The Kolberg range of mallets includes timpani mallets with felt, flannel, leather or wood. You are welcome to our timpani studio: get to know all options on natural and plastic heads and choose according to your playing technique, needs and fields of application.

In cooperation with Stefan Gagelmann, solo timpanist of the Münchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic Orchestra), we have composed timpani mallets sets for students and ambitious musicians. They are an introduction to the extensive range of Kolberg timpani mallets. The references to musical literature just provide a rough guide, as individual factors like playing technique, room acoustics, instrument and head options are decisive criteria when it comes to choosing your mallets.

Non-slip silicon sleeves can be added to all tonkin shafts of the timpani mallets (item no. 985). Useful extensions can be made to each set of mallets by adding wooden mallets or mallets with leather heads for special sound requirements and baroque literature. For a start we recommend the wooden mallet BHS30.

Stefan Gagelmann

Born in Reutlingen he received his first percussion lessons at the age of nine. At just 12 years of age he was admitted to the Musikhochschule Trossingen (Trossingen University of Music) as junior student. Stefan Gagelmann won the "Jugend Musiziert" prize repeatedly (German music competition for children and adolescents) and gained valuable experience in the Bundesjugendorchester (National Youth Orchestra of Germany) and various chamber music ensembles. From 1982 onwards he continued his studies with Prof. Hermann Gschwendtner. At the age of 19 he was contracted as solo timpanist with the Münchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic Orchestra). He performed under renowned conductors such as Sergiu Celibidache, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, James Levine und Günter Wand. In 1998 and 1999 he played in the orchestra of the Bayreuther Festspiele (Bayreuth Festival). In 1995/96 and 2013/14 Stefan Gagelmann was lecturer for timpani at the Musikhochschule Trossingen (Trossingen University of Music). Apart from his activities in the orchestra he is particularly interested in percussion chamber music.

1 - WFT30 with tonkin shafts

Traditional timpani mallets featuring punched-out flannel discs. Very durable and thus ideal for practice.

Sound properties

• succinct and direct, yet with warm and round tone colour
• versatile all-round mallet
• top-heavy

Musical literature

First Viennese School (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven)

2 - 18H3 with tonkin shafts

Timpani mallets with wooden core Ø 18 mm and 3 layers of high-quality merino wool felt.

Sound properties

• brigth, rich in harmonics
• lean and succinct in all dynamics

Musical literature

• First Viennese School
• Mendelssohn, Schubert

5 - 24K3 with tonkin shafts

Timpani mallets with cork core Ø 24 mm and 3 layers of high-quality merino wool felt.

Sound properties

• mallet with a clear and distinct mark
• sonorous
• easy rolls
• very versatile

Musical literature

• Beethoven, Schumann, Dvorak, Shostakovich - symphonies
• Verdi - Operas
• R. Strauß e.g. Burleske, Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose)

9 - 28K3 with tonkin shafts

Timpani mallets with cork core Ø 28 mm and 3 layers of high-quality merino wool felt.

Sound properties

• large soft and round attack
• voluminous with deep, bassy frequency spectrum
• very soft and heavy roll mallet

Musical literature

Bruckner, Wagner, Strauss, Mahler