New (and expensive) 2 Octave Vibraphonette For Sale
A 2 octave version is for sale for a whopping $1500. Though there is free shipping from Grand Rapids, MI. The listing says the felt is worn, and that the handle is missing and a few small screws, too. Otherwise it seems to be in good working order.
This is one of the highest prices I've seen. The is the first vibraphonette for sale in a long while so there might be a few buyers willing to pay out to get their hands on it.
2 Octave Vibraphonette For Sale (San Francisco Area)
There as been quite a few vibraphonettes for sale recently! The latest is from the San Francisco area. It is a 2 octave that looks to be in pretty good shape. The handle is missing and the power switch is not working, though it still turns on by plugging it in.
I got an email about a sale of a 2.5 octave vibraphonette located in the Netherlands. It looks to be in great shape. It has been painted an off white color - take a look in the photos. You can see the full advertisement here. Asking price is €1000. Good luck!
Vibraphonette for Sale on eBay (located in North Carolina)
A friend of the blog has a very nice 2 octave vibraphonette for sale on eBay! It looks like all the parts are there (original handle, legs, pedal). One of the bands as broken so you will have to find one that fits.. But it is a pretty inexpensive fix! Good luck!
[Update: Sold!] Expensive Vibraphonette For Sale On eBay (in Los Angeles)
Here's the latest vibraphonette for sale. This time it is an expensive one located in Los Angeles. It is on eBay but it looks to be the same one sold from a store in Los Angeles called Vintage Keys & Percussion. They are asking $1900 for this 2 octave version that seems to be in not-so-new shape. It is missing the handle, but has all the damper pedal parts. The casing has lots of cuts, scrapes and stains.
This is the highest asking price I've seen for the 2 octave version. They have had one offer on Ebay that was declined. I'll be surprised if they get anywhere near $1900, but maybe someone will walk in their store and fall in love with it.
Update:
They relisted it at $1490 and it sold for $1200. I'm guessing it was a 'best offer' that was accepted. The price came down $700, but still.. $1200 is at the very high end for the smaller version.
Yes, I decided to travel with the vibraphonette on the New York City subway system. I know, I know... carrying a heavy vintage instrument over bumpy sidewalks on long city blocks, up and down stairs and through subway turnstiles seems a bit crazy. Usually I either get a ride, take a cab or I don't take the vibraphonette at all, but I just bought a new roller cart and wanted to give it a test run.
The challenge was to get from Upper West Side to play a show with The Quavers in the Park Slope, Brooklyn. Since it was a Saturday evening the journey wasn't crowded. And luckily, the subway lines I was taking were all running. I made sure to map out the trip so I had the least amount of stairs and transfers.
The verdict? In an emergency I would do it again, but if a car is at
all available then take it! One of the biggest problems was the bumps
on the sidewalk. Since this is such an old instrument I was worried about
parts cracking or breaking. Next time I'll use a towel or foam as a
buffer. Also, I would never try it during rush hour because it would be very cumbersome on a crowded platform or train.
Does anyone have any hair-raising traveling stories with their vibraphonette?
Vibraphonette For Sale In CT, USA - update: sold for $500
Update - It looks like this vibraphonette sold for $500 with only one bid. I think the bidding activity was low because of all the repairs needed. Hopefully the new owner will get in touch and keep us updated on the progress of the repairs!
Check out the latest 2 octave vibraphonette for sale on eBay. It needs some work - there are no legs and the sustain system is missing parts. Shipping is $65 for the USA (from Connecticut). Check out the listing for some good pictures of the inside. If you get it I can take some photos of mine so you can see how it should look with all the parts in working order. Good luck!
I've been wanting to get this up for a while.. Vibraphonette dimensions! Measurements are for the 2 octave version:
80 cm wide (about 31 inches)
60 cm (23 inches) deep at the lower bars
28 cm (11 inches) deep at the higher bars
79 cm (31 inches) high when assembled
22.5 cm (8 3/4 inches) high when closed
Great (but expensive) Vibraphonette For Sale in U.S.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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)
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.
Update - Eileen sold her Vibraphonette to someone in Brooklyn. We here in the NYC area might have the greatest concentration of vibraphonettes!
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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.
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 original 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!
this small vibraphone was made by galanti somewhere in the 50s or 60s. it is built in a suitcase and ranges two octaves (f to f). it was purchased by dennis in september of 2005 and accompanies him on some of his performances.
i live in and love nyc. I own this vibraphonette. I have a monthly music podcast called Trumpet Moments and a band called Vitamin-D. I play trumpet and a few other instruments, too. I wear glasses.
this small vibraphone was made by galanti somewhere in the 50s or 60s. it is built in a suitcase and ranges two octaves (f to f). it was purchased by dennis in september of 2005 and accompanies him on some of his performances.
