Dragonfly Percussion Gong Mallets are high-quality gong beaters that are handmade in Buffalo, New York. They're loved by orchestra percussionists and sound bath practitioners alike. Their wide selection allows the player to pull a rich, complex spectrum of tones, overtones, and articulations from the gong. Their price ranges from $40 to $90.
Percussionists and sound therapists choose Dragonfly Percussion Gong Mallets because there is a wide selection of options for different styles of play, bringing a range of sonic experiences out of the gong. Their mallets are affordable, ranging from $40 to $90. They're made from high-quality materials, with consistent quality and character from one mallet to the next.
Dragonfly Percussion Mallets feature specialized materials like layered felt, synthetic fleece, and fur coverings over balanced spherical and disc-shaped cores. Their handles range from hickory and maple to aluminum, bamboo, carbon fiber, and hand-turned wood on the F-Line, with specialized grips for control and balance. These designs highlight specific frequency ranges, from deep, low-end bass to shimmering, expansive overtones.
There are multiple series and models, tailored to different types of play.
The Resonance Series is great for sound therapists and meditation practitioners, maximizing the deep potential of the gongs. Available in soft, medium-soft, and medium-hard variants.
The Resonance Series was designed with sound healers and sound therapy practitioners in mind, with input from Mehtab Benton, Benjamin Irons, and other healers. These mallets are made to bring out a wide range of overtones and frequencies.
Their 2-sided mallets feature a soft fleece side for rich bass tones and a harder side for faster attack and response.
The F-Line Series features robust, heavy-core mallets wrapped in felt and fleece, with hand-turned wood handles, perfect for large orchestral or sound bath gongs.
The FuzzBucket Series features extremely soft and lightweight mallets, descended from their bass drum designs, offering rich swells and deep resonance.
The Mike Tamburo Signature Series was designed in collaboration with sound healer Mike Tamburo to create mallets perfect for sound therapists and healers.
Featuring a soft side for low-end and a harder side for fast attack and sweeping overtones.
Has almost no attack, making it ideal for large gongs with sustained, deep bass tones.
Delivers a fast response with a full range of overtones across all sizes of gong.
Combines a gong mallet with singing bowl capabilities, letting you switch seamlessly.
Great for drawing out low-to-mid-range frequencies, perfect for exploring the full range of what your gong has to offer.
People choose Dragonfly Percussion Gong Mallets over other mallets because their lightweight, well-balanced designs and ergonomic handles lead to less wrist fatigue when compared to traditional, heavier orchestral mallets.
Unlike traditional mallets, which can weigh over 800g, their mallets usually use lighter cores and balanced, lightweight handles, allowing much more control and stamina when playing.
Their mallets tend to pull out fundamental tones without generating harsh harmonics and overtones, performing similarly to higher-end mallets, but with a cushier feel and a controlled attack.
Dragonfly Percussion's Resonance Series Mallets (RSMS / RSMH) in medium hard and medium soft feature a low-profile, disc-shaped core, covered in synthetic fleece. This brings out the rich, lower frequencies of a gong, building to gentle, grounding overtones.
The Feather Weight Mallet was co-designed with sound healer Tiffany Asha. It features a lightweight bamboo handle and a sherpa-covered head. This lighter overall weight helps to prevent fatigue for players in long sound bath sessions.
The Mike Tamburo Series of mallets was co-designed with sound bath practitioner Mike Tamburo, crafted for intricate drone and overtone work with gongs and bells. These mallets offer versatile dynamics and comfortable handles.
The Double-Sided Inviter Series (TIF/CIF) was co-designed with sound healer Benjamin Irons, perfect for singing bowls and gongs, providing warm tones and clear attack with metal and crystal alike.
The Lotus3 Alpha Mallets were co-designed with sound healer Douglas Cardwell to be multi-functional mallets, good for tapping gongs and bowls, or for resonating crystal singing bowls.
The Cynthia Yeh FuzzBucket (CYFB) mallet was designed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionist Cynthia Yeh, specifically for orchestral use. It is extremely soft, perfect for bringing out massive swells of bass tones and tam-tam rolls without too much attack.
The Cynthia Yeh Rollers (CYR) were also designed with Cynthia Yeh. These specialized mallet pairs are designed for smooth rolls with long sustain and clean articulation with orchestral tam-tams and gongs.
The Resonance Series Medium Hard Mallet (RSMH) has a disc-shaped core that's covered with fleece, attached to a 13.5″ maple or aluminum and hickory handle. It provides fast response, broad dynamic range, and a full range of overtones across many gong sizes.
The Resonance Series F-Line Mallets (RSF1 & RSF2) feature hand-turned wood handles and heavy, weighted cores wrapped in felt and synthetic sherpa material. RSF1 is smaller and more versatile, while RSF2 offers large volume potential and a rich swath of overtones on larger symphonic gongs.
The Resonance Series Large 2-Sided Mallets (RSL2) are recommended for players who want rich low-end frequencies from one side of the mallet and quick response with broad overtones from the other.
Resonance Series F-Line Small Mallets (RSF1) are compact but surprisingly powerful. A low-profile, disc-shaped core, weighted with two steel weights and covered in soft felt and synthetic sherpa, sits on a tapered, hand-turned handle. They respond immediately with a wide spread of high and low overtones on gongs from about 18" to 60".
Resonance Series Medium Soft Mallets (RSMS) bring out deeper frequencies and create a slow, rich blossom of overtones. They feature a short handle, perfect for sound baths and meditation while seated.
Resonance Series Medium Hard Mallets (RSMH) are versatile, slightly heavier and harder mallets. They create a wide dynamic range of sounds across most sizes of gongs while still being balanced and sensitive.
Large Nipple Gong Mallets (LNG) are heavier, harder mallets that are designed specifically for large, tuned nipple gongs or multi-mallet rolls and swells.
Mike Tamburo Series Medium Mallets (MTM) are designed by sound bath practitioner Mike Tamburo to provide minimal initial attack with smooth transitions through layers of overtones and long sustain.
Dragonfly Percussion Mallets are handcrafted by percussionist and founder Dinesh Joseph. His mallet making operation began in a backstage workshop at the Juilliard School. They're now made in Buffalo, New York.
They are famous for their wide range of innovative orchestral mallets, accessories, and instruments, and specifically for their specialized gong mallets.
They are specialized mallets designed for gongs, tam-tams, and sound therapy and meditation practices, offering specific weights, densities, and materials to control and balance attack and resonance.
Softer mallets (like the Resonance Series Medium Soft / RSMS) create deep, low frequency sounds with minimal attack (the sound of the mallet hitting the gong). Harder mallets (like the Resonance Series Medium Hard / RSMH) provide more articulation and attack, and they bring out broader overtones, with quick response across dynamic ranges.
The RSMS series has a shorter handle, tailored for practitioners playing from a seated position. This makes it easier to use without accidental overplaying. Two-sided options like the RSL2 let players switch between sides while playing, which is great for sound baths.
Depending on the model, handles are hickory, maple, aluminum, bamboo, carbon fiber, or hand-turned hardwood on the F-Line.
