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An angular aluminum tube frame 8 feet long stands on 4 short tube legs set into a lawn in front of a pale green 1929 house against a blue sky.
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An angular aluminum tube frame 8 feet long stands on 4 short tube legs set into a lawn in front of a pale green 1929 house against a blue sky.
(previously: https://www.xylovan.com/xylovan/)

I’ve dreamed of installing the big xylophone in front of the house ever since we moved in five years ago.

My son and I finally picked up the all instruments from storage in LA and brought them home in January. I have another project in the works using keys from the other big keyboard - details to come as it comes together.

Over the past few weeks I polished up all the keys, built new resonators, and rebuilt the top end of the frame to fix the ugly gap that used to be there to allow it to mount cleanly on the van’s flanks. It’s a lot purtier now.

This morning I dug holes for the four legs with a posthole digger and then lowered the frame into place with the help of friends and neighbors.

I plumbed and leveled things with the frame parallel to the little slope in front of the house ( at a nice, playable 40-degree angle), set the legs in place with small stones to steady them, and poured in and then doused a bag of quickset concrete for each.

Tomorrow I mount the new resonators and reinstall 2-1/2 octaves worth of aluminum keys.

It’s happening. I’m stoked.

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