What Do Graduated Bars Do for the Musser Vibraphone?

If you're shopping for a vibraphone, you've likely looked at a few different models manufactured by Musser Mallets. You've probably also noticed that some models have graduated bars, while others don't.

Graduated and Non-Graduated Bars

A vibraphone or other mallet instrument with graduated bars has bars that are wider in the lower range and narrower in the higher range. On an instrument with non-graduated bars, all of the bars are the same width.

The Benefit of Graduated Bars

Graduated bars provide a more balanced sound than non-graduated bars. Wider bars produce more volume, so in an instrument with graduated bars the lower registers will sound just as loud as the higher registers. In an instrument with non-graduated bars, the higher registers tend to sound much louder than the lower registers.

Musser Mallets

Musser Mallets is a division of the larger Ludwig-Musser percussion company, itself a division of Conn-Selmer, Inc. Musser manufactures a full line of mallet instruments including vibraphones, marimbas, xylophones, bells and chimes.

References

• TapSpace: Instruments of the Pit
• Musser Mallets