Keith, What you're looking for is information re: Deagan's name for a Vibra-Phone. Early models used cold-rolled steel (as did their orchestra bells... _not_ chimes, which were different). Later ones moved to a fairly heavy grade aluminum, which sounded better than it sounds...(sorry). As time wore on (and, drummers got tired of carrying heavy stuff), lighter and lighter grades of aluminum were used. Not coincidentally, this occurred around the time close-miking started to be used in the studios, and real sound mattered less and less. (It's simply amazing how many folks were/are fooled by a little too much reverb.) Anyway, the earlier ones were tuned more like the orchestral chimes (not bells - think of glockenspiels, only flat, in a nice, black, wooden case) - that is, little fundamental, mostly 3rd, 4th, and 7th partials - much like church bells. Between the tuning and the "hetrodyne"-like effect of the rotating "fans" mounted at the top of the resonators tubes, the effect was/is incredible. _Old_ Red Norvo recordings... best. Horace At 10:35 PM 3/6/1998 -0600, you wrote: >List, > >Is this group still alive somewhere? I am primarily interested in finding >out more about the legacy of the Deagan Vibra-Harp. Any info, fact or >fiction, greatly appreciated. > >Keith A. McGavern >kam544@ionet.net >Registered Piano Technician >Oklahoma Chapter 731 >Piano Technicians Guild >USA > > > > Horace Greeley, CNA, MCP, RPT Systems Analyst/Engineer Controller's Office Stanford University email: hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu voice mail: 650.725.9062 fax: 650.725.8014
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