Ultimately I ended up returning the kalimba. Not because it wasn't beautiful, or it wasn't good quality. The quality was amazing and it was so beautiful. The weight was perfect to hold in your hands and it was so easy to learn. The sound was perfect and honestly, I could see this being a great tool for any age... but man did my fingers hurt. I tried playing with my nails, with my finger tips, and even with the pads of my fingers, but to no avail. So this might prove difficult for younger kids, though they might try to stick it out longer. Read more
This is my second kalimba; I first bought a wooden kalimba with a hollow body for roughly the same price. This has become my favorite! PROS - Every note sounds lovely, like a fancy music box. No dead tines at all! The wooden kalimba sounds gimpy on the 4-5 highest notes. Every note on this acrylic kalimba plays cleanly as expected. - It may appear fragile, but it feels VERY sturdy and durable. It's been surviving abuse from my 4-year-old. - It comes with an equally durable case. Although TBH it's unnecessary for me because the kalimba can endure a lot without taking any damage. We just have it out around the house without worries. CONS - The volume is a bit low; it's best for playing melodies solo for your own entertainment. Get the wooden kalimba with the hollow body if you plan to jam with friends or play for an audience. - It's heavier and less ergonomic than the wooden kalimba. My arms had to build some stamina to be able to hold the heavy acrylic for long periods of time. - Fingerprints are more obvious. Expect more frequent wiping to keep it looking shiny. - Has a cuter shape (I got the bear-shaped one), so your kids are more likely to hog it from you. If you're child-free, then this is actually a PRO... Since my #1 priority is sound quality, this kalimba wins with 5 stars. I hope this helps! Read more
I'm not a musician by any stretch of the imagination. My review is strictly based on the beauty and quality of this kalimba set. I purchased this for Operation Christmas Child. Unfortunately, it won't fit in the shoebox. My daughter purchased one that looks much like this one, it's slightly smaller, thusly it fit in the box so I went with it. This one is a higher quality, by far vs the one that fits in the box. Even most of the accessories included are far superior to the kalimba my daughter purchased. The case is really nice and sturdy. It's embossed so it's easy to tell which way is up, preventing opening upside down. The zipper is of very good quality. I appreciate the foam insert that keeps the kalimba snugly. You have to work to remove it which is nice because it won't ever accidentally fall out. The tuning hammer is more refined in appearance and the thumb covers look to be a better quality. It's worth mentioning that the accessories can be stored within the case along with the kalimba with extra room for some other things you might want to place inside. Then, there's the beauty of this kalimba. If you like sparkly, holographic looking stuff, you'd appreciate the look of this kalimba. I'm thinking of keeping this one just to look at it. Perhaps I'll try to learn how to play it. One con: The instruction booklet is for "normal" kalimbas; the wooden ones with a hole. From what I understand, normal kalimbas have a superior sound. I purchased this acrylic one because I'm unaware of the humidity where my box would go and didn't want to send a normal, wooden one just in case. Plus, did I mention it's beautful? Read more
I just got it in today, I've been very excited. this is my first kalimba. I thought it'd be smaller, but I'm shocked it's pretty big, and I'm actually liking it more since it's bigger. and you may think it'd be heavier then a wooden kalimba, but it's really not too heavy. and it comes in a cute secure case so I can take it with me!!, I haven't tried Tuning it yet so I'm unsure but the sound quality out of the box is very good. I I like to pick up little hobbies but I could see myself rly getting into this. it's beautiful, if your debating, definitely get this especially as a beginner :))) Read more
The media could not be loaded. Okay, so this video was taken right after opening, so no adjusting or tuning. Please ignore my busted finger nails lol, but despite them I was still able to play it. I'll admit, this is my first kalimba and I've only played one of the mini ones a few times. However, I did spend hours comparing a bunch of them on Amazon and decided this one would probably be the best value for the quality. I have a ton of anxiety over buying the right thing on amazon since there's so many options and a lot of them are the same poor quality items listed multiple times or things you can buy off alibaba or wish. That being said, I'm pretty confident I made the right choice for the price range. It comes with several accessories- thumb protectors, a microfiber cloth (which I assume is specifically for the clear ones), a tuning hammer, an instruction guide with a few songs, stickers for the keys, and 4 little silicone round stickers I'm assuming to put on the back to protect it when it's lying down, and a case. The case itself is wonderful. It's hard and feels very sturdy. It has a little strap as well to hold onto. The inside has a foam insert that the kalimba fits into perfectly, but it is difficult to get it out. If I dropped the case, I wouldn't be worried about the kalimba breaking. The kalimba is heavier than I expected, but it's not overwhelming. The body is nice and clear with no scratches or bubbles. It's mostly tuned right out of the box, but with the hammer and instructions, it'll be easy to adjust. I'm very excited to start learning how to play! Read more
A cute musical instrument instrament! Read more
