we recorded for the upcoming album God Made Cars. Both albums should be out next year!

Now that I have it back I can take a look at a few things for a fellow vibraphonette owner in nearby Long Island, Mike. I think the belts and spacers are a common need. He mentioned that he knew of a place in Chicago that might be of help.

I also might take mine apart and compare it to the pictures of the one that just sold. That one supposedly has a quiet motor. Mine is not that all that quiet. And I would love to find out if there is some way to install a new motor - maybe with variable speed!

Recent sale of a vibraphonette

2006-11-06T00:15:00.000-05:00

I just saw a vibraphonette sell on eBay that looked like it was in need of some TLC. And it sold for $860! Wow! I think I was lucky to get mine before the rush on vibraphonettes hit its stride. For this one that just sold, the listing mentioned that the motor was quiet, but one of the legs didn't seem to work. Also, the damper rod was missing. I'm not sure where to get one of those. I'm guessing the person that bought it has had some experience with vibraphone repair. (at least I hope so) Here are a few more pictures I borrowed from the ad.

Bar 169, The Tank, Pete's Candy, Living Room

2006-05-13T20:46:00.000-04:00

The vibraphonette has played many shows since the last update. Maybe partially because the next night after the Clare Burson show (previous post) Vitamin-D played Bar 169. A wretched experience it was - primarily due to the poor booking and a bit due to a rude bartender. It was the first time I not only had initial thoughts about not wanting to play there that night, but I was very very close to packing up and leaving. My friends Barn Burning came down from RI to play the show and their set time of 8pm was pushed to 9pm. Not too terrible of a delay. We didn't play until 1am after we were told of going on at 10pm, 11pm and 12:30am. Once we went on we played great, but we had to endure a creed-like band and a american-idol-like band. Not that there's anything wrong with those bands - it was just a very poor booking for Vitamin-D. New vibraphonettist, Gary, did an incredible job - adding melodies that I didn't think were possible. Our friends Mouse didn't get to play until after us! The night was a great test of patience for all involved.

Next up was the newly moved Tank with T. Griffin Coraline. A black-box theater type of art space. They have had several locations in the last few years and I think I like this place the best of the ones I've played so far.

Vitamin-D played again at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on April 1st. Gary was the guest vibraphonettist once again with Adam moving to drums. I think this is the show that Gary coined the term "vibe sticks."

Chris Moore was next on April 19th at the Living Room. Pete Galub said it was "mind altering," a good thing it seemed. I played the vibraphonette for most of the set, but Adam took over for one song and I made my debut on the drums... well, drum.

Mo Pikins with Clare Burson

2006-04-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

The vibraphonette made a trip to the East Village on March 9th to be part of Clare Burson's band for a few songs. Mo Pikins is a pretty classy place. It's a bit like the fez but the staff was actually nice and I actually enjoyed playing there. Clare's line up included her on acoustic guitar and vocals, kristen on drums, john on upright bass and me on vibraphonette and trumpet. I had only rehearsed with clare a few times and I had not met the band until right before the show. I was still getting to learn the few songs i played on so I played very lightly. Hopefully, I'll get plenty of practice for the next show!

And I almost forgot to mention - as we were loading out, a young woman said to me, "nice job on that thingyphone."

another vibraphonette from across the pond

2006-03-24T23:26:00.000-05:00

i got an email a few weeks ago from another galanti vibraphonette owner. his name is will and he lives across the pond in holland. his vibraphonette looks like it is in great shape. it has an extra half octave (on the low end to make 2 1/2 octaves). the bars look much more like regular vibraphone bars, whereas mine are much thinner. it also looks like it has an extra leg to carry the extra weight. i didn't ask him if he transports it very much or how much is weighs, but i'm guessing it weighs closer to 60lbs if mine is about 45lbs.

he also mentioned that he has an early 60's galanti guitar!

thanks for the pictures, will!

tom and kerry's wedding

2006-03-05T23:28:00.000-05:00

the vibraphonette made a trip to a restaurant called provence in the soho section of manhattan on march 4th, 2006 to help celebrate the wedding of our dear friends, tom and kerry. for part of the ceremony (the walk down the aisle) adam sang 'all you need is love' while playing the vibraphonette. by the end of the song everyone was singing along! gary played upright bass, chris played guitar and i played the trumpet. we also played nick drake's 'saturday sun' for part of the ceremony. after the 'i do's' we packed up and joined the party!

loose handle

2006-02-22T12:55:00.000-05:00

when vitamin-d played the lakeside lounge a few weeks ago the handle started coming loose! i was quite concerned because i love this handle, which was made by my friend joe. he somehow interlaced climbing rope with the brackets that were already there. he had made a similar handle for a friend's small amp which i think is still in working order. maybe the 45 pounds of the vibraphonette was just too much for it. it started slipping out of the brackets!

even though i was there when joe put the handle, i was still weary of trying to fix it. i carefully unwrapped it - but not all the way - and tied a knot at the end that was slipping so that it would be more difficult to come loose. it might take a while to find out if the fixed worked. but even if it doesn't, the fix only took about 5 minutes so i could just do it again.

the next gig for the vibraphonette is my friends tom and kerry's wedding next saturday!

hank's saloon

2006-02-15T00:24:00.000-05:00

last week i joined chris moore at hank's saloon in brooklyn, ny. a cozy dive bar that reminds me of bars when i lived in nashville, tn. i had to work right up until the show so chris was kind enough to get it there (which is right down the street from where we live). he also was kind enough to set it up. he really screwed the legs in tight! they weren't going anywhere!

i was a bit worried about it being heard, even though it was mic'd. hank's is not known for it's sound system, but everyone said they could hear everything and it sounded great.

the silo on the banks of the gowanus canal

2006-02-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

this past january(2006) the vibraphonette accompanied myself, bruce cawdron, t. griffin and catherine mcrae as we accompanied a short film by jem cohen as part of an evening of "protest" music at issue project room on the banks of the gowanus canal in brooklyn, ny. i brought it over to todd's studio so we could rehearse a bit before the show. i really had no idea what the evening was about until we got there. i saw the film we were playing with, but it didn't seem to relate to anything protesting. then jem introduced the film and mentioned that a similar piece of footage from a moving train was confiscated by homeland security and had not been returned to him yet.

our friend bruce cawdron, from the duo esmerine and also godspeed you! black emperor, brought a few of his idiophones (a sort-of bass marimba and a not-so-high glockenspiel). he also brought along a few bows to get the sounds of the bars without the attack of hitting them. it is something you have to see to completely understand, i think. we couldn't bow the vibraphonette because it is set inside the suitcase and you need the bars to stick out a bit so there's room for the bow. there was a nice contrast between all three - vibraphonette, marimba and glockenspiel. in addition to the excitement of somewhat improvising to the film, there was the added mystery of playing in the dark!

first recording

2006-02-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

i just finished the first recording with the vibraphonette. it is on a mostly piano piece called 'hopscotch.' it sounds great, but i had to work around the motor noise a bit - gradually bringing in the noise before the playing started. it is a very noisy piece anyway. in fact, i had to make a bit of a rhythm track out of the noise from the electric piano.

the song was recorded for vitamin-d's 'undercover audio' which is unreleased recordings for the people on the email list. so, if you want to hear the song, you'll have to sign up! here's our web site - www.vitamindmusic.com

i found this picture of when i first put the new belts on. you can also see the rubber bands that i used until i got the belts. i still have the rubber bands there as a backup, incase the belts break or squeak or something.

t. griffin coraline at the tank

2006-02-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

i think the next show for the vibraphonette was with t. griffin coraline last november. that band is made up of todd on guitar and catherine on violin and every now and then me on trumpet, melodica, vibraphonette, lap steel, and any other instrument that i've never played before. i usually get wind that i'm playing these new instruments a day before the show. i think they have fun watching me try to figure out what the heck i'm doing. and i wouldn't be surprised if they had a wager on if i will try it or not. maybe it's like that mikey kid for life cereal. ''give it to dennis... he'll try to play anything!''

so, just like with chris moore, i was playing the vibraphonette on these songs for the first time. it turned out to fit very well with the music this time, too. todd mentioned that i really didn't have to come to anymore gigs if i didn't bring the vibraphonette. luckily, he has a car to help me get it to his gigs.

road trip :: providence, ri

2006-02-06T23:21:00.000-05:00

the next show was with chris moore as we traveled up to providence, ri to play at as220. the vibraphonette made the trip with us in gary's van. in order to try and prevent more black plastic pieces from breaking i put a piece of superfoam about 3 inches thick inbetween the bars and legs. i would lay the foam on the bars and then swing the top over it to compress the foam.

it didn't work very well because there were more broken pieces. i think i was because we put it in the van vertically. after that i make sure it is either flat, or witht the handle up. it seems to be much better since i've been doing that.

the gig itself went great! the soundman didn't quite know what to make of it. i was playing mainly atmospheric or padding parts as we went along - it all seemed to work out. adam, the vibraphonettist, who can actually play vibraphone - played it on a song, sharing the full potential of the instrument with everyone. whoa!

1st show

2006-02-06T23:14:00.000-05:00

the first show with the vibraphonette was last october at pete's candy store in brooklyn, ny. my friend laurel was kind enough to give us a ride in her blue saab and the vibraphonette fit perfectly in the trunk. adam, the vibraphonettist, is pictured along with konrad, the drummer.

when i tipped it to put the legs on, i noticed some small black plastic pieces fell on the floor. i figured out later that they were broken pieces of the plastic that kept the metal bars from touching the metal supports that keep the bars up. i think the plastic is so old that the movement of the bars in transit cracked them.

the was also the first show for my new guitar, which is actually a very old and very groovy supro hollowbody electric guitar. the audience seemed much more excited about the vibraphonette, though. after the show i spent quite some time telling everything i knew about it - which wasn't much.

the handle

2006-01-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

it came with no handle or drive belts (the belts move the parts to make it go "wa-wa-wa-wa.."). i thought i might have to wander aimlessly in china town looking for vcr belts, but luckily there is a tv/vcr repair shop down my street here in brooklyn (details are in a previous post).

at 45 lbs. and no handle, it was fairly cumbersome. i (and my friends) carried it, handleless, up and down the 4 flights of stairs to my apartment - in and out of clubs - and in the nooks and crannies of t. griffin's recording studio. (thanks to my friends!)

i researched luggage stores and music stores, but nothing seemed to fit what i wanted - a working handle that would use the exsisiting handle brackets. i didn't want to drill any holes or anything like that.

at long last, joe came to the rescue with his climbing rope! he had made a handle for our mutual friend's amp and i bugged him until he screamed 'mercy!' well, i didn't actually bug him that much - we just had to find a good time for him, that's all. we found that time and it took about 5 minutes. splendid, indeed! things are so much brighter now! it is easier to manuver in all aspects! i'm excited!

thanks joe!

the search

2006-01-25T23:28:00.000-05:00

my search started in 2001 (or maybe 2002?). i was living in boston and had just started learning about ebay. browsing one afternoon, i stumbled across a vibraphonette. it was like that recess peanut butter cup commercial.

"hey! your vibraphone ran into my suitcase!"
"naw, man! your suitcase ran into my vibraphone!"

it was perfect for apartment living and my music! i just quit my 'real' job, so my funds were low for the forseeable future. i thought of bidding but couldn't manage the investment. i think it finally went for about $650. i moved to brooklyn not too long after that and finished recording the vitamin-d album. i started looking again during the recording, but the search intensified when i started performing live. the small set of bells i had just didn't seem to cut it in a club.

i found another one about 2 years ago but it was in canada and had just been sold. then i found yet another one in early 2005 but it was in australia! whoa! finally, in september 2005 there was another one on ebay from new hampshire. i pulled out all the stops and let my friend patrick talk me into using one of those sniping bidders. i'm not exactly sure how all that stuff works, but it did work. thank goodness. and patrick, too.

finally! another entry!

2006-01-25T16:50:00.000-05:00

yes, it has taken a while, but i've finally come around to post a picture of the vibraphonette. it was made by an italian company called galanti. i'm not sure what year it was made, but it was probably in the 1950's or 1960's.

with the top on, it measures approximately 31" long by 23" (widest point) by 9" tall. it weighs about 45 pounds. it came with no belts for the motor, but i was able to convince the local tv and vcr repair shop to sell me a few to see if they would fit. they didn't, but the fellows were nice enough to give me another few to try and they fit perfectly. there was also no handle, but i'll put a different post about that later.

adventures with the vibraphonette

2005-11-13T11:26:00.000-05:00

well, here i am creating a blog. i actually just wanted to post a comment to a friend's blog, but had to go through the whole rigmarole of being a blog owner.

i just was lucky enough to aquire a vibraphonette so why not make a blog about the adventures of that! but not right now, because i have to go leave that comment to my friend's blog.