A new dimension in gong playing: the PGM-lite mallets
Music is always evolving, new instruments are being developed, new ways of using existing instruments are being found.
And with the new possibilities there are always new accessories: either new materials come on the market, or you see something new, get ideas and then try it out. Everything is subject to constant change and, at best, improvement.
Olli Hess has found a way to develop a new series of professional gong mallets.
This series is called PGM-lite and includes, as the name suggests, super light mallets, the PGM-lite 100 and the PGM-lite 200.
What’s new?
The Gong-Mallets from ollihess are all characterized by their flawless craftsmanship and great sound. This result means that a lot of time and energy was put into the development. After all, a gong with its mallet is not just any instrument. The variety of gongs is huge. Besides the mallets, Olli Hess makes his own gongs and tries to get the best possible sound out of them. Again, this is achieved with mallets made from carefully selected materials.
New to the lite mallets is the light weight and soft sound.
For the smaller mallet it is 100 g, for the larger one 200 g. To achieve this weight, Olli Hess has come up with a special method: the core of the head is made of felt, not rubber, as in the company’s other mallets. Rubber is a very soft material compared to wood, which is the core of the mallets of other brands, which makes the sound production very smooth when striking. The new felt core enhances this effect even more, very little touch noise is heard when playing. And felt is also lighter compared to rubber, hence the light weight.
Structure of the Gong-Mallets-PGM-lite
Of course, the head of the beater not only has the core made of specially manufactured felt, it is also covered with Wellness Fleece, a material that is very fluffy.
With this combination the Gong-Mallet produces an extremely soft sound. The head of the PGM-lite 100 with a diameter of 8 cm is slightly smaller than that of the PGM-lite 200 with a diameter of 10 cm. This means that both mallets are large enough for the full sound volume to unfold even with larger gongs.
However, the weight and hardness of the head alone do not determine the quality of a gong mallet. In addition, there is a handle, which in the best case is the extension of the arm towards the Mallet head. At ollihess, the highest demands are also placed on the handle. It is made of beech wood and is 17.5 cm thick. Thus it lies well in the hand, is neither too thick nor too thin. The thickening at the end of the handle fits well in the hand and prevents the Mallet from slipping. In terms of length, the handle is designed to match the diameter of the head. This way the mallets are perfectly balanced and do not tend to tip over.
Advantages of the PGM-lite
The new lightweight design of the Gong Mallet has several advantages.
One is the soft core and the sound that comes with it. With the Mallet PGM-lite, the tone can be held for a very long time with one peg, without unwanted louder tones sounding in between. With older mallets, if they are worn on one side, the core can be heard on individual strokes. This is omitted with the two lite mallets.
The Wellness Fleece cover is also very durable, meaning the mallets can be played for a very long time and for this reason are more than worth their price.
Another advantage is the light weight. This makes the handling very comfortable, the arms do not get tired, even when playing for a long time. Because you probably know
the feeling when the arm becomes lame because the mallet head is too heavy and the whole mallet is badly balanced. That’s done with the PGM-lite, you can look forward to strain-free gaming.
Why is it worth buying a PGM-lite?
Both the PGM-lite 100 and the PGM-lite 200 are supplied in the colour sand. In principle, this neutral color is right for every taste. Moreover, the use of the mallets does not stop at the gong, of course.
It can of course also be used for other instruments, such as large singing bowls. The new manufacturing method and the versatile application possibilities are reasons to choose a Gong-Mallet PGM-lite.
