TreeWorks Chimes is a small company in Nashville, Tennessee that specializes in handcrafting chimes (sometimes called bar chimes, wind chimes or chime trees) for drummers and percussionists. "Specializes" is not really accurate; the owner of the company is "obsessed" with chimes.
Their instruments are incredibly well made and produce lush, beautiful waves of tone with a sweep of your hand, and they are simple to play. Use your finger to drag along the face of the chime bars just below the hole where the strings are mounted, and let one chime gently drop into the next.
TreeWorks does not recommend using a beater or striker, due to the contact sound it creates. The magic comes from the chime bars touching each other.
The chime bars themselves are made using TreeWorks' exclusive Aluminum/Titanium alloy, comprised of 11 different metals melted together. They are heat treated for 8 hours to create a crystal clear tone, then the bars are polished to a brilliant finish. The unique chromatic-like tuning has been described as ethereal and shimmering. It blends beautifully in all musical settings. This distinctive sound is what made TreeWorks Chimes famous.
They never paint, dip, tint, anodize, or plate the bars (to avoid negatively affecting the sound). They only use custom mill runs, certified to their specs and quality tested. Their aluminum/titanium composition is T-6 tempered at 350 degrees for 8 hours. This provides a more consistent grain structure at the molecular level, imparting a clear, distinctive sound, unique to TreeWorks chimes.
The mantle, TreeWorks' name for the wooden frame, is crafted from solid Tennessee hardwood. The deep color is brought out with a hand-rubbed oil finish that is high-end, yet understated.
Each chime bar is individually hand-tied to the mantle. One-bar-at-a-time. NO PLASTIC TIES and NO STAPLES are used. The braided CordLoc (TM) employed can hold up to 50-pounds (think miniature rappelling rope). To say TreeWorks' chimes are durable is an understatement.
As you have probably noticed by this point, TreeWorks is serious about build quality. This level of craftsmanship has attracted musicians from all walks of life. For example, the top 24 DCI Drum Corps use TreeWorks Chimes, as do professional drummers and percussionists, Broadway shows, churches, universities, recording studios, music therapists, yoga studios and even sound healers.
Indeed, we do picture the TreeWorks Chimes workers as elves who live in a Tennessee hardwood tree workshop with chimes in every branch and a thoughtfully crafted Rube Goldberg machine that funnels falling walnuts through hand-carved chutes allowing them to tickle the tuned chimes as they tumble down to feed the squirrel fairies who leap about in the glistening sound, feast on the abundance, and scurry off to plant the seeds that keep the forest growing.
We do appreciate their elven focused peace as row by row they tie each chime to the bar and lovingly tuck in the knots while humming lullabies.
We do imagine them listening to each complete chime for complementary tuning, willing to untie and replace any bar out of place, sighing like chubby, happy cherubs with each perfect run of aluminum/titanium melody.
Yes, TreeWorks Chimes, we will marry you.
Yes, Virginia, with elves like these, who needs Santa Claus?
To visit TreeWorks Chimes yourself, please check out their beautifully designed website.
To purchase TreeWorks Chimes, please check out our ever-growing selection.
To enjoy TreeWorks Chimes, please partake in this video of Connor reveling in the combination of gongs and chimes.
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Andrew Borakove
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