Rare
percussion instrument manufactured in limited quantities by
LP in the late 1990's.
The vibratone was a solid color (usually black), cylindrical, hollow, and 12 inches in length. The top of the vibratone was divided like a
tuning fork. A muting hole (thumb-sized) could be found a quarter of the way up from the rubber-footed bottom. A playing
mallet (a length of rattan-like plastic with a black-rubber hammer) came with the instrument.
The musical responsiveness of the vibratone was not unlike that of a tuning fork or
vibraphone bar. With your thumb over the mute hole you struck the vibratone in a
legato manner, and then slowly removed your thumb. The
volume would gradually increase or decrease in accordance with your thumb's position on the hole. You could swirl your thumb in circles to make the sound rapidly change volume and
intensity.
Like the
triangle, the vibratone's sound was built on the harmonic series, which means that if played correctly it will be in tune with anything going on in the
orchestra or ensemble.