Over the past few months, I have had the honor of welcoming a few shipments of tuned gongs into this country. I have learned there are many types of gongs, but a few tune more easily and accurately than others:

The most popular are our Tuned Thai Gongs, featuring a raised center that is one of the characteristics giving them their unique sound and meditative quality. When struck, they have a clear fundamental pitch and a colorful array of warm overtones to give each gong its own “personality.” The fundamental is best heard when the gong is struck on the raised center, and the harmonics are clearer when struck about halfway between the center and the edge. We have successfully tuned these gongs to many pitches between B♭1 at ~59.9Hz (two ledger lines and a space below the Bass Clef) and G#5 at ~836Hz (just above the Treble Clef), with all quarter- or semi-tones within that range an option as well. These gongs do not distort easily because of the flanged edges and how thick they are compared to other gongs. The hand-carved designs on them really add to the overall aesthetics. I’ve had good luck recording them for percussion-based pieces I’ve written, and even playing a 13” G#3 like a hand drum in my lap focusing on the different areas of the gong for different overtones. We currently have these gongs for sale individually by size (no specified pitch, however they can be fine-tuned from where they are, within reason) and in the following tuned chromatic octave sets: Low (C2-C3), Mid (C3-C4), High (C4-C5), and Extra High (C5-C6). We can easily accommodate orders for specific pitches by phone/email/fax.

We also have mini Tuned Chau Gongs, which have a very clear and focused tone, a bit brighter than the Tuned Thai Gongs. These are sold only in chromatic octave sets C4-C5 and C5-C6 (not individually), however we do have other smaller Chau gongs available.

Opera Gongs, which “bend” up into a steady pitch, can be tuned here as well.  They have a bright tone and distort well for a “shimmering” sound when played at a loud volume. At a softer volume, these gongs have also have a nice warm tone. They are featured in Zivkovic’s multi-percussion pieces “Trio Per Uno,” and “Generally Spoken It’s Nothing But Rhythm,” among other popular percussion pieces.

The main focus when tuning and selling these gongs has been to make sure that everyone knows which octave the note(s) they want are in. We are using C4 as Middle C, and the gongs come to us based on A442. We can easily take any gong down to be based on A440 by request also. We go between the Helmholtz Designation (G#′′ / B♭, / etc.) written on the gongs when we receive them, to the Scientific Designation (G#5 / B♭1 / etc.) when we sort, tune, and sell them. There are a growing number of pieces that require tuned gongs, and they are fun instruments on their own – We are absolutely your best source for getting the right types and pitches for the right price!

A few years ago when I was looking into purchasing some kind of melodic hand percussion instrument, I checked out many different types before deciding on an Original HAPI Drum (and later purchasing a second in a different key).  The HAPI drum is sturdy and well made, not too heavy, with an optional soft case for travel.  The tone is what really sold me on this drum.  It has a warm, full sound, with a very solid, precise, and focused pitch – it doesn’t sound like you’re banging on a propane tank – and will never need to be re-tuned like other brands do.  The overtones are very controlled, and because of the way the notes are arranged on the drum, when one note is struck the others ring sympathetically with it, adding to the texture for an overall “colorful” sound, with many percussive as well as melodic qualities.  The drum can be played with hands/fingers or mallets.  The pricing is also very reasonable for this type of drum.  With Hang/Halo Drums being difficult and pricey to get a hold of and even selling on ebay for thousands more, I quickly narrowed down my options to the HAPI Drum and maybe one or two other brands.  But with the scale options, ease of ordering, and especially being able to hear and see demos of it, the HAPI Drum ended up on the top of my list.

The way the notes are arranged on the HAPI Drum is another interesting feature, as I briefly mentioned before.  By placing a higher pitch next to a lower pitch all around the drum, this helps the sympathetic ringing to create the overall tone.  The scale (ascending and descending) is arranged to be very easy to play, too.  The Original and Slim HAPI Drums have eight notes of a pentatonic scale, which is great for non-musicians or hobbyists to be able to take it right out of the box and make some beautiful music without spending years practicing technique.  That being said, I have composed a few pieces on my HAPI Drums using techniques borrowed from tabla and latin percussion playing, with more musical concepts involved, meaning that any level of player will instantly feel right at home with the HAPI Drum and enjoy what it has to offer for many years.  It also sounds great with any other instrument, and comes across sounding great on a recording!

The HAPI UFO is a different take on the other two styles, as it only comes in a C Major diatonic scale in the Hammered Copper Finish, with 11 notes instead of eight.  The Original HAPI Drum is available in E and D, Major and minor pentatonic scales with the Aqua Teal Finish (Indigo Blue and Deep Purple available by request at no extra cost).  The HAPI Slim Drums are available in C Major, A Major, A minor, F Major, F# minor, G Major and G minor pentatonic scales, with a Black Finish only.  All HAPI Drums come with a pair of HAPI Drum mallets and 3 (removable) rubber feet attached the bottom of the drum so it doesn’t slide around on certain surfaces.  Soft cases sold separately (recommended!).  The HAPI Drum has become one of my favorite instruments to write for and jam with in many musical settings, and I look forward to hearing more of it through Steve Weiss Music.

Steve Weiss Music is excited to announce that we recently added Marimba One Marimbas to our selection of concert percussion instruments.  Three five-octave models ranging from $11,500 to $14,550 are available, in addition to our new Marimba One Custom Marimba Builder which offers a choice in frame type, range, optional bar upgrades and more.  All of our exclusive Marimba One models feature an aged-copper resonator color that can not be purchased anywhere else.

Marimba One was founded by Ron Samuels in Arcata, CA in the early 1980′s.  He spent his next years acquiring the woodcraft and design skills that would enable him to make a world class instrument.  All Marimba One marimbas are handcrafted in the USA and feature an industry leading warranty.  Marimba One marimbas are used all over the world, played in prestigious colleges and universities, professional orchestras and high schools, and by classical and modern soloists and ensembles.

SW-4001: 4000 Series Frame, Traditional Keyboard, Classic Resonators $11,500
SW-4002:  4000 Series Frame, Traditional Keyboard, Basso Bravo Resonators $12,700
SW-4003:  4000 Series Frame, Enhanced Keyboard, Basso Bravo Resonators $14,550

Base models will be in stock for immediate shipment, while a custom marimba will be available in 4-6 weeks.

We recently received a large shipment for UFIP Cymbals.  UFIP is an Italian Cymbal maker, well-known for creating great sounding cymbals using their patented rotocasting technique.  The rotation uses centrifugal force to push the impurities, which are present during the casting process, towards the outer edge of the cymbal, and are then eliminated during the turning process.

Our cymbal vault now include Bosphorus, Dream, Paiste, Sabian, UFIP, Steve Weiss and Zildjian, resulting in one of the highest quality selections of cymbals in the country.

Dream Cymbals Factory

We recently received a large shipment of Dream Cymbals.  The Dream Line of Cymbals, while new to the U. S., are among the best hand-crafted western style (sounding) cymbals to come on the market in many years!  Their foundry is located in Wuhan China, a region well known for the gongs and lion/china type cymbals that are so much a part of Western music now.  In fact, this region has been the source for the world famous Steve Weiss gongs and china cymbals for many years.

Through extensive design study Dream Cymbals has fused their traditional Chinese alloy with Western designs to put Western sounding rides, crashes, hi-hats along with orchestral quality pairs and suspended cymbals on the market and on the map! Many drum set players and orchestral artists who have used or endorsed the traditional makers have begun exploring these cymbals and incorporating them into their arsenal of sounds. In fact, notable player and educator Gordon Stout has recently begun endorsing the Dream Orchestral Cymbals, part of which added support to our idea of carrying their orchestral items.

Dream Craftsman

This recent shipment from them includes the Bliss and Vintage Bliss series designed primarily for drum set applications, along with their lines of orchestral cymbals. In the future, we will look into expanding into their Contact and Energy series for drum set.  For your reference we’ve included a brief description of the lines we offer below. If you would like further clarification on the models we encourage you to call us and we’ll be happy to help you find your Dream cymbal!

Dream Bliss Series
Features traditional Western shape for the bells and profiles of this disc.  This is the series that has turned heads among players in the Jazz community as they offer a strong stick sound, the dark shimmer qualities and buttery feel often found in those now legendary Turkish Jazz cymbals of the 50′s & 60′s.

Dream Vintage Bliss Series
This series pays homage to the Turkish cymbals of the early 20th century by featuring an antique Flat bell and profile shape. This series offers the player a very complex and dark wash sound. The stick sound can be minimized in leu of wash. Their flat bells bring complexity to the bell sound making them great as crash/ride Jazz cymbals. We also found some of these to make extraordinary Orchestral suspended cymbals.

Dream Contact Series
This series has brighter overall sound qualities when compared to the both the Bliss and Vintage Bliss lines and with these qualities, they are a great choice for a wide variety of playing situations, pop, country, big band, gospel. These
cymbals have less complex wash characteristics yet they retain all the richness of sound associated with a hand hammered cymbal.

Dream Energy Series
This series features heavier weights and unfinished “raw” bells resulting in more volume potential. They are best suited to louder playing situations when considering them for drum set use. The line is also used very effectively to create
the orchestral hand cymbal pairs. Of course they are hand hammered as are all the Dream cymbals.

Recently I was asked to test out two of Evan’s drumheads newest marching heads: the Evans Hybrid-S Marching Snare Drum Head and the Evans System Blue Tenor Drum Heads.  Now, I’m fairly particular about my drum heads, as any serious player would be, and I definitely have my ‘brand of choice’.  In my mind, the test drive of these new heads would serve only to reinforce the worthy-ness of ‘my brand’.  It’s my pleasure to report however, that this was not the case.

The first head I tried was the Hybrid-S snare head. I had heard that the Hybrid heads in general were fantastic, but again, I was skeptical. My skepticism disappeared though after the very first stroke I played and all I could think about was how good it felt. The head really responded well and made playing several more continuous passages seem effortless. It has a slight give to it when struck by the stick that both absorbs my energy and produces a very full sound that was pleasantly warm.  The drum seemed to come alive with this Hybrid head. Even when playing out on the edge, the head still returned exceptional snare response. I actually loved it! Even better still, this head sounds big. Currently teaching a smaller line, I couldn’t help but wish I had had this head for marching band season.  Up close or far away the Hybrid-S head maintained sensitivity, clarity, dynamic control, and projection. To seal the deal, I played it several more times after the initial test and the head faithfully retained its tuning.  The bottom line here is that Evans new Hybrid-S head not only met expectations, it raised them.

Excited from my Hybrid-S experience, I was anxious to try out the new Evans System Blue tenor heads. Being primarily a tenor player, I was very eager to get the heads on and tuned up. Before I even put the heads on I was intrigued by the look of this head. A blue to clear fade that not only looked cool but serves a purpose:  it allow players to recognize proper playing zones.  Once the heads were on it was obvious that like the Hybrid-S, the System Blue heads wouldn’t disappoint.  The first thing I noticed with these heads was the tonal clarity from drum to drum. Each drum really spoke well both by itself and when played during around patterns. These heads provided a dark sound with real projection that allows for the tenor voice to be heard within an ensemble.  As with the Hybrid-S, the System Blue Tenor heads beautifully maintained their tuning.  Most complaints I have with tenor heads is that they either don’t blend well or they don’t have a full sound. The Evans System Blue tenor heads accomplish both. In my opinion, it’s the sound that the marching percussion world has been waiting for.

No doubt that Evans has definitely brought Christmas to the marching percussion world early this year with the addition of these two great heads.  As for “my brand of choice”. . . . well, I never said I wouldn’t “make the switch“.