Crystal Tones Mallets: Sonic and Suede
Crystal Tones makes two mallets for its bowls. Both are round tubes wrapped in a playing surface — silicone on the Sonic, suede on the Suede — and the difference between them comes down to that surface. Choosing one is about how you play, not which bowl you own.
The Sonic mallet: for singing
Singing means pressing the mallet against the outside of the rim and circling it to build a sustained tone. The Sonic’s silicone surface glides around the rim almost silently, so what you hear is the bowl, not the mallet.
The Suede mallet: for chiming
Chiming means striking the bowl once and letting the tone ring out. The suede surface gives each strike a soft, warm onset. You can sing with the Suede too, and many people do, but suede scraping across the rim adds noticeably more mallet noise than the Sonic.
The Suede is also the mallet for Crystal Tones pyramids. Pyramids are chimed, not sung, so the Suede is the right choice there — the Sonic has no use on a pyramid.
Which one should I get?
Choose by technique. If you mostly sing your bowls, get the Sonic. If you mostly chime, get the Suede. If you do both, a Sonic and a Suede together cover everything. For a pyramid, get the Suede. Bowl size doesn’t change the choice; either mallet works on any Crystal Tones bowl. Every Crystal Tones bowl we sell already ships with a mallet and O-ring, so most people buy these to add the other technique or to keep a spare.
Why buy from Raven Sounds
Every mallet here is authentic Crystal Tones, sourced through the same channel as the Crystal Tones bowls we sell. For bowls chosen to be played together, see our Crystal Tones harmonized bowl sets. Free US shipping, hassle-free returns.
Frequently asked questions
- What’s the difference between the Sonic and Suede mallets? The playing surface. Sonic is silicone and near silent when singing; Suede is suede and gives a soft onset when chiming.
- Can I sing a bowl with the Suede mallet? Yes, and many people do. Expect more mallet noise than with the Sonic.
- Which mallet do I need for a Crystal Tones pyramid? The Suede. Pyramids are chimed, and the Sonic has no use on them.
- Does bowl size matter when choosing a mallet? No. Choose by technique.
- Do Crystal Tones bowls come with a mallet? Yes. Every Crystal Tones bowl we sell ships with a mallet and O-ring.
