As a kalimba collector, I am REALLY impressed with this one. It looks exactly as pictured. The glossy finish is beautiful, although it does tend to collect fingerprints. However, that is a minor inconvenience and a small price to pay for the excellent sound quality. The tone is wonderful, and it has the perfect amount of sustain. I think it sounds even better than my Moozica 21-key flatboard koa kalimba, which is currently $24 more expensive. The tines are engraved with both numbers and letters, and the tips are perfectly bent to make plucking them gentle on your thumbs. The size of the kalimba is perfect for me. The tines are easy to reach, even with my small hands, and the body of the kalimba is smooth and rounded, making it a joy to hold. For those who are new to kalimbas, be aware that all flatboard kalimbas are not as loud as hollow ones, so if you are looking for a lot of volume, you may want to go with a hollow kalimba. However, for a flatboard, the volume on this kalimba is great. Despite the lower volume, I prefer flatboards because they provide a more even sound and the top keys tend to resonate better than they do on most hollow kalimbas. Another thing to be aware of is the weight. This is a quality kalimba, made of solid wood. It is much heavier than the typical cheap hollow kalimba, although the weight is comparable to other flatboards. People who are used to flatboard kalimbas won't think it is especially heavy, but if you want something very lightweight, choose a hollow kalimba. In conclusion, if you are in the market for an affordable, classy-looking 21-key flatboard kalimba that sounds great, this is the one. Read more
This Kalimba was the perfect gift for my daughter’s first kalimba. Not only is it the perfect size, it’s pink and came with an instruction guide showing her how to play intro songs. The ease, feel and sound was beautiful and just what we were looking for all with the perfect price. Read more
This lovely Kalimba arrived the day after I ordered it, which was yesterday. It was in it's sturdy carrying case, shipped in a very nice cardboard box made for the purpose of shipping the Kalimba along with the described tuning hammer and other accoutrements. I really appreciate good packaging. This is a lovely musical instrument. When I opened the case the beauty and fine craftsmanship of this kalimba took my breath away. This kalimba exceeded my expectations. I took it out and after a few minutes trying it out I played a little tune. The sound is melodic, like silver chimes. The wood is beautiful with a lovely finish. I have wanted one of these for 45 years but thought they were something handmade only by the indigenous people of Africa and not available for purchase. The day before yesterday (May 21) I happened to see one on Youtube and found out that they are called a kalimba. Straight away I looked them up on Amazon and after reading some reviews I bought this one. I'm totally pleased with the craftsmanship, the sound, the fact that it arrived perfectly tuned and I am astounded by the sturdiness and quality of the kalimba's carrying case (which is so well made that it must be blast-proof). I think anyone who is musically inclined or even wishes they were, should get one of these. The melodic quality and ease of playing lightens the heart during these uncertain times. It's like medicine for the soul. Read more
It's very nice. One star off because typically they come with a hard case and this one did not. Read more
The media could not be loaded. Love it so far! At first, I was a bit doubtful, because this is my first time playing and owning a kalimba. The package came with everything, and I love the hard case that comes with it. I'm a pretty clumsy person, so it's nice to have a case that I know can protect the instrument. 5's for the "easy to learn" and "sturdiness" categories, and 4 for the craftsmanship since some of keys did not look centered when I first got it and also it looked like it had fingerprints all over it. However, I just wiped it clean (figured it might just be the nature of the steel keys since it catches fingerprints easily), slightly fixed the positions of the keys and tuned it. It wasn't hard to do at all, in fact, it was kinda fun so that's why I didn't really mind. Also, the tone and bass of this instrument is BEAUTIFUL. Very relaxing to play and to hear the earthy tone given that it is made out of mahogany. Anyways, I'm definitely having fun with this instrument and being able to play some music again! Read more
What neat little things to play with even if you dont know how to play a tune, you can hit just about any combination of notes on either side using both thumbs and come up with somthing that sounds pretty! And its original!! ... even if you cant do it the same way next time!! Like a little harp it is ! The acacia wood one I got was very pretty looking. Read more
Is any musical instrument easy to learn? Is it for beginners? All require practice, unless you just enjoy making random tones, which is good too. There is a technique to the 'pluck' so the bars will ring. Also, it depends on what you expect from it. I expect to be able to play 'O Holy Night' and add arpeggios and chords. Others might expect just to be able to enjoy the sounds. It is tonal in the key of C, but I plan on retuning with an accidental pitch (F#) to be able to produce the V/V. Nice tone, and very relaxing. I like it. It has a felt carrying case, but the box it came in offers the most protection. Read more
The media could not be loaded. This kalimba is simply superb. The wood that it's made out of is very solid and looks beautiful. The metal feels dense and study and it's simple to tune with the provided hammer. The provided accessories are really helpful for getting started - the carrying case in particular is great and contains hard foam cutouts that fit the instrument perfectly for travel situations! I've only had it for a couple days now but have already decided to purchase several more for when gifting season rolls around. Would definitely recommend to anyone that's looking for a well crafted item that's both fun to use and looks great on display. Read more
