This paper investigates the semi-active control of a magnetically-tunable vibration absorber's resonance frequency. The vibration absorber that is considered is a metal-matrix composite containing the magnetostrictive material Galfenol (FeGa). A single degree of freedom model for the nonlinear vibration of the absorber is presented. The model is valid under arbitrary stress and magnetic field, and incorporates the variation in Galfenol's elastic modulus throughout the composite as well as Galfenol's asymmetric tension–compression behavior. Two boundary conditions—cantilevered and clamped–clamped—are imposed on the composite. The frequency response of the absorber to harmonic base excitation is calculated as a function of the operating conditions to determine the composite's capacity for resonance tuning. The results show that nearly uniform controllability of the vibration absorber's resonance frequency is possible below a threshold of the input power amplitude using weak magnetic fields of 0–8 kA m− 1. Parametric studies are presented to characterize the effect on resonance tunability of Galfenol volume fraction and Galfenol location within the composite. The applicability of the results to composites of varying geometry and containing different Galfenol materials is discussed.