- Bars struck by hard wooden or plastic mallets
- Made of rosewood or other hardwoods
- Brighter, drier, higher pitched sound
- Resonant chambers are short and do not enclose the bars entirely
MARIMBA
- Bars struck by soft rubber or yarn-wound mallets
- Made of rosewood, African Padauk or Honduran mahogany
- Warmer, mellower, lower pitched sound
- Resonant chambers are larger and enclose the bars all the way