Deagan Marimbas

The Marimba originated in Africa and consisted of bars of resilient wood mounted over gourds and were used by the natives of Africa as war drums. The African Marimba usually consisted of from one to four tones to an instrument.

Later the Marimba came into use through the natives of Central and South America, the instruments being more complete and of larger range than the African instruments.

The South American Marimba consisted of a series of diatonic notes mounted in one row and although the South American Marimbas were a vast improvement of the African instrument they were nevertheless a very flimsy impractical instrument. The first practical Marimbas were designed and manufactured by J. C. Deagan and since the manufacture of the first Deagan Marimba many improvements have been made, and many letters patent have been allowed J. C. Deagan by the civilized governments of the world and today a Deagan Marimba is universally acknowledged as being "a real musical instrument," as well as the only practical instrument of its kind in existence.

Marimbas are daily coming into greater use, there being two principal reasons for same, one being that the Marimba while operated similar to the Xylophone is very much easier to play as the tone of a Marimba is sufficiently sustained so that rapid execution and fine technique is not necessary in the playing of same as with a Xylophone.

And again the tone of a Marimba being soft, sweet and mellow is very much more preferable in many cases to that of a Xylophone and as a Marimba is played with soft mallets which will not injure the bars, a Marimba will last a lifetime.

All metal parts of the Deagan Marimbas are highly polished and triple nickel plated and all wooden parts are finished in natural wood and highly polished the same as a Piano.

The floor racks on which the Deagan Marimbas are mounted are of the famous Deagan design and are made of the finest seamless Steel Tubing and are of the slip joint type, there being no screws to get loose or out of order.

The frames on which the bars are mounted are of the very finest native quarter sawed white oak and on the wooden instruments the bars are suspended above the frames between posts so that the bars do no come in contact with anything but the supporting cord, thus leaving them free to vibrate.

Deagan Marimbas are expecially designed for traveling use and the instruments can easily be taken apart and packed in very small space, and any Deagan Marimba can be taken down and packed or unpacked and set up in but a minute's time.

J. C. Deagan, the manufacturer of Deagan Marimbas, is universally recognized as being the world's greatest acoustician, and as Deagan Marimbas are built by Marimba specialists, in the finest musical instrument factory in the world, under the most critical supervision and by artisans skilled with many years training in the manufacture of high class musical instruments it necessarily follows that no one can produce an instrument equal to the Deagan Instrument.

In presenting the many different styles of Marimbas listed in the following pages we are sure you will find just the instrument suited for your purpose, and we absolutely guarantee a Deagan Marimba to give absolute satisfaction under any and all conditions.

Deagan Marimbas (arranged by dates)

Source: Deagan Catalog G

InstrumentModel NumberNameOctave and RangeBar SizeDate BuiltTuningNo. of ChimesNotes
Marimba3503 F-F2918-25First Deagan Marimba
Marimba3523.5 F-C1918-34B or X has finish variation
Marimba3544 C-C1918-34B or X finish variation
Marimba352D3.5 F-C1929-34With Deluxe Wheel Rack
Marimba354D4 C-C1929-34With Deluxe Wheel Rack
Marimba52Masterpiece3.5 F-C1934-39
Marimba52BMasterpiece3.5 F-C1934-3952B has finish variation
Marimba54Masterpiece 4 C-C1934-3954B has finish variation
MarimbaQueen Anne3.5 G-C1936Unique Furniture Design
Marimba330Stu-Dette2.5 C-F1937-41Table-Top Mounting/Legs
Marimba60Imperial3 G-G1937-42
Marimba62Imperial3.5 F-C1937-42
Marimba64Imperial4 C-C1937-42Few made between 1946-47
Marimba66Imperial4.5 C-F1937-42
Marimba68Imperial4 C-C1937-42Wide Concert Grand Bars
Marimba70Imperial4.5 C-F1937-42Wide Concert Grand Bars
Marimba38Diana3.5 F-C1939-42
Marimba40Diana4 C-C1939-42
Marimba318C-C1939-42Wide Bars (Ensemble)
Marimba3252 C-C1939-42Wide Bars (Ensemble)
Marimba335Mercury3 F-F1940-42
Marimba330RStu-Dette2.5 C-F1940-42New frame, folding legs
Marimba364 C-C1943-45WWII - No Metal
Marimba50Caprice4 C-C1946-49
Marimba333Studette2.5 C-F1947-52Redesign of 330
Marimba333RStudette2.5 C-F1947-52333 with wheels
Marimba444Mezzo4 C-C1948-50
Marimba484Bolero4 C-C1949-50
Marimba485Bolero4 C-C1949-50Like 484, finish variation
Marimba410Wellington3 F-F1950-53
Marimba490Imperial Bolero4 C-C1950-53Deluxe Bars & Frame
Marimba470Diana 514 C-C1951-53
Marimba400Student 4002 C-C1952-54
Marimba600Diana IV4 C-C1961-66Similar to 40
Marimba1200Imperial Custom4 C-C1961-66Deluxe Concert Grand
Marimba652Diana Deluxe4 C-C1966-82Deluxe Bars & Frame
MarimbaM-52Victoria4 C-C1971-77by Slingerland, similar to 652
Marimba612KStudio3.5 F-C1972-77Synthetic Bars
Marimba653Bandmaster4.3 A-C1972-78
MarimbaABM1.5 C2-F31975-Amplified Bass, no resonators
Marimba343RStudette II3 F-F1976-78Honduran Rosewood Bars
Marimba343KStudette II3 F-F1976-78Synthetic Bars
Marimba654Bandmaster4.3 A-C1976-78Similar to 653, Bars resized
Marimba678Marching Marimba2.6 C-D1978-Synthetic Bars
Marimba380KStudette3 F-F1980-Synthetic Bars