Vibraphone repair.
Motors, pedals, dampers, and frames.
Motors that run slow, stop, or will not vary speed. Pedals with bent or missing pull rods. Damper felt that no longer seals. Frame and rail damage. We handle it because a vibraphone gets played, not just stored. Motor work and cracked-bar repair are specialist bench jobs: we ship those out, manage them, and set the instrument back up.
Trusted by directors, players, and programs across Texas and North Carolina
Worked on by a percussionist, not a parts changer
A vibraphone is a fussy instrument with a motor, a pedal, and a hundred small adjustments that decide how it feels to play. It should be set up by someone who plays one.
“Anthony came to repair our badly damaged vibraphone! Not only did he completely repair the broken frame but cleaned it thoroughly and straightened out a few other issues it had. It is better than new!!”
Emily Hicks
Frame repair
“Bono Percussion brings experience of a well trained percussionist that understand the highest level of sound quality. You are getting more than just a repair.”
Manny Flores
Sound quality
“Rich has worked on our percussion equipment for several years. Honestly, I wouldn't trust anyone else to provide the same service.”
Jack Forbis
Years of trust
A 30-day guarantee
If the motor, pedal, or dampers are not right within 30 days of the setup, we come back and fix it for free.
Motor and bar work, handled for you
A motor or a cracked bar has to go to a bench specialist. We diagnose it, arrange the repair, manage the shipping, and refit it. You make one call.
Motor, pedal, damper, and frame
Everything that decides how a vibe sounds and feels. Open a section below for the detail.
| Part | What the job covers |
|---|---|
| Motors | A motor that runs slow, stops, hums, or will not vary speed. Motor work is a bench job - we diagnose it, send it to a specialist to service, rebuild, or replace, and manage it end to end. Vintage Deagan, Musser, and Jenco motors and modern variable-speed kits. |
| Pedals | Missing or bent pull rods replaced or straightened, and the pedal set so it holds and lifts cleanly. We also convert metal pull rods to a strap, which holds up better and will not bend the way the rods do. |
| Dampers and felt | When the dampers do not stop the notes cleanly, it is usually damper bar felt that has gone flat and no longer seals, or a damper system that has drifted out of adjustment. We re-felt the bar where it needs it and re-set the system for a clean on and off. |
| Frames and rails | Sagging or cracked rails and end frames, a wobble, casters, and height mechanisms. A big frame repair comes to the workshop. |
| Resonators | Dents removed, tubes cleaned, and buzzes and rattles tracked down. |
| Bars | A crack running lengthwise along a bar can usually be repaired and retuned; a crack straight across usually means a replacement bar. Either way it is specialist bench work - we assess it, arrange the repair, manage the shipping both ways, and set the instrument back up. |
Marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, and Orff instruments are on the marimba and keyboard repair page.
- You send photos and tell us the make and model and what it is doing.
- We tell you whether it is on-site work or bench work, and send a clear estimate before anything is scheduled.
- Pedal, damper, and smaller frame work happens where the instrument lives. A big frame repair comes to a technician's workshop. The motor and any bar go to a specialist, and we manage the shipping both ways.
- A technician does the pedal, damper, and frame work, fits the returned motor and bars, then sets the whole instrument up and checks the feel end to end.
- Everything is cleaned and checked before it goes back.
- You are covered by the 30-day guarantee.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Yearly keyboard maintenance | $105 per board |
| Pedal overhaul (missing or bent rods, or strap conversion) | $75 |
| Restring an instrument or a section | $65 |
| Vibraphone bar repair and retuning (managed end to end) | $93 per bar |
| Motor work and heavy frame repair | Custom quote |
Motor rebuilds, speed-control work, and damper felt are quoted after we see the instrument, and nothing starts until you have approved the plan and the price. The full itemized price list is on the repairs and services page.
A few we're proud of
A Slingerland vibraphone, taken apart and rebuilt
A Slingerland by Deagan vibraphone came in with the frame collapsing, bars off, and the motor and wiring hanging loose. We rebuilt the frame, sent the motor out and refitted it, cleaned the resonators, restrung it, and put it back together on its stand. Before and after below.
A badly damaged vibraphone frame
Emily Hicks had a vibraphone with a broken frame. A technician repaired it on site, cleaned it thoroughly, and straightened out a few other issues while it was apart. Her words: “It is better than new.”
The pedal that never stays put
The job we get asked for most on a vibraphone is the pedal. Bent metal pull rods make it inconsistent and hard to set. The overhaul swaps them for a strap, which will not bend the way the rods do and makes the pedal height easy to adjust.
Common questions
A yearly keyboard service is $105 per board. A pedal overhaul is $75 and a restring is $65. Cracked-bar repair and retuning is $93 per bar, managed end to end. Motor work, speed control, and heavy frame repair are custom priced after we see the instrument. You get one clear price before we start.
Yes, but motor work is a bench job. We diagnose it, send it to a motor specialist to service, rebuild, or replace, and manage the whole thing for you. We handle the vintage Deagan, Musser, and Jenco motors and the modern variable-speed kits, then fit and set it up when it comes back.
Yes, and it is the job we do most on a vibraphone. We replace missing pull rods, straighten what can be straightened, and set the pedal so it holds and lifts cleanly. We also convert metal pull rods to a strap, which holds up better and will not bend the way the rods do. The overhaul is $75.
Usually the damper bar felt has gone flat and no longer seals against the bars, so the dampers do not stop the notes cleanly. Sometimes the damper system itself has drifted out of adjustment. We re-felt the bar where it needs it and re-set the system so the pedal has a clean on and off.
It depends on the crack. A crack running lengthwise along the bar can usually be repaired and retuned; a crack straight across the bar generally cannot, and that bar needs replacing. Either way it is specialist bench work. We assess the bar, tell you which case you are in, arrange the repair, manage the shipping both ways, and reinstall and set up the instrument when it comes back. You deal with one point of contact.
Pedal, damper, and smaller frame work is done on site at your school, hall, or studio. A big frame repair comes to a technician's workshop, and the motor and any bar that needs work go to a specialist. We handle all the shipping.
Where we work
A technician lives in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, and comes to your school, hall, or studio for the pedal, damper, and frame work. Motor work and bar repair are sent to a specialist and managed from wherever you are. Tell us where you are.
For marimba, xylophone, and Orff instruments, see marimba and keyboard repair.
Tell us what you've got
Send a photo of the instrument and tell us what it's doing. We'll tell you whether it's on-site work or a bench job, with a clear price before we start. You're covered by our 30-day guarantee.