ndemland
17 April 2014
Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, I wasn't sure which one would be best...
I'm going to look at a used vibraphone soon that I might be interested in purchasing, and am trying to put together a mental list of things I need to check out before I decide to buy it or not. What are some things I should look for when I go to check the instrument out? I'm especially thinking of things that might be less obvious; of course I will play it, test out the motor, etc. Thanks!
Comments
My off the cuff list...
Randy_Sutin Sun, 04/20/2014 - 18:01
Just off the top of my head, here is what I think you should check out.
- intonation, size and sound quality of the bars/resonators. If the bars have a really nice tone, but are not in tune, you can have the bars tuned, but it costs money. Are the bars scratched up or pitted and dinged? Are the bars full sized or are they the narrow ones that make it hard to play 4 mallet stuff?
- rattles, squeaks, and general stability of the frame.
- wear on the pedal mechanism (especially at the hinges) and is it reasonably quiet.
- dampener bar/rails 2&3... is the worn? Does it dampen evenly (which, if the felt is new, is possibly a problem either with the posts or with rails 2 & 3 being warped)?
- motor... is it quiet, is it variable speed (older ones are not and most of us find single speed motors objectionable because their one speed is usually uber fast)?
- does it have cases?
- is it a portable model? Is it cosmetically ok? Is it a collectors item?
- price. any one of the above affects that. There are old Jenco vibes out there for sale all the time that are beat up and only worth about $250. There are also vintage axes that have been restored and have cases that are worth up to $5000. If you find something, post it here. I am sure several of us will chime in on whether we feel it is a good deal. Take some pics.
Good luck.
I finally got a chance to
ndemland Wed, 06/11/2014 - 15:39
I finally got a chance to check out this vibe and wanted to get some opinions on it.
The instrument is a M55, apparently from 1977 (according to the bar stamp on the A), and the person I'm buying it from bought it used two years ago for $3200, he wants $3k.
The bars look old but sound good, I didn't hear any rattling when I played it, and the damper seems to work well.
The front resonators have some scratches on them, and there's a fairly deep inch-long dent on the highest front resonator.
The motor works, but the control knobs are a bit loose.
The frame seems to wobble a fair bit from side-to-side, but that seems to be more about the design, based on reading some posts here.
I know it's hard to tell from a brief description (the pictures I got didn't turn out too well), but does this seem like a fair price for this instrument, considering that Weiss has a new one available for about $4700? Anything else that I forgot to mention or look at? Thanks!
Looks like a fair price to me
IndianaGlen Sun, 06/15/2014 - 11:32
In reply to I finally got a chance to by ndemland
Of course not looking at it in person, I can't say for sure however, it looks to me to be a fair price. The highest front resonator is for cosmetics only so a dent wont hurt the sound. If the fans in the resonators turn then you're golden.
I am fairly sure there's some information regarding how to add "M" braces here on VW. If you can run a drill and turn a screwdriver, it's a fairly easy modification. Loose knobs can be tightened.
If the dampening works properly, then you should be in good shape. However, without looking at it myself, all I can offer is an educated guess.
Good luck.
--IG
Musser M55 1977
gmstxfour Thu, 06/26/2014 - 16:58
In reply to I finally got a chance to by ndemland
Hi ndemland- I own a Musser M55 Pro-vibe that I purchased new in 1978, so the one you are considering should be similar. Mine is a wonderful instrument, and I would not trade it for a new one. First of all, I would check the bar intonation with a portable tuner. The bars should be at A440. If you purchase a vibes from the mid 90s onward, it is likely to be A442. If the bars are out of tune, you can certainly have them re-tuned. Century Mallet in Chicago just re-tuned my Musser Century M75 bars and did a masterful job. If the bars are not ringing clearly, check the mounting posts. They can easily be bent and impede the bar. The mounting posts can be straightened with a bit of careful adjusting. I use a light hammer with a small piece of wood against the mounting post or I also use a nail set tool with a light hammer. Also check the condition of the post insulators. They can be dried out or damaged. These also can be replaced. I would also check to see if the damper mechanism dampens evenly across the full 37 note range. This can be adjusted as well. The frame is subject to torsional strain, so make sure the frame is level when you check out the dampening. The unsteady wobbling is a problem with a portable instrument, but there are ways to fix this. At some point, I am going to send along some photo to the Vibesworkshop of how I mitigated this on my M55 by replacing the spring clips on the leg supports with special bolts. Also, simply turning the wheels sideways and locking them will help with the wobble. The loose control knobs sounds like an easy fix, as well. Try to find out if the motor has been periodically lubricated (20W oil is good). Look inside the two motor oil ports to see if there is sufficient oil. Also, try taking the belt off of the resonator pulleys and then spin the two shafts by hand to determine how freely the mechanism turns. You might be able to see any bent shafts this way, as well. I hope this is helpful. Good luck. I would say that a good, used M55 from that era at a resonable price is worth the investment.gm