Percussion Source Blog

Rosewood:  Rosewood bars can be found on the top of the line instruments for both marimbas and xylophones.  Rosewood is known for its warmth and resonance.  Manufacturers have their different ways of sorting out quality of rosewood bars and tuning.  In general, the high end instr Read more...

Where does our Used/Demo gear come from? Percussion Source has great relationship with their vendors.  Occasionally we get the chance to purchase gear that is used at a conference, trade show, or concert that has had little use.  Some of these items have simply been on display at a trade Read more...

Here is an overview of things to know about concert bass drums. Whether you are purchasing a new drum, working on an old one, or performing, these are helpful things for all percussionists to know.   Depth: The depth of any drum will affect the tone, projection and volume. A deeper shell will Read more...

For our visual learners, the chart below compares the pitch and sustain of our six SoundArt jingle configurations. Read more...

Plink plink plink, tap tap tap, boom boom boom, crash crash crash, ding ding ding. Sounds good to me, but does it sound good to them? As we maintain our percussion instruments, by tuning or dampening or otherwise adjusting them to get the perfect sound, we often listen to them from only the player&r Read more...

Having trouble figuring out what kind of stick bag you need? There are so many options out there today it can be overwhelming. When someone asks me what kind of bag they should get, I always ask what them a few questions first. Who is going to be using the bag? Is this just for drumsticks? Do you ha Read more...

The Stubbs timpani practice pad is a great tool for any percussionist to keep up your timpani chops. Gone are the days of setting up pillows around the bed, the TPP2 pad has come around to answer your timpani practicing concerns. The new design of the pad came out in 2013. When we are at convention Read more...

Here are audio examples of the six SoundArt jingle configurations. Discover your own personal Sound Solution!Black Swamp SoundArt TD1 Tambourine 10" Chromium 25, Double Row, Calf HeadBlack Swamp TD1S Tambourine 10" Chromium 25, Dbl Row, Renaissance Head Black Swamp TD2 Tambourine 10" Phosphor B Read more...

Eric from Black Swamp Percussion reviews their six SoundArt tambourine jingle configurations, from brightest to darkest. Each model is available with either clear calf or Remo Renaissance heads. Read more...

The EKO32 2.6 Padouk bar desktop xylophone has been become extremely popular for beginning percussionists and professionals. Because of the high grade of padouk and tuning processes make this instrument stand out from its competitors. This instrument will work great on a desk or table top as well a Read more...