Newlam Kalimba Thumb Piano 17 Keys, Portable Mbira Finger Piano Gifts for Kids and Adults Beginners

Product Description:

Newlam 17 Keys Kalimba Thumb Piano: Unleash the Melodies Within

Discover the enchanting world of music with the Newlam 17 keys Kalimba thumb piano, a handcrafted instrument meticulously designed for a harmonious musical experience.

Key Features:

• Rigorous Raw Materials: Crafted with precision, this Kalimba thumb piano is made from high-quality materials and ore steel bars. The natural air-dried wood not only ensures durability but also contributes to its ethereal timbre, complementing the instrument’s natural wood grain.
• Embossed Notes & Hand-Rest Curve Design: Stand out with embossed letters and notes on the keys, setting it apart from other thumb pianos with sticker notes. The hand-rest curve design is ergonomically crafted for the correct playing angle, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable musical journey.
• Easy To Play: Experience the joy of playing a song in just 5 minutes. Upon ordering, receive play guidance and tips to master a song effortlessly. Suitable for beginners, kids, and professionals alike, this Kalimba thumb piano is an invitation to musical exploration.
• Complete Package: The product includes the thumb piano, tune hammer, instruction book, stickers, flannelette bag, and a cleaning fabric. Contact us to receive an additional electronic songbook for free and enhance your musical repertoire.
• Guarantee & Warranty: Enjoy peace of mind with a 180-day warranty and unconditional return guarantee. If you ever find yourself unsatisfied with the instrument, feel free to contact us anytime for assistance.

Embark on your musical journey with the Newlam 17 Keys Kalimba Thumb Piano and let the melodies flow effortlessly from your fingertips.

Customer reviews:

Review by: The Watcher Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023 Verified Purchase

Got this for my daughter’s birthday present, but before I wrapped it up, I decided to check it out. Perfect to hold in my hands and the sound is better than I thought it would be. Now I want to get one for myself, but it will have to wait till after Christmas. Shoot, I want to get each of my grandkids one of these too. Makes a nice little gift for anyone.

Review by: Tim in VT Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2023 Verified Purchase

Very nice for the price and it comes with a nice bag to keep it in. We had gotten one for my wife last year and paid almost double. We got this one for my oldest daughter, and when my wife saw it, she wanted the new one because the quality was better and the sound had more depth to it. So it’s a 5 star buy in my book.

Review by: DDEffShopping Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023 Verified Purchase

This exceeded my expectations. It also was opened & the kalimba removed. It is perfectly tuned, (such a nice surprise). I’m so excited to learn how to play it; I did buy a Christmas songbook, hopefully be playing a tune or 2 before Christmas. I highly suggest this product & the seller. Everything was well-packaged & delivered in perfect condition.

Review by: Miss CC VINE VOICE Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2021 Verified Purchase

Off the bat, I’m going to be reviewing this kalimba as a Starter/beginner kalimba and not as an extremely professional, high-end piece. I’ve been playing kalimba for a very short amount of time on my partner’s much more expensive alto kalimba and loving it. But the alto has fewer keys and the keys are set up opposite of a usual 17 key, and finding tabs for the alto was very difficult. I’m someone who gets into hobbies and then drops them a few months, even weeks, later, so I didn’t want to purchase a pricey kalimba if I wasn’t invested.

That’s where this kalimba comes in. For a little over $20, I figured I could mess around with it, see if I enjoyed the instrument before purchasing an expensive kalimba. I was extremely surprised by my initial impressions of this kalimba. The look of the instrument is absolutely stunning and the sound right out of the box is lovely. I believe I may need to tune the furthest keys as they are a little buzzy but, overall, you get a pretty solid piece for next to nothing cost-wise.

Pros

• Very inexpensive
• Beautiful appearance
• Classic, “music-box” sound
• Tune correctly out of the box (two keys are any exception)
• Lots of goodies (tuning hammer, manual and music tabs book, stickers for the keys, black bag for storage)
• Ergonomic shape with the side dents for your thumb to rest
• Like most kalimbas, learning the basic mechanics of how to play is very easy
• Engraved keys (the listing and many Q&As answered by the seller say the keys are not engraved but mine did come engraved and I think it is absolutely beautiful plus helpful)

Cons

• Multiple reviewers experienced the same damage from a crack starting at the soundhole and running to the base after a month+ of owning (I have not experienced this but will update if this happens)
• Tuning hammer feels it is made of cheap material (will see if this is a problem later on)
• No real paper trail on where this instrument was manufactured (may not be a con or even a care for many but knowing where your piece was made and exactly by who can be important for some)
• Does not include a pickup (this might be a moot point for many but, higher-end kalimbas, such as the alto kalimba from Kalimba Magic I first started playing on, have an electronic pickup for amps)
• No ability to request non-standard tuning (the vast majority of people want a kalimba tuned in Standard G. However, if you want a different tuning [aren’t confident you could do that yourself], you won’t be able to ask with any of the kalimbas found on Amazon for a different tuning like you can with other manufacturers like Kalimba Magic)

Pro/Con/Neutral

• Small (great for children and folks with small hands like me but might be annoying for someone with larger hands)
• Lightweight (again, great for children and small-handed folks but could be frustrating for someone who wants a hefty instrument)
• While gorgeous, I do question the quality of materials used. The craftsmanship is beautiful but, without knowing the specific source of all the material, it is difficult to provide feedback on the quality.

I’ve included a few pictures and a (poorly focused) video of the kalimba being played. You may be able to hear the “buzzy” or “fuzzy” end keys in the video but, overall, this was tuned wonderfully. Additionally, I have not tuned or done anything to the kalimba besides play it a few times. This is the sound out of the box.

I think this piece does the job for anyone test-running if they want a kalimba or not. It is very cheap which makes it easier to jump into; no pressure if you don’t enjoy it and decide to give it away, donate, or just leave it on your shelf to mess about with once every few months. For a starter kalimba (barring any sudden and random damage as other reviewers have experienced with this specific piece) I rate this 5/5. It has everything a starter kalimba should have at a price point that is very difficult to beat. Compared to other, high-end and professional kalimbas