Schlagwerk MA840 60 x 20 x 40 cm

Product Description

The Schlagwerk MA840 Marimbula is a Caribbean bass instrument with eight metal tongues that can each be individually tuned. The body is built from alder and ash and works as a resonating box for its deep, bass-rich sound. The instrument comes tuned to an F-major pentatonic scale and can be played either by hand or with mallets.

The marimbula is considered the original Caribbean bass and has been used across several genres of Caribbean folk music as an acoustic bass substitute. The eight tongues are mounted so each tone can be tuned individually, spanning a range from D to g. The factory tuning is an F-major pentatonic scale.

Playing Style and Sound

Playing with your hands gives a warm, direct attack well suited for grooves and rhythmic playing. Using mallets instead brings out clear, fresh high tones, adding more variation to the sound.

Construction

The body is made from alder and ash, measuring 60 x 20 x 40 cm. Its low, wide shape makes it comfortable to play while seated, which is the usual way to play a marimbula.

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Specifications