Electric Kalimba, AKLOT 17 keys EQ Kalimbas Thumb Piano Solid Wood Marimba with Built-in Pickup Professional Kalimba Starter Set for Kids Adult Beginner

This is the first kalimba I've ever played. The first thing I'd say is that this set is high quality and comes with some really nice touches. The construction feels sturdy. There is a little inlay in the wood near the bear's mouth that just looks beautiful. The case fits the kalimba tightly. It is light weight, but it doesn't feel flimsy at all. Finally it came with the tines tuned perfectly around a two octaves of C major. I haven't retuned it yet, but it comes with a tine hammer that you can use to adjust the length of a tine, thus changing the tuning.If you've never played a kalimba before, the tines are metal keys that you can play with your finger. There are a few holes that allow sound to leave the wood chamber that amplifies vibrations from the tines that you can use creatively to modulate the shape of the tone ringing out. The most interesting thing to me about the kalimba is the tuning. This kalimba comes tuned rooted around a C major diatonic scale with 2 full octaves expressed across the 17 tines. What is different from the white keys on a piano however are that the notes climb up in both directions from the lowest C which is the middle tine. Adjacent tines are either a chromatic step and a half or two steps apart. So to play a scale you need to alternate tines as you move out towards the edges. To play an arpeggio or major/minor triad, you simply play adjacent tines which are already arranged to form triads on one side of the instrument. However what's really cool about the kalimba is that using alternate hands, it is easy/natural to create suspended 2 and 4 chords from any root (this is harder, say, on the guitar). And that gives you a pretty unique way to create tension where you're otherwise limited because you don't have notes that fall outside of the diatonic scale.I have been sitting next to my 4 month old daughter over the past few nights just improvising on this instrument. She enjoys listening to me play it a lot. And it is a lot more fun for me than just playing her some music from the tablet. I am really surprised how much fun this turned out to be.

This kalimba is so cute! I love the bear's ears and the mother-of-pearl mouth. It's very well made, with no flaws in the finish or elsewhere. It's going to be a good musical present for a little one, as it seems durable. The accessories are great. The case is very nice, and I've never had a kalima that included the tools and instructions for tuning. The names of the notes are written right on the keys, which is handy, and there are also stickers you can put on the keys to help identify them by color. Both these things help make it easier for beginners and children to play.It's very pleasant to just plink away on, as it's hard or impossible to make it sound bad. It's not very loud--kalimbas aren't--which is another advantage to parents who have one in the house. It's got holes in the back that you can cover with your fingers to make a wah-wah sound. It's smaller than a Hugh Tracey (and much cheaper) so the tines/keys are shorter than a standard which makes them stiffer. I saw a photo of someone playing it with some sort of thumb picks. If you have soft nails, or just want to protect them, you might try them. Maybe they'll include them with future shipments, but meanwhile, it does include everything else you'll need.

I was on the market for Kalimba for the last two weeks. I have researched a lot and ordered few I think are the potential Kalimbas I could own for the first time. I am a beginner but I have watched many videos about Kalimba and I know what I wanted. As a beginner, I wanted the notes engraved on the tines. I do not prefer the ones you have to put stickers on. I like the matte finish. I love the color and design of this Aklot Kalimba. It's chocolate brown. It is light, but it's genuine wood. The size is as big as the popular Gecko and exactly same shape too. I realized I don't need the ones with curvy sides. The case is one of the deciding factor. Compared to other cases, this one is premium. It really protects the Kalimba. I like too that the tuning hammer that is placed at the back doesn't scratch nor touch the Kalimba. The color of the bag is cool too. But the most important part is how it sounds. I tried recording simple songs and the sound is melodic. Unlike with other Kalimbas where you would hear some sharp sounds when you struck the tines, this one has a decent sound even though it says this is a beginner's Kalimba. I plan to bring this anywhere I go because it's very handy and I'll be able to learn and master new songs during vacant times. I ordered another one for my wife and I can't wait both of us playing together.

The media could not be loaded.  At first sight I absolutely fell in love with this special crystal kalimba. The elegant cat shape gives it a stunning appearance. This beautiful kalimba is made of transparent acrylic material. It is light weight and very comfortable to hold and play for hours. The 17 tine gives it just the right range for creating beautiful melodies and harmonies. It comes pre tuned in the key of C and is pretested before shipping. I was absolutely blown away with its sweet warm sound, resonance and sustain.This stunning instrument includes a pod case for extra protection, tuning hammer, cleaning cloth, green/red stickers, letter name stickers and an instructional manual.This is an easy instrument to play making it the perfect little handheld instrument to add to your collection. It is the perfect companion to take with you on vacations. I am very pleased with it and I honestly recommend it to anyone who wants many hours of fun and enjoyment.Gladys

The media could not be loaded.  It's beautiful and good quality. Sounds good. In tune.Only downside for me, are the tines. Would be more comfortable to play if the tines were more curved at the end.

Llegó el producto en perfecto estado. No viene afinado pero es fácil de afinar.El que tenga estuche es un gran plus.

I’m a beginner and use YouTube to figure it out. It doesn’t have the loud deeper sound that the wood one with the hole provides but it’s so sweet and gentle sounding. I can’t figure out how to tune the very last key on the right properly - it sounds like a dead/flat key but when my friend helped me tune the other keys he said it was already pretty close to being tuned. Easy to hold and handle

This is a lovely item. It is quite a unique look among kalimbas: A bear’s face! Nice smooth wood, and what looks like some kind of shell inlay for the Bear’s mouth. It’s a very comfortable shape to hold; you sort of cradle it between your palms. It needed a little tuning when it arrived and I was glad that I was able to use my clip on tuner. I attached it to the bear’s ear and it worked great. Other kalimbas would be too thick for that I think. I caught on to the tuning hammer right away, though I’d never used something like that before. I really like how the note designation is permanently engraved on the tines.The case is very sturdy, firm but flexible material with a strong zipper and wrist strap. No room in the case for the tuning hammer but it comes in a nice-looking white cardboard box that would hold that plus the case when you aren’t using it. It also comes with stickers and a cleaning cloth and an instruction booklet.Now the important part: it has a beautiful sound! It’s easy to pick out tunes even though the notes go out from the centre instead of from left to right as a keyboard would be. There’s instructions how to read a special type of tablature, but I haven’t tried that. I can read music already and just played note by note. I think this would be a nice gift for an older child or for an adult who would like this simple and charming instrument to play with. The bear shape is cute and would be a conversation starter.

You get your bang for your buck with this one. Ive had it for a few months now and its good quality. The sound is clear too

Purchased as a gift - great