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wyndorps Sun, 01/18/2015 - 13:18

In 1985 I bought a "Premier 751" from an auction of lost container and played it in a student big band, using piezzo picups to be loud enough.
Because of job and children this instrument was unused in the cellar for nearly 20 years.
Last year a friend asked me, if I could make some music with him.
But after a few times I played the vibe, both springs broke and some of the bar holders made from rubber turned to dust.
Trying to get the instrument into a jazz club with spiral stair, I received a herniated disk.

So I startet a study projekt for mechanical engineering students of the second year to design a new vibe frame under those topics:
* easy to setup
* easy transportation
* two bar-frames with fixed pic-up connetion of the bars and one base-frame
* pedal length about 2/3 of the instruments length
* no motor installation, but possibility to add later

The frame shown in the video is build as a summary of the best student ideas.
http://userserv.hochschule-reutlingen.de/~Wyndorps/Download/Musik/Abbau…

All recording is done by mobile phone.
The first seconds of the blues-theme (beginning 0:40) is "stolen" from this wonderful youtube-video by Tony Miceli.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-iQr_kexXU
I hope that's ok, otherwise I will delete my video.

The rest of the blues I try to play a little bit like Ed Saindon in his great video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLyjTiBlqI
Sorry for the bad covering, but I thought there should be some vibe sound on the video.

The next steps will be:
* create new folding tubes http://userserv.hochschule-reutlingen.de/~Wyndorps/Download/Musik/New_t…
* create a less sophisticated pedal (asymmetric position) http://userserv.hochschule-reutlingen.de/~Wyndorps/Download/Musik/New_P…
* create folding bar-frames http://userserv.hochschule-reutlingen.de/~Wyndorps/Download/Musik/new_b…
* perhaps try to create own bars http://userserv.hochschule-reutlingen.de/~Wyndorps/Download/Musik/new_b…

May be there are some further ideas how to continue or improve the frame?

tonymiceli Sun, 01/18/2015 - 13:23

In reply to by wyndorps

holy F*&$%*$ *$*%&$ - I love smart people! that's incredible. you just did and build your own frame.

years ago i would go to germany and all these vibe players would come with home made frames. you guys are amazing!

great great great great job! I'm very impressed!

piro Sun, 01/18/2015 - 19:55

In reply to by tonymiceli

Bravo on a beautiful set of design ideas. Where the hell has that been the past 50 years??? T slot technology has been around for a long time, and that is a most ingenious use of it. Are the plans available for purchase? is the bar width the same as a provibe? If your folding bar harps went into a box with wheels and a handle (like a cart)...they are very heavy...
Will the plans be available?
Thanks and really great ingenuity
Bravo
P.

wyndorps Mon, 07/03/2017 - 10:50

In reply to by wyndorps

I am not able to modiy the links in my first post.
We had to set up a new server.

Here is the new link to the video of my first foldable frame:
http://professor.wyndorps.reutlingen-university.de/Download/Musik/Abbau…
I still love to play this old Premier bars.

Here the link to the second frame design with narrow Saito bars:
https://www.vibesworkshop.com/video-embed/foldable-vibe-frame/wyndorps/…

Here the link to the second frame design with M55 Musser bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwNZpMv-k0I