We have recently updated our demo/clearance list with more products at a great price. Everything from marching drums, carriers, stick bags, sticks, and more. We even have two Roland SPD-X Drum Samplers on Clearance that are brand new! With many great offers take a second to check out the list at the link below and give us a call to check on availability as the list and quantities are constantly changing. We are sure there is something on the list that you can get at an amazing price that will be a great addition to your percussion gear!

https://www.chopspercussion.com/run?useUX=true&id=8&opid=712&_tid=379

Note: All sales are final for all items on the clearance list and are not able to be returned.

Call us today to check for stock availability – (317) 813-2070.

With indoor percussion shows starting to happen on a weekly basis, we thought it would be a good idea to give you a small reference of items you should always keep on hand during show days in case of an emergency. While you can’t always predict when an emergency or accident will happen, you can be prepared for some of the most common issues by having a proper percussion repair kit available to you and your students at all times. A great idea is to get a tackle-box or divided toolbox that is always with your percussion section whether it is during travel to a show, a concert in the auditorium, or a rehearsal on the field.  By keeping the following items in your kit you will be able to address many repairs quickly and efficiently.

The following items are standard tools and supplies to keep in your toolbox:  

Tools

Drum Key (Standard) 
SAE/Metric Wrench Set
Drum Key (High Tension T-Style) 
Screw Drivers (Various – Phillips and Flat)
Drum Dial 
Medium Sized Vice Grips
Timpani Key (Ludwig/Yamaha vs. Adams) 
Needle Nose and Regular Pliers
Scissors
SAE/Metric Allen Key Set
Lighter 

Supplies

White Lithium Grease (Tube or Container)  
Various Size Cymbal Felts (large, small, hi-hat, clutch)  
Wing Nuts (8mm and 6mm)  
Cymbal Stand Sleeves (6mm and 8mm)  
Keyboard Percussion String (Paracord is best – 1/8” shock cord)  
Snare Strand Cord or Nylon Strips
Various Size Nuts/Bolts (Most Common are 10m or 12m and ⅞” or ½”)

It is very important to have tools in both standard and metric, as depending on where things are made, you will have all sizes and types to fit most of your percussion needs. Being prepared is the number one factor in performing emergency repair needs for percussion instruments.  While you may end up needing to perform a “quick fix” to get you by for a performance, having the right items for those scenarios will go a long way into getting your gear working again.

If you need more suggestions or help with percussion repairs feel free to give us a call today at 1-877-900-3786 or bring your equipment into the shop for a free evaluation.

While the SPYR series of mallets from Promark have been out for a few years, we thought we would take some time to review what the series involves and some of the different options available within the series of mallets. Promark began a new process for making all their mallets where they do more of the processing in house and have new technology for attaching the shaft to the mallet balls/cores with epoxy and threaded molds. This new technology has increased the durability of their mallets to allow them to be used longer and have less issues with the mallet heads.

The SPYR series is a collaboration with world-renowned percussionists, designers and educators Kevin Shah and Tony Nunez. They have designed this with the educator in mind and these are also budget friendly options that can cover the multitude of mallet percussion instruments. With 20 different models tthere is a mallet for every situation you can think of in your percussion literature.  These mallets would be a great lineup for middle school directors looking to have options but on a budget. With a clear color coding system for soft to hard mallets it is very easy for even the untrained percussionist to find the right mallet for any musical setting.

The list of options with in the SPYR series can be seen below with intended use and details.

Xylophone/Bell/Crotale Mallets

SU1R – Soft Rubber, 15 3/8″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/4″ ball, Marimba/Xylophone
SU2R – Meidum Rubber, 15 3/4″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/2″ ball, Marimba/Xylophone
SU3R – Hard Rubber, 14″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/8″ ball, Xylophone
SU4R – Medium Poly, 13 3/4″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/8″ round, Xylophone/Bells
SU5R – Medium Hytrel, 14 1/3″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/4″ round, Xylophone/Bells
SU6R – Medium-Hard Hytrel, 13 3/4″ Rattan shaft, 1 1/8″ round, Xylphone/Bells
SU7R – Hard Lexan, 13 3/4″ Rattan shaft, 1 1/8″ round, Xylphone/Bells
SU8R – Medium -Hard Nylon, 13″ Rattan Shaft, 1″ round, Xylophone/Bells
SU9R – Hard Delrin, 14 1/2″ Rattan Shaft, 1 1/4″ round, Xylophone/Bells
SU10R – Very Hard Delrin, 13 3/4″ Rattan shaft, 1 1/8″ round, Xylphone/Bells
SU11R – Large Aluminum, 13″ Rattan Shaft, 1″ round, Bells/Crotales
SU12R – Small Aluminum, 12 3/4″ Rattan Shaft, 7/8″ round, Bells/Crotales
SU13R – Medium Brass, 12 3/4″ Rattan Shaft, 5/8″ round, Bells
SU14R – Small Brass, 12 1/2″ Rattan Shaft, 1/2″ round, Bells

Marimba Mallets

SM1 – Very Soft Yarn, Birch Shaft, Marimba
SM2 – Soft Yarn, Birch shaft, Marimba
SM3 – Medium Yarn, Birch shaft, Marimba
SM4 – Medium Hard Yarn, Birch shaft, Marimba
SM5 – Hard Yarn, Birch Shaft, Marimba
SM6 – Very Hard Yarn, Birch Shaft, Marimba

Vibraphone Mallets

SV1R – Soft Yarn, Rattan Shaft, Vibraphone
SV2R – Medium Cord, Rattan Shaft, Vibraphone
SV3R – Hard Cord, Rattan Shaft, Vibraphone
SV4R – Very-Hard Cord, Rattan Shaft, Vibraphone

If you need some suggestions about what a good option might be for you from this series of mallets send an email to chops@chopspercussion.com or give us a call at 317-813-2070.

Whether out of necessity or by design front ensemble set-ups sometimes need to be smaller or more compact given the number or performs or amount of equipment you might have at your school. In today’s blog, we are going to give you some recommended series of mallets that would be great if you have a set-up that involves one performer playing two instruments throughout the show. You will see more and more smaller front ensembles utilizing mallet players to play marimba and then swap to another instrument such as the vibraphone or bells or even a mounted xylophone. We wanted to highlighted some recommended mallets that we feel are a great choice for these type of set-ups and why they can be beneficial to your students development and playing conditions.

Marimba/Vibraphone Mallets

There are two series of mallets that we feel would make a great set of mallets as a performer who needs to play both the marimba and the vibraphone in quick succession or make many mallet changes through the show. The Vic Firth Iain Moyer series and the Innovative Percussion Tom Rarick series of mallets are great for this type of set-up. The reason we feel these work great is that the whole line of mallets are make of a birch shaft. Traditionally mallets for marimba are birch shaft and vibraphone are rattan shaft. While it is true that the rattan mallets allow for more flex on the harder metal surface of the vibraphone, keeping the same feel in the mallets for the performers. With fast mallet changes happening in a set-up like this, keeping a consistent feel for your students is a great idea. You can see more specifics on these mallets below.

Vic Firth Iain Moyer Series Mallets

M270 – Medium Soft to Medium, Yarn, Marimba
M271 – Medium to Medium Hard, Yarn, Marimba
M272 – Medium Hard to Hard, Yarn, Marimba
M273 – Hard to Very Hard, Yarn, Marimba
M274 – Medium, Cord, Vibraphone
M275 – Medium Hard, Cord,  Vibraphone
M276 – Hard, Cord, Vibraphone
M277 – Very Hard, Cord, Vibraphone

Innovative Percussion Tom Rarick Signature Mallets

IP3001 – Soft, Yarn, Marimba
IP3002 – Medium Soft, Yarn, Marimba
IP3003 – Medium Hard, Yarn, Marimba
IP3004 – Hard, Yarn, Marimba
IP3005 – Soft, Cord, Vibraphone
IP3006 – Medium, Cord, Vibraphone
IP3007 – Hard, Cord, Vibraphone

These mallets can all also be great if you have a smaller group and just need to keep cost down, as the birch mallets tend to be less expensive than the rattan mallets.

Check out the videos above for more in depth knowledge from the artist themselves. If you need more recommendations based on a particular set-up you are using at your school, give us a call and we can help you out.

Welcome back to the Chops blog!  It is a special year for the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships as they celebrate 50 years, right here this week in Indianapolis!  It takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium and surrounding areas.  The competition inside Lucas Oil stadium isn’t the only thing to see.  There are many events throughout the week, most of which are free and open to the public!

Here’s our basic guide to help you take in some of the action.

Drum Corps Competitions

Monday, August 8:  Open Class Prelims – Wildcat Stadium (Marion, IN) – 4:00 pm
Tuesday, August 9: Open Class Finals – Wildcat Stadium (Marion, IN) – 6:00 pm
Thursday, August 11:  World Class Prelims – Lucas Oil Stadium – 10:30 am
Thursday, August 11: Big, Loud, & Live – Select Cinemas across the U.S.A. – 6:30 pm
Friday, August 12:  World Class Semi-finals – Lucas Oil Stadium – 1:00 pm
Saturday, August 13:  World Class Finals – Lucas Oil Stadium – 5:30 pm

Ticket prices vary by event.  See DCI Tickets for details.

SoundSport International Music & Food Festival & DrumLine Battle (Food Trucks!)

Saturday, August 10, 10am – 2:30pm
Lucas Oil Stadium, Lot B
Free!

Corps Warm-Up Zone

The show before the show!  Get up close to your favorite drumline or front ensemble as they warm-up and prepare for their performance.

Daily, Thursday-Saturday, depending on the contest schedule

-Military Park (Drumline warm-ups). Shuttle bus will run between Lucas Oil and Military Park.
-Parking lots around Lucas Oil (Front Ensemble warm-ups)
-Free!

While we won’t be selling any gear this year, we hope to see you around and look forward to celebrating all the groups performances from this past summer!

For more information on events, schedules, venues, ticket sales and more, visit the DCI Website.