[Chris]

Thanks for all your help.
I’m gunna go on a bit of a hunt now.

[Chris]

I said in my first post I already know it’s not a balaphon.

[Chris]

Which instrument?
Gamelan refers to the whole group. I need to know the specific instrument.

The standard Javanese Gamelan ensemble consists of:

Bonang
Saron
Demung
Peking
Slenthem
Gender
Gongs (Ageng, Suwuk, Kempul)
Kenong
Kendhang
Kethuk
Kempyang

Do you know which one of these, if any, is what appears in Dead Presidents and his other scores?
Based on what I’ve heard, it could be a Slenthem or Demung, or even Kenong, but I’ve had the opportunity to work with most of these live and they haven’t given me the same sound.

[Chris]

Thanks for the help, I’ll look into it. Any other suggestions are still welcome.
I’ve experienced firsthand the playing of several gamelan instruments, none of which sounded quite right, but there are still many I haven’t heard too.

The verrophone suggestion is interesting. I’ve never heard one played with a mallet, perhaps I can find a sample of one.

EDIT: After listening to some samples of glass marimba, I can say that this mystery instrument may indeed be glass. Though the marimba didn’t have the same tone, it was certainly similar, especially in the lower registers. Despite my search, I cannot find any samples of verrophone played with mallets. If anyone could provide me with an audio or video sample, that would be wonderful!

[Author]

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