Tim Genis Timpani Mallets
The TG1 or "Go-To" is Timothy Genis absolute favorite mallet. The name describes it's versatility, and the fact that Timothy Genis keep "going to it" when Timothy Genis is not sure of an appropriate mallet to use. Constructed with seven layers of felt, these mallets are complex in design. A tape core covered with different types of extremely snug wraps make these mallets a gem. They are warm, but focused in articulation, with lots of throw and rebound making this mallet very easy to play.
The TG2 or "Deciso" mallet originally started as a felt Beethoven mallet because of its bright character, full tone and quick impact. Basically a brighter version of the TG1, the differences are a slightly thinner shaft, less layering with the inner felt, and a cork core. It is a great mallet when I want to get some "bite" in the attack, while still maintaining a round, felt focus.
The TG3 or "Tonal" has the same name as one of Timothy Genis sticks in the Vic Firth line, but is different because of the construction, weight and the use of bamboo for the stick. Timothy Genis used the same name because the concept in sound is the same. It is a warm, dark mallet that can articulate. Timothy Genis uses a slightly thicker width bamboo than the TG1 & 2 to add the correct amount of low overtones in the sound. Timothy Genis found that using the "hard side" of the felt on one of the inner wraps produced a bit more definition. This is a great general mallet.
The TG4 or "Appassionato" is the largest and most lush sounding mallet in Timothy Genis line, producing big, round, single notes, like the slow triplets in the opening of Brahms 1st Symphony. Though they are heavier than most of my mallets, they are not cumbersome. They have the perfect amount of agility for a big mallet. The cork core frees up the front end weight, and the enhanced weight distribution moves the weight from the very top part of the stick down to the shoulder.
The TG5 or Leggiero Rollers are the first of two rollers that Timothy Genis have developed. This pair uses a thin Tonkin bamboo shaft and is a bit lighter than my other roller, The Pesante. Timothy Genis have come to find that this mallet will produce a gorgeous soft roll on all drums, but is ideal for the two upper drums. To Timothy Genis delight, this mallet also has enough front end weight to make it a beautiful legato mallet for single notes. Timothy Genis found it to be a perfect mallet for the fourth movement of Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok.
The TG6 or Pesante Roller is the larger of the two rollers that Timothy Genis make. Timothy Genis's goal with this mallet was to make a perfectly balanced stick with as little attack as possible in each stroke. This mallet went through painstaking trials before Timothy Genis was happy with the outcome. It is a highly labor intensive mallet with eight layers of wrap. This mallet is great on all drums, but is truly a gem on the low drum.
Timothy Genis always found that there was a lack of dolce or "pretty" sounding mallets that can achieve a quick response in articulation. The "Dolce Stacatti" or TG7 solves this problem. Its small head size with just the right inner wrap gives this mallet a sweet tone without losing its articulate qualities. Timothy Genis also used a slightly thicker bamboo shaft along with the enhanced weight balance system, resulting in a better feel. The upper overtones are increased while the low ones are held to a minimum. Timothy Genis love this mallet for the Concerto for Seven Winds Instruments, Timpani, Percussion and String Orchestra by Frank Martin, or for any of the Schumann symphonies.
The TG8 or "Stacatti" is the hardest felt mallet of the bamboo felt series with exception of the Rite of Spring Mallet. It is the only mallet that uses American felt, but, like the TG7, has a slightly thicker shaft and enough weight so that the sound is full bodied while pointed at the same time. This mallet is built so that the core has more of a donut shape to it. I used a cork core because I wanted the weight to be distributed more to the upper-middle portion of the stick, as to not be cumbersome when playing fast passages.
Timothy Genis normally never agree with naming a mallet after a specific piece for the simple reason of not wanting to "pigeon hole" a mallet to one piece, but with this pair, Timothy Genis couldn't resist. This mallet really is perfect for the Rite of Spring, especially the Danse Sacrale at the end. It is quite a bit heavier than the others, has a thicker Tonkin shaft and uses felt that is very hard but easy to split. The best description of this mallet came from a colleague when Timothy Genis was playing the Main Title to Star Wars. He told Tim, " Those are the warmest, hard mallets, Timothy Genis have ever heard." They are not meant to play fast passages, but instead, are meant to get a big fat sound while still being a hard mallet.
The TG10 is Timothy Genis most used flannel mallet. Unlike its smaller counterpart, the TG10 produces more bottom in the sound, while still retaining the bite that it needs. Timothy Genis will often use the hard mallet for an entire Beethoven Symphony. The distinction of this mallet, and its medium and soft counterpart, is that the contact sound does not have any "tick" to it. A distinction not found in many flannel mallets. The medium mallet has become my most used and versatile mallet....I can use it in Beethoven or as far as Mahler or Stravinsky. Soft mallet is great when a big full sound is needed, at all dynamic levels.
The TG11 is slightly more delicate than the TG10 and has a smaller core height. It produces the same clarity as its larger counterpart, but has more of the higher overtones needed for a lighter style of playing. Medium has a bit more warmth in the attack than the Hard version, but still has tremendous clarity. It is one of the purest sounding sticks in Timothy Genis stick line and has become one of Timothy Genis favorite mallets. Soft has a lush dolce sound but still has a quick directness to the attack. Soft mallet has a very cantabile quality and is perfect for the opening of Mozart's Symphony no. 39.
The TG12 or Hard-Leather mallet is a great mallet. Timothy Genis love the depth of sound this mallet can get. I can describe it as a very warm, wood sounding mallet. Most of the time Timothy Genis find that hard mallets on timpani sound very "tinny" so Timothy Genis wanted to avoid this. Timothy Genis use it many times as a wood substitute in Mahler symphonies. It would also work extremely well in Baroque and early Classical settings.
The TG13 mallet is made up of layers of soft leather in between flannel pieces, which is not a new idea in the timpani mallet world. What makes this mallet special is the type of leather Timothy Genis use and the voicing which melds the two products together. Timothy Genis have found that a mallet like this can be inconsistent as it turns in the hand while playing. This mallet has the same attack and tone qualities at all times.
Constructions
TG1 (The "Go-To" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 34g
Grip width: 10.5-10.9mm
Shaft Material: Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10-10.6mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 30mm
Head height: 29mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Tape
Length: 37.5cm
Label Colour: Green
TG2 (The "Deciso" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 34g
Grip width: 9.9-10.5mm
Shaft Material: Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 9.6-10mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 30mm
Head height: 25mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Cork
Length: 37cm
Label Colour: Blue
TG3 (The "Tonal" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 36g
Grip width: 10.7-11.3mm
Shaft Material: Bamboo
Upper shaft width:10.5-11mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 32mm
Head height: 30mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Tape
Length: 37.5cm
Label Colour: White
TG4 (The Appassionato Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 37g
Grip width: 11.1-11.9mm
Shaft Material: Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.8-11.5mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 40mm
Head height: 32mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Cork
Length: 37.5cm
Label Colour: Pink
TG5 (The Leggiero Roller Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 33g
Grip width: 9.6-10.4mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.2-10.7mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 38mm
Head height: 34mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Cork
Length: 37.5cm
Label Colour: Purple
TG6 (The Pesante Roller Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 35g
Grip width: 10.2-10.9mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10-10.6mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 41mm
Head height: 39mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Tap
Length: 37.5cm
Label Colour: Brown
TG7 (The "Dolce Staccati" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 35g
Grip width: 11-11.8mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.8-11.6mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 27mm
Head height: 22mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Tap
Length: 37cm
Label Colour: Brown
TG8 (The "Staccati" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 34g
Grip width: 10.8-11.6mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.5-11.3mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 27mm
Head Colour: White
Head height: 20mm
Core: Cork
Length: 37cm
Label Colour: Red
TG9 (The "Rite of Spring" Felt Timpani Mallet)
Weight: 47g
Grip width: 12-12.5mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 12.2-12.7mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 32mm
Head height: 21mm
Head Colour: Red
Core: Wood
Length: 37cm
Label Colour: Brown
TG10 (The Large Flannel Timpani Mallet)
Grip width: 10.3-11mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.5-11.2mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 29mm (Hard) / 32mm (Medium) / 36mm (Large)
Head height: 16mm (Hard) / 18mm (Medium) / 20mm (Large)
Head Colour: White
Head Hardness: Hard / Medium / Soft
Length: 36cm
Label Colour: Orange & Yellow (Hard) / Orange & Green (Medium) / Orange & Blue (Soft)
TG11 (The Small Flannel Timpani Mallet)
Grip width: 10.3-11mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.5-11.2mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 25mm (Hard) / 27mm (Medium) / 30mm (Large)
Head height: 13mm (Hard) / 14mm (Medium) / 17mm (Large)
Head Colour: White
Head Hardness: Hard / Medium / Soft
Length: 35.5cm
Label Colour: Brown & Yellow (Hard) / Brown & Green (Medium) / Brown & Blue (Soft)
TG12 (The Hard Leather Timpani Mallet)
Grip width: 9.8-10.7mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10-11mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 24mm
Head height: 15mm
Head Colour: Green
Core: Wood
Length: 35.8cm
Label Colour: White
TG13 (The Soft Leather Timpani Mallet)
Grip width: 10.4-11mm
Shaft Material : Bamboo
Upper shaft width: 10.6-11.4mm
Head Material: Felt
Head diameter: 24mm
Head height: 15mm
Head Colour: White
Core: Wood
Length: 35.5cm
Label Colour: Red