A used Slapaphone has been listed for anywhere from about $70 to $1,000, and the biggest factor is how many tubes it has. There is no list price. Slapaphones are handmade by Jeff Fahringer in Pennsylvania and are not sold through regular music retailers, so what you pay depends on what happens to be for sale.
New to the instrument? Start with what a Slapaphone is.
Slapaphone prices we could verify
These are real listings we found. All of them have ended, so treat them as a guide to the range, not as current offers.
| Instrument | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Five-note wooden Fahringer Slapaphone | eBay | Sold for $71 |
| Fahringer Slapaphone, mid-1990s, local pickup only | Reverb | $150, reduced from $250 |
| Tunable handmade Fahringer Slapaphone with two paddles | Reverb | $500, reduced from $1,000 |
| Three-octave set, F3 to F6 | LA Percussion Rentals | $160 a day to rent |
Sources: Reverb, mid-90s Slapaphone, Reverb, handmade tunable Slapaphone, and LA Percussion Rentals.
Factors influencing the cost of a Slapaphone
- Number of tubes. A five-note instrument and a three-octave set are very different amounts of work. Range is the main driver of price.
- Tunability. Fahringer’s design uses movable stoppers inside the tubes. A set where every stopper still moves and holds its place is worth more.
- Paddles included. The paddles are part of the instrument. A listing without them will cost you extra time and money.
- Condition. Most examples are decades old. Cracked tubes, missing stoppers, or a damaged frame bring the price down quickly.
- Shipping. These are bulky. One of the Reverb listings was local pickup only, which narrows the pool of buyers and often lowers the price.
- Rarity. So few come up for sale that a seller can simply name a price and wait.
Where to buy a Slapaphone
You will not find a Slapaphone for sale in an ordinary music shop. These are the realistic options.
Reverb and eBay
Nearly every Slapaphone sale we could trace happened on one of these two sites. Save a search for both “Slapaphone” and “Fahringer” and turn on alerts, because listings are rare and can sell fast.
The maker
Jeff Fahringer builds each instrument by hand. We could not find a public shop or price list, so buying new means making contact directly and asking about a commission. Expect a wait and a custom quote.
Renting one
If you need a Slapaphone for a recording or a show, renting is far easier than buying. LA Percussion Rentals lists a three-octave set at $160 a day. Other specialist percussion rental houses are worth a call.
Your step-by-step guide to buying the perfect Slapaphone
- Ask for the range. Get the lowest and highest note, and the number of tubes, in writing.
- Ask for a video. Every tube should give a clear, even note. A dead or buzzy tube usually means a stopper problem.
- Check the stoppers. Each one should move for tuning and then stay put.
- Confirm the paddles. Make sure they are included and in usable condition.
- Verify the maker. Ask how the seller knows it is a Fahringer instrument, especially for a higher-priced listing.
- Settle shipping first. Agree on packing and cost before you pay.
Low-cost Slapaphones and alternatives
If the goal is the sound, not the collector’s item, there are cheaper routes.
- Build one from PVC pipe. Pipes cut to length and a pair of foam paddles give the same family of sounds for the cost of materials. Our homemade instrument guides cover the basics.
- Boomwhackers. These tuned plastic tubes are mass-produced and inexpensive. They are struck, not slapped on the end, but they scratch the same itch. See Boomwhackers on Amazon.
- A small used Slapaphone. The five-note example above sold for $71, so a modest budget can still land the real thing if you are patient.
Tips for finding the best deal on a Slapaphone
- Set alerts and be ready to move. There may be only one or two listings a year.
- Watch for price drops. Two of the listings above were cut by 40 to 50 percent before the listings ended.
- Look for local pickup listings near you, where the seller has fewer buyers to choose from.
- Ask percussion teachers, university music departments, and rental houses. Instruments like this often change hands privately.
FAQs
Why is a Slapaphone so expensive?
Each one is handmade by a single builder and very few exist. The larger sets also contain dozens of individually tuned tubes.
Is there a new Slapaphone for sale anywhere?
We could not find one offered publicly. New instruments appear to be made to order by Jeff Fahringer.
Can I buy a Slapaphone on Amazon?
No. We have not found a genuine Slapaphone on Amazon. The closest mass-produced relative there is a set of Boomwhackers.
What is the cheapest way to get the Slapaphone sound?
Build a PVC pipe instrument and play it with foam paddles. It costs a fraction of even the smallest used Slapaphone.
How long does a Slapaphone last?
The examples for sale today were built in the 1990s and are still playable, so with basic care the answer is decades.
