The Stone X Elements
Today I’m very excited to announce the launch of the Stone X Elements.
For those of you who have been waiting for an opportunity to start using Stone Percussion mallets, we are now offering eight versions of our Stone X line at a reduced price. These are full Stone X mallets, but by removing the customization options, we are able to produce these eight pairs more efficiently, and we are passing the savings back to you! Once you have mastered an Elements pair, you can take the next step and build a Stone X Customs model designed specifically for your style and needs.
Here’s an overview of each Elements model:
x20
The Stone x20 mallets are soft rubber practice xylophone mallets. They are quiet enough for warm-up onstage, but unlike other practice mallets, they feel like an actual performance mallet. This mallet can also be the perfect tool in a multi setup.
x30
The Stone x30 mallets are medium rubber xylophone mallets. They have a unique soft timbre with no impact tick. Their enhanced fundamental is perfect for Steve Reich’s: Music for 18 Musicians, or playing solo rags.
x40
The Stone x40 xylophone mallets have an old-school ragtime sound. If you’re playing a rag with a marimba ensemble, these mallets are the best choice to cut through with a clear voice. Recommended orchestral excerpts include:
Stravinsky: The Firebird (rhl# 46–48)
Barber: Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance (opening)
x50
The Stone x50 xylophone mallets have a refined and clean general sound. A great all-around pair, you can depend on these mallets to carry you through most situations. Recommended excerpts include:
Schuman: Symphony #3 (xylophone fugue entrance mm 143–165)
Kabalevsky : Colas Bruegnon (rhl# 36)
Gershwin: An American in Paris (rhl# 32–37)
Stravinsky: Les Noces (rhl# 59–62)
x60
The Stone x60 xylophone mallets have enhanced fundamental pitch projection. This particular pair has a darker tone compared to the rest of our mallets with enough projection to still cut through a large ensemble. Recommended excerpts include:
Kodaly: Hary Janos (rhl# 7–8) (rhl# 10 — end)
Gershwin: An American in Paris (rhl# 70–76)
Shostakovich: Ein Volksfest (rhl# 1–2)
Bartok : Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste (opening of mvt. III)
x70
The Stone x70 xylophone mallets have a chirpy attack with medium projection. If you need a pair that can be a little crispy while keeping a solid pitch fundamental, look no further than the x70s. Recommended excerpts include:
Kabalevsky: Colas Bruegnon (rhl# 9 and rhl# 57)
Gershwin: Overture to Porgy and Bess (opening)
Gershwin: An American in Paris (rhl# 4–7) (rhl# 20–21)
x80
The Stone x80 xylophone mallets are hard, heavy, and aggressive. If you need to muscle through a passage with musical vigor, whip out a pair of x80s. They can also be used as a great general glockenspiel mallet. Recommended excerpts include:
Copland: Appalachian Spring (rhl# 48–50)
Holst : The Planets (mvt. VI rhl# 7–8)
Shostakovich: Symphony #4 (mvt. III mm 206–208)
Strauss: Salomes Tanz (rhl D -F)
x90
The Stone x90 xylophone mallets are bright and agile. Their precise sound shines above the entire orchestra, bringing a distinct glimmering color to any ensemble. They are also a great glockenspiel mallet. Recommended excerpts include:
Messiaen: Oiseaux Exotiques (rhl# 6–7) (rhl# 17)
Stravinsky: The Firebird (rhl# 127–133)
Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste (mvt. IV rhl# 170-end)
Kodaly: Hary Janos (opening of mvt. VI)
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (rhl# 17–20)
“Visit www.stonepercussion.com to find your pair.”
