Marimba Lumina mallets are admittedly the most delicate part of the system. They are robust enough to withstand normal wear and tear, and do not lose sensitivity with time, but there are things that can happen to break coils inside the mallet:
What's in the mallet:
There are 3 resonant coils per mallet matching a specific frequency . Coils are hand wound here with a specific number of windings. Even then we sometimes add or subtract a winding based on our test circuit. This is a passive circuit; there is no battery involved.
How do I know if my mallet has problem?
If your Lumina seems to have a flaky response with one particular mallet, it is probably not the Lumina-- it's the mallet. When one coil breaks the Lumina will no longer respond to the mallet orientation that that particular coil was covering, while it will respond if turned another way.
Players typically respond by playing harder, which doesn't help. Find out if the mallet needs repair. Mallets can be sent to be checked out or you can try testing them yourself. See how to test mallets...
Should I re-cover my mallets anyway?
If your mallets get regular use, you'll need to re-cover them every few years. If the foam covering is worn out, the mallet will be vulnerable to breakage. The Absolute Deviation color for mallets is green. The Original Orange is available when requested.
Current prices for mallets and mallet repair:
New mallets are $75 each. New mallet orders may have a lead time. (There is no longer a discount for a set since making mallets is labor intensive with little to no profit margin.)
Mallet repair:
Center coil breakage only is $35. Other coils requires complete disassembly and is $60. (You save $15 in raw material costs, but $5 cost is added in deconstruction. It is like making a new mallet.) Mallet repair always includes cost of outer foam re-covering.
Re-covering outer foam only is $15 per mallet. Sets of mallets will be re-covered with green foam unless otherwise requested. (Single mallets will be re-covered with their original color unless specified.)
Shipping is $15 per order regardless of the number of mallets. International shipping or next day shipping may be more.
Having sets of mallets reconditioned is recommended.
This includes re-covering of each mallet. Testing of the coils will be done to make sure no repairs are needed and customer will be informed prior to any repair. Prices are as above.
Repair may be quicker than replacement depending on materials stock.
Mallets are guaranteed for 30 days.
50% discount for repairs to mallets during the first 6 months.
Note:
I am always looking for improvements to the mallet head size, reliability, and ease of assembly. The current design offers the best compromises.