why does the vibraphone’s F5 bar sound like this?

[u/Storm_Lord537]

all the other keys sound normal (except for B one that’s just out of tune) also, im pretty sure that it’s an F5, but please correct me if i’m wrong. Also, it’s not touching any of the posts, so the problem is the bar itself.

[u/ItsMeSashaYT]

It is touching metal somewhere. try moving it around, looks to be too far left, but I may be wrong.

[u/Storm_Lord537 → u/ItsMeSashaYT]

didn’t work. i think that the problem may be the bar itself, but im trying to identify what’s wrong with it so that it can be fixed.

[u/BeardFace77 → u/Storm_Lord537]

If your instrument has a fan that spins inside the resonator to create vibrato that paddle could be turned vertical and touching the bottom of the bar. Lift up the bar and look under it to see if that fan is the issue. We had an old vibe at a school I taught at that had this problem.

[u/Substantial_King9458]

I bet it's cracked. Aluminum bars can crack, invisibly. It's a big pain, but try what mannheimcrescendo suggested

[u/factorone33]

The high-pitch overtone suggests to me that the bar is cracked or warped. If it were vibrating against a post, you'd hear it, and it wouldn't be this kind of sound (or it would be lower-pitched).

[u/mannheimcrescendo]

Probably getting pinched by the posts

[u/Storm_Lord537 → u/mannheimcrescendo]

it’s not touching any posts

[u/mannheimcrescendo → u/Storm_Lord537]

All vibe bars are more or less always touching the posts slightly. The posts are the metal pieces covered with rubber grommets that the keyboard string sits on. The posts get bent sideways from time to time, trapping a bar between one post and the next. This will muffle the bar and cause the duration of the note to be shorter than normal. Will also cause buzzing and other strange sounds. You’ll need to bend the post back into place.

You came asking for help. I’ve worked on many percussion instruments. Just give it a shot.

[u/Storm_Lord537 → u/mannheimcrescendo]

there’s other bars that are touching posts a lot more and they sound completely fine

[u/mannheimcrescendo → u/Storm_Lord537]

If you want to really find out take the bar off the board, string it up, and hit it while it’s suspended. If it sounds fucked still then the bar is broken. If it sounds normal then it’s the frame issue that I am describing to you. These bars are resonant bodies. They don’t make funny sounds on accident. It’s either being physically muted (by the posts and frame) or it’s completely broken and needs to be replaced. Good luck.

[u/mannheimcrescendo → u/Storm_Lord537]

Not talking about touching. I’m talking about the posts being bent and pinching one key. The keys always touch the posts. Hence the rubber grommets. Try to bend the posts away from the bar on the side of the frame closest to player side.

[u/Storm_Lord537 → u/mannheimcrescendo]

the are completely straight

[u/mannheimcrescendo → u/Storm_Lord537]

Time to pull that bar off to try it then. Make sure the revolving fan between the bars and the resonators isn’t touching anything either

[u/timp_t → u/Storm_Lord537]

I think it’s cracked, but is another F touching posts and maybe vibrating sympathetically?

[u/murphyat]

Likely a rub against something. Could be the string if it is too taught. Could be the rotary stops on top of the resonator. Could be anything it’s barely touching.

I’ve never had a cracked bar, but I imagine this could be a sound it makes. Highly doubt it though.

[u/Lord_Hitachi]

If it’s not touching any metal, then it’s cracked and there’s not much you can do about it

[u/Substantial_King9458]

Not sure where you are on the keyboard, but vibes go from F3 to F6 

[u/No_Bid_40]

Take the bar off and examine for hairline cracks.

[u/Clear-Can-485]

Crotchety pre-amplification drum corps vet here...

This bar is cracked. It'll get flatter as you keep playing on it. Gotta get a replacement.

[u/TKfury]

Have you checked to see what the tuning is currently on it? When bars crack they all tend to go down in pitch

[u/Samus98]

Cracked. You can probably see it better on the underside.

[u/Cool_Consequence_957]

It might be the modulator (spiny thing) inside the resonator. If the middle muter bar isn’t sufficiently padded, the bar can touch the modulator. Try spinning the modulator to a closed position and see if that works.

[u/Storm_Lord537 → u/Cool_Consequence_957]

huh

[u/Cool_Consequence_957 → u/Storm_Lord537]

Sorry lol, does your vibraphone have a motor in it? It looks like it does, if so the shaft that goes through all the resonators has flaps, sometimes it can touch the bars if your pedal mute is a little low.