On the right is Rudy Aquino part of the Ali'is that were Don Ho's band. Front and center is his glockenspiel. Such a huge compliment to the steel guitar. Used with Billy and Barney on 'Hawaiian Steel Magic'. He called me onstage everytime he'd see me at the bar with my mandolin at his show on Maui. I'd do a couple bluegrass numbers to get the crowd stomping their feet then right into 'Hi`ilawe' and they'd go nuts. Now Rudy and dancer wife Heidi run their own luau in the Cook Islands/Rarotonga.The guy is amazing. Can play the entire score to 'Phantom of the Opera'. A real loss to Maui's most Hawaiian Hotel, same location as the Maui steel festival in the spring.
Title edited to reflect actual instrument being discussed.
Last edited by Tod Johnson on 26 Nov 2017 1:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1939 Oahu Tonemaster, 1957 Rickenbacker, Melbert 8, and a cheap Rogue.
I think you mean vibraphone!...but I'm with you, it adds a certain exotica effect for sure.
"Used with Billy and Barney on 'Hawaiian Steel Magic'"
and on so many other records!
The glockenspiel is a small set of bells, the vibraphone or vibes is a metal marimba with an electric motor working a set of revolving plates inside the resonator tubes, which gives the vibrating vibrato effect.
Yes you're right. Now that you mention it Rudy used to explain it as a, I thought he'd say Vibraharp on occasion to the audience, maybe it was Vibraphone though. Stick with 'Vibes' lol. Thanks. There was a jazz musician that was brought in by Blackie Gadarian for his bar in Lahaina that played the glockenspiel, probably threw me off.
1939 Oahu Tonemaster, 1957 Rickenbacker, Melbert 8, and a cheap Rogue.
Tod Johnson wrote:Yes you're right. Now that you mention it Rudy used to explain it as a, I thought he'd say Vibraharp on occasion to the audience, maybe it was Vibraphone though. Stick with 'Vibes' lol. Thanks. There was a jazz musician that was brought in by Blackie Gadarian for his bar in Lahaina that played the glockenspiel, probably threw me off.
It's cool!
and thanks for reminding me of the vibe sound in Hawaiian and other music.
Well, to give an example of what I'm pretty sure is a GLOCKENSPIEL in Hawaiian music, you'll find it on "Favorite Instrumentals Of The Islands", one of my all time favorite Hawaii Calls albums featuring Jules Ah See playing lead steel guitar and Barney Isaacs playing backup steel guitar. This is one in a series of Hawaii Calls albums featuring these 2 great steel players.
My favorite vibes player in the islands was Arthur Lyman. Whenever we went to Hawaii, we would always see him at the New Otani Beach Hotel. Jerry Byrd once told me that he and Arthur wanted to make a record together but it never happened. I think that would have been a blockbuster. I already have dozens of Arthur's LPs (plus CDs) and all kinds of Jerry's LPs (and CDs) but I can't figure a way to get them to play together.
Jerry & Arthur both left us waaaaay toooo soon.
Butch Pytko wrote:Well, to give an example of what I'm pretty sure is a GLOCKENSPIEL in Hawaiian music, you'll find it on "Favorite Instrumentals Of The Islands", one of my all time favorite Hawaii Calls albums featuring Jules Ah See playing lead steel guitar and Barney Isaacs playing backup steel guitar.
Great recording!
It sounds like a celeste (or celesta), a keyboard instrument that has a bell-like tone. Some of the chord arpeggios sound like a celeste to me, not a glockenspiel.
Maybe it's a perception thing, but the vibraphone sound (in Hawaiian music) feels a little more associated with the 60's exotic "tiki" culture/aesthetic than just straight Hawaiian music. Not that I'm leveling that as a criticism, mind you! It really pairs very well with steel guitar...sadly though, less practical (vibraphone players harder to come by, and less musically essential than rhythm section players on guitar/uke/bass).
Nic Neufeld wrote:
Maybe it's a perception thing, but the vibraphone sound (in Hawaiian music) feels a little more associated with the 60's exotic "tiki" culture/aesthetic than just straight Hawaiian music. Not that I'm leveling that as a criticism, mind you! It really pairs very well with steel guitar...sadly though, less practical (vibraphone players harder to come by, and less musically essential than rhythm section players on guitar/uke/bass).
I think you are right, but when the tiki and Hawaiian overlap, it's pretty cool.
Absolutely, you won't find me complaining. I was looking up VSTi vibraphone samples last week to see if someday I might be able to add some fake ones to my backing tracks (although I probably lack the keyboard skills to do so convincingly).
I love vibraphone! When I took up steel, it was a choice between steel and vibes. Steel won out because a lap steel is a lot cheaper than a vibraphone.
I play marimba. I had an antique Leedy Vibraphone for a few years, but sold it because it was too fragile to move around. Someday I'll get one that's more portable.
I love the combination of Vibes and Steel guitar. Most of my Benny Rogers records have vibes, but I have never been able to find out who was playing. I am also a big Arthur Lyman fan, like Wally. I use his "Yellow Bird" as the basis of my arrangement on steel.
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.
I prefer vibraphone to have more percussive edge (a la Gary Burton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15IHNYq6stw) than the amorphous wash of sound used on many vintage Hawaiian recordings that use vibes - granted that it's different genre of music. The steel guitar is already a singing, sustaining type of sound so, for my personal opinion, vibes don't add a lot. I respect that your opinion may differ.
My favorite vibes player in the islands was Arthur Lyman. Whenever we went to Hawaii, we would always see him at the New Otani Beach Hotel. Jerry Byrd once told me that he and Arthur wanted to make a record together but it never happened. I think that would have been a blockbuster. I already have dozens of Arthur's LPs (plus CDs) and all kinds of Jerry's LPs (and CDs) but I can't figure a way to get them to play together. 
