The 8 Best Xylophones for Curious Newbies and Advanced Musicians

Boy if I had to choose the single, most misunderstood instrument…

I’d probably go with the xylophone.

Don’t agree? Then think about it for a second: do you know exactly what a xylophone is?

Well, you probably know what it looks like…

And how you’re supposed to play it…

But do you know what makes it different from his cousins marimba, glockenspiel or vibraphone?

Probably not, right?

So if you’re looking to learn more about the xylophone as well as discover the best models currently available…

You’ve come to the right place as I have compiled in this post the 8 best models of xylophones…

As well as the best mallets.

Sounds good? Then let’s start.

But before we start…

Some Facts You Should Know

Before we start looking at the best xylophones models, let’s first clear out some common misconceptions:

• Xylophones ARE NOT glockenspiels – a lot of sellers advertise what is in fact a glockenspiel as xylophones. Xylophones have wooden tone plates as opposed to metal tone plates for glockenspiels, are bigger and also have resonators.
• Xylophones’ tone plates are ALWAYS made out of wood – in the case of some Yamaha models they might be made out of synthetic materials. However, they’re NEVER made out of metal.
• Xylophones’ mallet are ALWAYS hard – unlike marimba’s, xylophones’ mallets aren’t covered in yarn.
• There are no rules as for a xylophone’s size – But you’ll generally find Soprano, Alto and Bass xylophones.

Ok, so now that we’ve put all of the common wrong ideas aside, let’s actually refresh our memories by listening to a “real”, orchestra-type xylophones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNMzBnuBC6Y&t=0m55s

Ever heard this tune before? It’s probably because it’s one of the, if not the most famus classical pieces ever written for the xylophone.

And Camille St. Saëns (the composer) was also one of the very first classical composer to incorporate a xylophone in his orchestras, all the way back in the second half of the 1800’s.

Ok, so now that we know for sure what a xylophone is and how does it sound, let’s quickly look at how it’s made.

And so next up…

Anatomy of the Xylophone

So let’s first look at the etymology of the word “xylophone”. It comes from the greek word “xylon” for wood and “phone” for sound.

So basically something made out of wood that produces sound, right?

Now, the xylophone is pretty similar to the marimba, except that

• it’s smaller – meaning it has a smaller playing range
• it has shorter resonators and therefore…
• simply produces a different type of sound, with less sustain and a sharper attack

The xylophone is made  of 3 main elements:

1. The Tone Plates – which are the wood pieces you strike with the mallets
2. The Frame – which is what holds the whole instrument together
3. The Resonators – which are the tubes attached to the underside of the tone plates and serve to amplify the sound

For more details on woods or type of resonators, check out my post about marimbas, which are virtually identical.

Now, the list below will be divided in 2 categories. This is important because depending on the category you buy your xylophone from, you’ll be buying a completely different instrument.

And so these 2 categories are:

• Student Xylophones – which generally don’t go above 3.0 octaves, don’t have resonators nor a stand
• Professional Xylophones – which use higher quality wood for the tone plates, have resonators and an adjustable height

Finally, some info on my picks:

• NO model costs less than $100 – it seems to be the absolute minimum if you want to get a decent xylophone
• ALL models are chromatic – in case you didn’t know, many xylophones directed are diatonic, meaning they don’t have accidentals (the black keys on a piano) and can only play a given scale, generally C major. Chromatic xylophones can play any note.

Got it? Then let’s see the first model:

Best Student Xylophones under $800

1. Yamaha TX-6

Probably the easiest way to start learning how to play the xylophone, the Yamaha TX-6 is:

• Small – with a range of 2.5 octaves, it is very compact
• Good to learn music – with engraved notes on the tone plates, it is perfect if you’ve never played an instrument before or don’t know how to read music sheets
• Able to produce a great sound right out of the box – make no mistake, although this is a student xylophone, its tone plates are still made out of padouk, which is known to produce a rich, warm sound.
• A Yamaha – Well, yes, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing any instrument from Yamaha.

Check it out: (Amazon)

Next up…

2. Stagg XYLO-SET

Everybody knows the brand Stagg as a low-cost company that manufactures pretty much anything closely, or remotely related to musical instruments.

What you might ignore though is that they also produce some high quality instruments, such as this xylophone.

With:

• A 3 octave range
• Tone bars made out of rosewood
• A sturdy frame, and…
• A resonating backboard

It certainly has all the features you’d expect from a professonal xylophone…for half the price.

Check it out – (Amazon)

Next up…

3. Suzuki AX-200

So although this model looks like a diatonic xylophone…

It is not exactly one, for the simple reason that you can choose to add the accidentals thanks to a “chromatic add-on stand”.

On top of that, the tone bars are made out of rosewood.

Now the Suzuki AX-200 is part of a family of 3 sizes of xylophones:

• Soprano – with notes ranging from C2 to A3
• Alto – with notes ranging from C1 to A2
• Bass – with notes ranging from C to A1

Check it out:

• Suzuki AX-200 Soprano – (Amazon)
• Suzuki AX-200 Alto – (Amazon)
• Suzuki AX-200 Bass – (Amazon)

Next up…

4. Sonor Global Beat Fiberglass

Here’s something a little bit different. The Sonor Global Beat actually sports fiberglass tone bars.

Compared to the usual wood tone bars, fiberglass is much more resistant in that it doesn’t suffer from sudden weather change.

As an organic material, wood might change shape when subjected to abrupt humidity or temperature changes, which causes the tuning to fluctuate.

Fiberglass’ tuning doesn’t move, whatever the weather, and the sound is virtually the same as wood’s.

This particular fiberglass xylophone is a bass model.

Check it out: (Amazon)

Now that we’ve seen he best student xylophones, let’s move on to the…

Best Professional Xylophones Above $800

1. Adams Solist Xylophone

Here’s the true first professional xylophone of this list. The Adams Solist Xylophone has all the features you’d expect from this type of xylophones:

• It’s mounted on an adjustable stand
• It has resonators
• Tone bars are made out of pau rosa, a precious, dense wood.

Furthermore, the Adams Solist Xylophone is available in both 3.5 octaves and 4 octaves.

Check it out:

• Adams Solist 3.5 octaves – (Thomann)
• Adams Solist 4 octaves – (Thomann)

Now, another feature to take into consideration is the type of tuning. Two are available with this model:

1. Quint Tuning
2. Octave Tuning

For a similar model from Yamaha, check out their YX 125:

• Cllck here to compare prices – (Thomann)

Next up…

2. Studio 49 RXP/R 3050/V

Moving one step higher, we have the Studio 49 RXP/R 3050/V.

 

If you’re not familiar with the brand , just know that Studio 49 are a German company who focuses on manufacturing Orff instruments, made for educational purposes.

 

Many of these instruments happen to be struck idiophones (marimbas, xylophones, glockenspiels, vibraphones) and they’ve evolved as one of the best manufacturers of these instruments in the world.

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• The Ultimate Guide to Digital Pianos/Keyboards for Stage, Studio, and Home
• The Ultimate Guide to Ukuleles for Beginners
• The 9 Best Glockenspiels for Curious Musicians and Newbies