ECO 34 Key Bamboo Chromatic Kalimba
Details:
- Brand: Chill Angels
- Series: ECO
- Kalimba Materials: Sustainably Farmed Naturally Pesticide Free Moso Bamboo and Premium Steel.
- Weight: 630g
- Flatboard Dimensions: 190x130x20mm Solid Bamboo Flat Soundboard
- Your Kalimba Order comes with:
- 1 Tuning Reference Card,
- Stickers (number notation)
- 1 tuning hammer
- 1 tuning pliers
- 2 thumb protectors
- 1 instrument wipe-cloth
- 1 black drawstring fabric bag (dust-cover)
- NEW! 1 grey instrument case
- Instrument Case details:
- Semi-hard with flexibility, like luggage.
- Inner elastic belt prevents Kalimba from falling out accidentally.
- Smooth and durable zipper
- Stabilizing Insert is custom-fitted to the ECO Kalimba, to reduce movement and absorb impact effectively.
- Instrument Case is exclusive to ChillAngels.com and Amazon Chill Angel. Not available to other resellers.
- Number of Keys: 34. All tuned to different notes with no repeats.
- Range: F3 to E6, Chromatic from A3 to E6.
- Bass notes: Below Middle C are five most common bass notes: F, G A, A#(a.k.a. B flat) and B.
- Above Middle C: full chromatic scale arranged like piano with white keys at the bottom layer and pentatonic black keys at the top layer.
- Layout designer: Seren Koo. All rights reserved. Once you learned ECO's layout, you will be able to transfer your playing skills to all her other layouts (24/25/36 key) with ease.
- Amazon Canada Regular Price CAD125.70
-
Amazon USA Regular Price USD99
Magnificent Value
Thank you for your interest in Chill Angels ECO 34 Key, the Bamboo Chromatic Kalimba with magnificent value in price, durability and layout efficiency.
The first thing you would notice is that the price is affordable compared to other similar Kalimbas on the market. It is quite a valuable Kalimba considering the high-quality sound and construction of the Kalimba.
This is the sturdiest Kalimba we have, with increased steel reinforcement and a thicker soundboard, for long-lasting use.
Our Original Tine arrangement by Seren Koo ensures no repeated notes. While we encourage all beginners to use the stickers or a permanent marker, many seasoned Kalimba players find the arrangement intuitive enough to not require stickers or markings on their Kalimba tines.
After you receive your Kalimba, you will notice that the sound improves after a week of playing it daily. This is because the tines will move into optimal positions with more use.
Maintenance
Dust-Cover: It is recommended that your Kalimba is kept covered in the black thin drawstring cloth bag whenever it is unused, to keep the Kalimba in optimal condition. It prevents the accumulation of dust and dirt while the Kalimba is resting. The instrument wipe-cloth can be used to clean any oils or perspiration from the instrument after practice.
Impact-Protection: Consider keeping your instrument in the grey instrument case whenever it is not in use, so that it is safe from accidents. Use the instrument case to protect your Kalimba during international travel. Pack the tuning accessories in the black fabric drawstring bag, and do not store it together with your Kalimba in the case as it may scratch your instrument.
Rust-Protection: You can use WD-40 to provide rust-protection for the metal components of your Kalimba. Spray any metal part, and wipe off the excess. WD-40 is not corrosive and will not harm the wood/ bamboo. We use WD-40 when assembling the instrument too.
Thumbnail-Protection: Your nails are now an essential part of your instrument, just like drum sticks for a drummer. Feel free to use the silicone thumb protectors, if you need help reminding yourself not to use your thumbnails in your daily life. Seren wore it until she changed her habits to use her fingernails instead of her thumbnails for daily chores. Remove the protectors when you practice the Kalimba.
Tuning: Your Kalimba was tuned before shipping. If it loses its accuracy, check out 9 year old Kylie's video for tips on how to tune your Chill Angels Kalimba. Most people are curious about the pliers. The pliers are used to lower the pitch for tines in the bottom layer. It is also useful when you need to change tines one day, for any brand of Kalimba.
Related Blog Posts:
(1) Eco-friendly Practices are Economical (planned post)
(2) Comparing 34 Key Layouts from Other Brands VS Chill Angels ECO (planned post)
(3) Qualities of Bamboo VS Wood as a soundboard for musical instruments (planned post)
(4) Jazz Up Your ECO Kalimba Bag (planned post)
A very nice instrument! No dead tins. Needed tuning after being shipped overseas.
Judging by the picture and information on your website, the tuning pliers seem to be missing in the parcel.
This is a really lovely kalimba and it arrived to the U.S very quickly. I noticed there was a buzzing sound on the middle key in the bottom row and two end tines in the top row were the same note, but Seren helped me fix these issues and was very helpful. I love the sound of the tines. There is just a single tine that I am having trouble fixing a buzzing issue (the rightmost F#), but otherwise, this is a beautiful looking and sounding instrument. The notes have the most glorious ring to them. For some reason, there appears to be a raised lump on the middle lower tine which looks like it will prevent it from being removed in the future, but hopefully that won't be an issue. Thank you for a gorgeous looking and sounding kalimba.
I ordered a Chill Angels ECO. It got delivered very fast - that was a huge surprise. The kalimba also sounded very good - I absolutely adore the sound and think it may be one of the best. But: I am also disappointed. My ECO had a huge metal blob on one of the tines - owing to that it would not be possible to pull it out! Also, retuning that tine would be very limited. Another point was a deep "scratch" next to a screw... That worried me also. I wrote to Chill Angels on Facebook and provided photos. I have not heard back from them for over a week now. My message was read though... The pre-sale customer service was excellent - but sadly there seems to be no customer service once the product is sold. I find this sad - especially with regard to obvious production faults. The kalimba per se, without said production faults, would deserve five stars.
This kalimba is incredible. She has an extremely beautiful sound. Although it is compared to 17key heavier, but still comfortable to hold and play. I would also like to say about a strong and reliable case with which you can not be afraid of the condition of the kalimba during transportation. Once I took the kalimba on a trip in a simple bag, which is also here, and all the keys moved to the side. At first, it was a bit difficult to learn, you had to click on the top row as well, and you could get confused. But after a few hours it becomes easier to play. The kalimba has an incredible appearance, it is pleasant to hold in the hands, and there are no scratches or cracks. I definitely recommend buying this kalimba. The only thing missing is a songbook, because before I bought it, I watched a lot of videos and there was this book, it's a pity that they don't sell it now for some reason.