Post by Dick Glasgow on Feb 3, 2008 19:03:00 GMT 1
RE: CIMBALOM HAMMERS
Jack here are a couple of good ideas I got from Paul Gifford.
.... & Ken Bloom kindly added this:
Jack here are a couple of good ideas I got from Paul Gifford.
Dick, why don't you contact Alex Udvary and see what he has to offer.
He plays it excellently and has for many years, as well as making them.
His website is
Alex Udvary
Note that the Hungarian ones are lighter and a little shorter than the Romanian ones.
The Romanians also use shorter sticks when playing the small instrument held by a neck strap.
Usually these are made of Circassian walnut.
Nicolae Feraru makes ones from Chinese bamboo back scratchers.
The nice thing about them is that they won't break!
Both are in Chicago; Alex is a native English speaker.
You could certainly get them from Hungary.
Romania is a different story----you'd have to know certain players.
He plays it excellently and has for many years, as well as making them.
His website is
Alex Udvary Note that the Hungarian ones are lighter and a little shorter than the Romanian ones.
The Romanians also use shorter sticks when playing the small instrument held by a neck strap.
Usually these are made of Circassian walnut.
Nicolae Feraru makes ones from Chinese bamboo back scratchers. The nice thing about them is that they won't break!
Both are in Chicago; Alex is a native English speaker.
You could certainly get them from Hungary.
Romania is a different story----you'd have to know certain players.
.... & Ken Bloom kindly added this:
I've seen a number of approaches to cimbalom sticks.
I have some cheap Roumanian ones that are pretty crude and not very playable.
The last time I saw Stu Brotman he was playing with some that were made from some fairly stiff spring wire and then cotton wrapped in the usual manner.
The ones I made were from very straight grained elm.
The shafts were gently tapered and then heat bent at the end for the crooked end.
I then mounted the shafts in ebony handles I made from a pattern I got from Alexander Eppler.
I think Alex makes some very high end ones with snakewood shafts.
You can find him on the web.
He's in Seattle.
I have some cheap Roumanian ones that are pretty crude and not very playable.
The last time I saw Stu Brotman he was playing with some that were made from some fairly stiff spring wire and then cotton wrapped in the usual manner.
The ones I made were from very straight grained elm.
The shafts were gently tapered and then heat bent at the end for the crooked end.
I then mounted the shafts in ebony handles I made from a pattern I got from Alexander Eppler.
I think Alex makes some very high end ones with snakewood shafts.
You can find him on the web.
He's in Seattle.
like in my younger years : herds of gorgeous-looking lassies swarming towards me... 
... and asking stupid question about my instrument (the one with strings and hammers, of course...) ;D
