Red',
Here are my suggestions for someone just starting out, but who is looking to pursue this with some seriousness (which is how I interpret your description of your situation):
Marimba - I'd suggest starting out with a set of four medium- or medium-hard yarn or cord mallets, with rattan shafts. Medium-hard yarn or cord can also be used to double on
vibraphone as well as marimba. In a pinch, you can also use these as suspended cymbal mallets, altho if you're going to be doing a lot of mallet work, or use them often on sus. cymbals, I'd suggest getting a separate pair of mallets devoted specifically to cymbal work - you'll wear them out more quickly on cymbals than you will on marimba, more than likely.
Why rattan rather than birch? Personally (and much of this is personal preference), I like the feel or rattan better for two-mallet technique, and for any crossed-stick four-mallet grip; birch handles are preferable, IMHO, if you start using the Stevens/Musser four-mallet technique.
For
xylophone, I'd suggest a set of unwrapped mallets with plastic heads - but avoid the really rock-hard acrylic mallets, especially if your school has a xylophone with rosewood (rather than synthetic) bars. These will pass on
glockenspiel, but for glock, I'd suggest getting something a notch harder. Avoid getting brass mallets unless really necessary - IMHO the plastic/acrylic mallets come in hardnesses plenty suitable for glock, and brass can be just too hard, damaging the bars.
Please note that these are starting points only - before long, if you get serious about mallet work, you'll find the need to invest in a variety of mallets to suit a variety of situations.
FWIW, I've got a "lesson" on my web site, which deals with mallet selection for mallet instruments:
http://www.malletjazz.com/lessons/mallets.htmlRegarding brands, there are plenty of good brands out there. I'm a Mike Balter endorser, but I'd also suggest checking out mallets by Innovative Percussion, Malletech, and Encore. Deschler mallets are another brand I'd recommend, although they're a little harder to find.
Regarding
timpani, I've not played the Balter timp mallets - when I was starting out (many moons ago), Vic Firth and Saul Goodman mallets were the standard choices for high school percussionists. A good set of medium to medium-hard timpani mallets will, as with mallets, be a good starting point, but before long you may find yourself needing timpani mallets in a variety of hardnesses.
For
suspended cymbals, you can get a set of inexpensive medium- or medium-soft yarn or cord marimba mallets (I wouldn't suggest the Malletech Stevens models for this application, tho - they're really specifically for marimba, and using them on suspended cymbal will just chew those mallets up in no time!). Several companies make mallets specifically for use on suspended cymbal, but I wouldn't worry about them at this stage - but eventually you may want to invest in some of these (again, depending upon your playing requirements). I wouldn't use timpani mallets on suspended cymbal - not only don't I like the sound particularly, but the cymbal will really wear out the felt on the cymbal mallets.
I hope this helps get you off to a good start. Please let me know if you have any questions about what I've written here.
JW
