Spectrasound 35-Bar Mark Tree - Natural Aluminum

The Mark Tree Story…

The year was 1967 and one of LA’s busiest studio percussionists was in search of a new percussive effect. After experimenting by suspending house keys and other small metallic items, he hand cut a series of graduated metal cylinders and strung them in sequence on a wooden bar. With a sweep of his hand, a shimmery, sonorous, microtonal scale was produced. The sound of this invention was so unique that word quickly spread around LA. Soon enough, every top West Coast session percussionist included the new instrument on recording dates.

Having no idea what to call the exotic new instrument, legendary percussionist Emil Richards suggested naming it the Mark Tree.  And, so the Mark Tree was born.

Spectrasound was founded in the 1960s specifically to manufacture the new Mark Tree. Since that time, the Mark Tree has been heard on countless recordings, TV shows, and movie soundtracks.

When the Spectrasound company closed its doors in 2003, the original Mark Tree became unavailable. While there are dozens of copycat “bar chimes,” none have the microtonal shimmer of a real Mark Tree!

Grover Pro has brought the ORIGINAL SPECTRASOUND™ Mark Tree back to life. Finally, musicians around the world can once again add the shimmer of the Mark Tree to their sound palettes!

All Mark Trees feature a solid hardwood mantle that is predrilled to accept an optional damper bar. Each individual bar is secured to the mantle with a super-strong filament. Every filament is individually hand tied to the mantle in a fashion that allows the resonance to ring true. Not to be confused with ordinary bar chimes, every Spectrasound Mark Tree produces a microtonal shimmer unlike any other set of chimes. Listen - you’ll hear a difference!