Malletech
Encyclopedia
Malletech LLC is a manufacturer of mallet percussion
instruments
and mallets formed in 1982 by Marimba Productions, Inc. The company sells its own line of marimba
s, xylophone
s, and glockenspiel
s. In addition, Malletech offers mallets for marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone
, suspended cymbal, bass drum
, and timpani
.
performer Leigh Howard Stevens
, author of Method of Movement for Marimba, designed a series of marimba mallets for manufacturer Vic Firth
. However, in 1982, Stevens decided to independently create a new brand
of mallets ("Malletech"), collaborating with percussionists Bob Becker
, David Friedman
and Dave Samuels
. Later, in 1985, Stevens was hired by Ludwig-Musser
as a consultant
for their already-successful line of keyboard percussion instruments. Stevens left the company in 1991 to develop instruments for Malletech. Malletech debuted its instruments in 1992 at PASIC
. Malletech started manufacturing and refining their instruments in Gurdon, Arkansas employing local craftsmen and tuners.
In 1997, Malletech was bought by the Avedis Zildjian Company
, but Stevens finished buying it back by June 2005, renaming it "Malletech LLC". The company currently operates in Neptune, New Jersey
, United States
.
and xylophone
models as well as a line of glockenspiel
s. The mallet catalogue includes series named for and endorsed by certain prominent percussionists, including
Idiophone
An idiophone is any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument's vibrating, without the use of strings or membranes. It is the first of the four main divisions in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification...
instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
and mallets formed in 1982 by Marimba Productions, Inc. The company sells its own line of marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
s, xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s, and glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
s. In addition, Malletech offers mallets for marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, suspended cymbal, bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
, and timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
.
History
In 1978, marimbaMarimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
performer Leigh Howard Stevens
Leigh Howard Stevens
Leigh Howard Stevens is a marimba artist best known for developing, codifying, and promoting the Stevens technique or Musser-Stevens grip, a method of independent four-mallet marimba performance based on the Musser grip...
, author of Method of Movement for Marimba, designed a series of marimba mallets for manufacturer Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
. However, in 1982, Stevens decided to independently create a new brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of mallets ("Malletech"), collaborating with percussionists Bob Becker
Bob Becker
Robert Charles Becker was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1897 to 1898, playing in six career games.-External links:...
, David Friedman
David Friedman (percussionist)
David Friedman is an American jazz percussionist. His primary instruments are vibraphone and marimba.Friedman studied drums in the 1950s, then marimba and xylophone in the 1960s at Juilliard...
and Dave Samuels
Dave Samuels
Dave Samuels is an American vibraphone player who has worked with various jazz and fusion artists, such as Spyro Gyra. Currently, he plays in an ensemble called The Caribbean Jazz Project, a Grammy-winning jazz-Latin music group...
. Later, in 1985, Stevens was hired by Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for their already-successful line of keyboard percussion instruments. Stevens left the company in 1991 to develop instruments for Malletech. Malletech debuted its instruments in 1992 at PASIC
Percussive Arts Society
The Percussive Arts Society is an international music service organization promoting percussion education, research,performance and appreciation.Established in 1961 as a non-profit, music service organization,...
. Malletech started manufacturing and refining their instruments in Gurdon, Arkansas employing local craftsmen and tuners.
In 1997, Malletech was bought by the Avedis Zildjian Company
Avedis Zildjian Company
The Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world...
, but Stevens finished buying it back by June 2005, renaming it "Malletech LLC". The company currently operates in Neptune, New Jersey
Neptune Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,690 people, 10,907 households, and 6,805 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,366.8 people per square mile . There were 12,217 housing units at an average density of 1,485.4 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Products
Malletech offers several different marimbaMarimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
and xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
models as well as a line of glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
s. The mallet catalogue includes series named for and endorsed by certain prominent percussionists, including
- Bob BeckerBob BeckerRobert Charles Becker was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1897 to 1898, playing in six career games.-External links:...
(xylophone and glockenspiel) - Kevin Bobo (marimba)
- Michael Burritt (marimba)
- Thomas Burritt (marimba)
- Fred Hinger (timpani)
- Marta Klimisara (marimba)
- Mike MainieriMike MainieriMichael T. Mainieri, Jr. is a vibraphonist best known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead....
(vibraphone) - Eric Sammut (marimba)
- Dave SamuelsDave SamuelsDave Samuels is an American vibraphone player who has worked with various jazz and fusion artists, such as Spyro Gyra. Currently, he plays in an ensemble called The Caribbean Jazz Project, a Grammy-winning jazz-Latin music group...
(vibraphone) - Ed Smith (vibraphone)
- Leigh Howard StevensLeigh Howard StevensLeigh Howard Stevens is a marimba artist best known for developing, codifying, and promoting the Stevens technique or Musser-Stevens grip, a method of independent four-mallet marimba performance based on the Musser grip...
(marimba) - Gordon StoutGordon StoutGordon Stout is an American percussionist, composer, and educator specializing in the marimba.He studied composition with Joseph Schwantner, Samuel Adler, and Warren Benson, and percussion with James Salmon and John Beck...
(marimba)