Comments on: Scariest Instrument Restoration

By: Teaching With Orff

Teaching With Orff — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:24:52 +0000

In reply to Shannon.

Hi Shannon,

Replacement bars and parts for your Studio 49 Orff instruments can be purchased through your favorite music retailer. If you need help locating an authorized dealer, please visit our website https://mmbmusic.com/dealers/

Your friends at Teaching With Orff

By: Shannon

Shannon — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 06:55:11 +0000

Hi Lissa!
I have a Soprano xylophone with missing bar. How can I go about replacing it?
This year has been so helpful!

By: Amy Fenton

Amy Fenton — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 16:43:33 +0000

Hi Lissa! was wondering if you know what size of heat shrink tubing I should use for BX, AX and SX pegs. The pins are still in good shape, but I need to replace the covering because they are disintegrating. I have these brands: Studio 49, golden bridge (GB), and Kid stuff.

By: Lissa Ray

Lissa Ray — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 23:54:35 +0000

Hi Jana,
I’m suggesting isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting xylophones and glockenspiels. It can be purchased in a spray bottle. I’ve tired it on a rosewood xylophone and it did not damage the finish. If you end up having to disinfect several times a day you might consider applying a thin coat of lemon oil to the wood bars so they don’t dry out. Everybody is wondering the same thing so I tried it out last March before school shut down.
The same thing will work on your mallet handles.
Good luck!
“Dr.” Lissa

By: Jana F

Jana F — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 11:29:15 +0000

What type of disinfectant can be safely used on xylophones and glockenspiels when we go back to school?

By: Stephanie Huss

Stephanie Huss — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 15:28:19 +0000

Hello Dr. Lissa! Thanks for your continued diagnoses and healing in our community! I teach at a school abroad and the brand of xylophones we use are Lyons. I can’t seem to find any repair kits for this brand in the US (let alone overseas). Can you point me in the direction of connected rubber tubing for basses, altos and soprano xylos?

By: Lissa Ray

Lissa Ray — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 19:25:32 +0000

In reply to Tom.

Oh, Tom, that is awful. So sorry to hear about this. You can purchase boxes without bars should you decide not to build them all. I’ve done it before. You’d have to call to get prices but I’m sure it is possible.
All the best,
“Dr.” Lissa

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:16:43 +0000

We had a substitute music teacher take the bars off to clean inside the boxes right before summer break. A temporary summer custodian threw out 17 resonator boxes for xylophones, metalophones and glockenspiels………We still have the bars, but not the boxes. I’m going to start the long woodworking task of designing and building new boxes.

By: Karen McBrine

Karen McBrine — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 17:53:38 +0000

Hi there,
I just bought a used Lyons bass xylophone from an individual and when it arrived I discovered that the low C is horribly flat. I had read that it is possible to raise the pitch by sanding down the ends of the bars. Do you recommend that I try?

By: Larry Shudra

Larry Shudra — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 03:02:58 +0000

In reply to Jessica Gautier.

Jessica, if you did not get an answer to the question about the wood splitting, it can be repaired. You will need wood glue, clamps and some small flat pieces of wood. Apply glue into the cracked wood. Clamp a block on each side of the broken area. Squeeze the clamps down tight. Wipe up the excess glue with a damp rag. Let it sit overnight. Here is a picture to see what I did with a Bergerault metalophone resonator box. https://larryshudra.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/orff-xylophone-repair/