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Another question re: specific percussion instrument

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:34 am
by wadadlireggae
I finally saw on an old video the piece that is used on so many old tracks. Its a bent piece of metal held in one hand and struck with a stick with the other to produce that " t-t-ting, t-t-ting, t-t-ting, ting, ting" sound like the effect of water in a glass bottle sloshing around...or something....
Oh, and while striking, the metal piece is squeezed to produce the varying tones.
Anyone know what this is called and where I can get one?

Yo

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:50 am
by JahNice
Hi wadadlireggae and welcome to the Dub Discussion Board..

This is one of my favourite percussion instruments and it must be the one with the wickedest name on it! Its called a Flexatone....

You can get it here:
http://www.thomann.de/gr/lp_18_flexaton_large.htm
Dont do the mistake to go for a cheap or small one cause they really dont sound as good..

If you want a cheap one, build one for your self:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKJgETH1C8
But then again, i think it will be difficult to make it sound nice..

peace 8-)

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:33 pm
by Klaus5
its funny you should mention water in a bottle, because in a interview with Max Romeo on a BBC doc about jamaican music, he mentions how Lee Perry would make sounds like that, specifically water in a bottle!

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:25 pm
by Red eye
Ya man, Flextone hehe, funny instrument.
Most of the time the little strip with the ball was broken off and the metal of the flexatone was hit with a drumstick or something to have more control over the sound and timing.

I guess they used a waaaayyy bigger version in some recordings too.
Sounds like a really big, thin metal plate hit with something.
Can not come up with a example for now but as soon as it hit me I'll let it know.
In my mind it was on some Gladiator style chunes but not sure so....

Peace