Types of wood used for bars
Palissandre Honduras
Extremely dense and very hard (0.93 to 1.17g/cm3) this precious wood from Central America offers outstanding resonance, and it's strength is particulary suited for the bars of percussion instruments. It is sought after by soloists and concert alike.
Light Rosewood
This variety of Palissander is used by Adams in the fabrication of instruments for education.
African Padouk
This wood offers good quality in terms of acoustics and density (0.60 to 0.77 g/cm3). Abundant in the forests of western and central Africa it is used in the fabrication of musical group instruments and represents a great quality in relation to price.
Types of frames
Dismountable frames
The instrument can be broken-down into smaller elements making it easy for one person to transport, and once dismantled does no require much space. ther are 2 inconveniences however:
- Setup and dismantling is time consuming and complex
- Multiple screws are required (running a chance of loss)
Frames with folding legs
The legs fold under the crosspiece that supports the bars, the keyboard remains set. These frames are simple and fast to dismantle, requiring no screwing. They are however cumbersome and heavy to move for one person.
Height adjustment of the frames
there are three ways to adjust height:
- by telescoping tubes (each foot is adjusted individually)
- by a crank (found on both sides of the instrument)
- by pneumatic compensation (with a jack)
keyboard maintenance
Direct sunlight is a major risk: through prolonged or frequent exposure the keyboards will go out of tune. The second danger is to play too hard with the mallets which affects the wood's fibres the keyboards therefore expect to be treated properly !
During transportation it is suggested to protect the keys and the resonators from rubbing or sudden shock.
For the maintenance of the keyboard, use any product suited for the wood's upkeep.